Archive of Our Own ^beta

***

Tonowari and Ronal made an amazing match.

They complemented each other and were fierce warriors. Tonowari, as the oloeyktan of the metkayina clan, was a trustworthy and responsible leader among his clan members. His decisions and verdicts were always respected in both high-stress situations and the most mundane, such as daily life segregation of tasks. His mate, Ronal, the tsahik of the metkayina clan, was also held highly by her clan members. She always maintained a regal composure, thinking with the clan's best interest in mind, and never failed to do what was expected of her as the tsahik.

Together, the two of them managed their clan seamlessly.

Although, sometimes, Aonung wondered what strings did Eywa pull to allow two strong waves to clash against each other so peacefully. 'Or not peacefully,' an 11-year-old Aonung thought to himself, watching with mild disinterest as his sa'nok chided his sempul for being reckless during hunting once again.

Just almost an hour ago, his father and his team of hunters had returned from their weekly hunting, bringing home with them an impressive amount of catch that could last them more than an entire week. Of course, as the tsahik, Ronal was one of the first to greet the hunters and look for anyone who was injured, or anyone who needed her attention or guidance.

Aonung and his 9-year-old little sister, Tsireya, tailed after their mother, of course. Both of them were always eager to see their father in an especially good mood - which often almost always happened every time he went on his weekly hunting with the other hunters.

Unlike his little sister, who was giggling and running into their father's awaiting arms excitedly, Aonung maintained his composure and walked with as much composure and 'coolness' as an 11-year-old could. (He's the son of the clan's oloeyktan and tsahik, after all; he had a reputation to maintain as presumably the future oloeyktan. At least that's what he thought to himself, anyway.)

He joined to stand beside his mother, and wasn't even surprised to see the few grazes along his father's arms.

Like always, somehow, only his father was with light injuries and cuts.

Aonung peeked at his mother, and wasn't surprised at the sight of her pursed lips. He was also not surprised when she waved a dismissive hand in the general direction of the gathering metkayinas. "Dismiss," she claimed in a loud voice, enough to have the metkayinas scattering away and breaking apart, the crowd thinning in almost an instant.

The only ones remaining were the four of them.

Tonowari was carrying his daughter on his back, whose hands were looped around his neck for security. Aonung watched his little sister break into a fit of giggles when their father's hair tickled her quite chubby cheeks.

(Their mother tended to overfeed them out of care, despite the 'tough' exterior she liked to put on. Aonung had discovered that sneaking away while his mother was busy with his sister was a very effective way to get away from his mother's 'babying'.

Goodbye to round cheeks - not that Aonung needed round cheeks. It's hard to look like a fearsome warrior if he had a round face, he believed.)

Unlike his elated sister, their mother, still had her lips pursed disapprovingly.

"You must stop this, Tonowari," Ronal said, loud enough only for the four of them to hear. Her eyes were furrowed disapprovingly, but Aonung had watched his mother go through various emotions for the past 11 years. It was why he could spot the softness in her otherwise disapproving look directed at his father.

At the call of his name, Tonowari innocently turned to his wife with an equally 'innocent' and clueless smile.

"Stop what, yawntu?" the oloeyktan inquired, the amused glint in his eyes a total opposite of the glint in his mate's eyes.

Ronal, of course, didn't grace the question with an answer. Rather, she held her mate by his forearm, and offered her other hand to Aonung.

The metkayina boy took the offered hand happily.

The four of them made their way back to their marui.

Only when they were inside, did Ronal tell Tonowari to carefully put their daughter back on the floor of the marui. Once that was done, then came the daily 'reprimanding' from his mother to his father.

Aonung always failed to understand why it was that Tonowari always looked so at peace and delighted whenever Ronal would chide and scold him for being 'reckless'.

She would huff and grumble about how the oloeyktan was purposely getting injured as she tenderly helped treat the cuts. On the other hand, Tonowari would stare at his mate with so much affection and fondness that Aonung would always cause the boy to feel nauseous - which said a lot in itself, considering metkayinas rarely feel nauseous.

His father would sit through the 'scolding' with the widest smile Aonung had seen on the man's face, and, once done, he would place a loving peck to Ronal's temple and murmured a nauseatingly loving, "Thank you, Ronal."

While Ronal's instinctual response would be a huff, a roll of her eyes, and a flick of her tail, Aonung would also notice the way her complexion softened at such a simple gesture.

There was once, when Aonung let curiosity get the better of him.

After yet another moment as the one described, Ronal had excused herself to look for Tsireya, who presumably had gone ahead to spend time with ilus. So Aonung went and asked his father about his confusion - even though thinking about the topic alone had him reeling from nausea.

"Sempul," the metkayina boy called out, watching the way his father kept on looking at the entrance of the marui where his mate had just disappeared into. Tonowari only turned to look at him once Ronal was no longer able to be seen due to the distance between them.

The oloeyktan turned to his son, and hummed, encouraging his son to speak.

"Why do you always come back with these cuts?" Aonung went straight to the point. "You're the oloeyktan; aren't you supposed to be the one that comes back unscathed?" he questioned, seated with his legs crossed and facing his father.

Rather than being offended, Tonowari chuckled, fond as he gave his son's head a couple of affectionate and loving pats.

"You will not understand, even if I were to answer you," the oloeyktan claimed, grinning while Aonung frowned further, dissatisfied at the deflection.

"I will!" Aonung insisted, his tail behind him thumping almost rebelliously. "I have watched you and sa'nok be all 'lovey dovey' every time! How hard can it be to understand the true answer?" the metkayina boy added, demanding a direct answer.

At the boy's words, Tonowari grinned wider, pinched Aonung's no longer chubby cheek, and exclaimed heartily: "That is the answer, boy."

Aonung furrowed his eyes.

"What answer?" Aonung deadpanned.

His question only made his father more amused, and the metkayina boy decided that maybe he was better off not knowing. Especially if his father was going to be so difficult.

Abruptly standing up, Aonung kept the scowl on his face.

"Fine!" he exclaimed, his voice coming out a little cracked and causing his father to snicker. Regardless, Aonung had a point to prove. "It's not important anyway. I'll figure it out," he declared, all too sure of himself.

As he made his way to walk out of his marui as a show of throwing a tantrum, and also because he was a little embarrassed that his voice cracked, his father's ringing and jovial laughter trailed into a fit of snickers as he called out to his son.

Begrudgingly, Aonung turned to his father - still with a scowl on his lips.

"Aonung," his father said, looking at his son with a faraway look, as if the oloeyktan was recalling a fond memory. "When the time comes, you will find the fire in someone's eyes so beautiful, that you will be willing to burn - just to see them glow," his father said, not making sense at all.

Aonung stormed out of the marui after exclaiming in frustration that his father's words didn't make sense. He tried his best to storm off louder when Tonowari had started laughing heartily and loudly enough that the metkayinas living in their neighboring maruis curiously looked out of their maruis.

That was four years ago - when the gap between him and Tsireya wasn't so palpable.

After his little sister had officially started learning to be the next tsahik, a tsakarem, it became very obvious to everyone who was the 'capable' sibling out of the two siblings.

At the age of 15, Tonowari still never clearly told Aonung that the metkayina boy would be the next oloeyktan. Aonung wouldn't have felt a little 'ignored' if it wasn't for the fact that Tsireya, his younger sister, had started her tsakarem training while she was younger than him.

Of course, Aonung also couldn't feel that much 'resentment' for his little sister, considering how he, as everyone else, also acknowledged how quickly his sister was learning new skills and how in touch she was with her surroundings.

Plus, Aonung knew he was going to be the next oloeyktan anyway. It was simply that, perhaps, his father deemed him 'unsuitable' yet to be starting his training.

On the bright side of not being busy with oloeyktan-in-training 'activities', he had more free time to himself to do whatever he wanted.

Like picking on the newcomers, for example.

In his defense, the oldest daughter of the Sullys really creeped him out. How could someone look so fascinated by- by sand???

She also had four fingers rather than three, like the second son of the Sullys.

In other words; the Sullys weren't the typical navis.

The two mentioned siblings both weren't the usual navis. They were different, and Aonung, while he was somewhat intrigued, found their different traits more 'freaky' than 'amazed'. It wasn't every day he would bump into a navi as odd as the said omatikayans.

He was in the middle of asking the two siblings questions about their unique traits when, out of nowhere, he was shoved.

Really hard.

Aonung could count with his fingers the only people who were allowed to treat him with such carelessness: his sempul, his sa'nok, and his sister. (Even Rotxo, someone Aonung internally dubbed as his 'best friend', was someone Aonung barely allowed to treat him with this kind of roughness.)

So the 15-year-old's gaze immediately searched for the one who dared to pick a fight with him, and he paused.

The list had grown longer without him knowing, apparently.

There's Toruk Makto himself. Aonung would never pick a fight with the legendary warrior that his father respected so much.

There was also the said legendary warrior's mate: Neytiri. To put it frankly; she frightened him the way his own mother frightened him sometimes.

And then there's the young warrior.

Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan.

The oldest son of the Sullys.

The omatikayan boy was as old as he was - 15 years old - yet it was obvious that he had more achievements to his name than Aonung ever had.

Wearing his cummerbund, the way he carried himself, the way all of his siblings often obliged to his words and advice (with the exception of the omatikayan's little brother), the way Toruk Makto put a lot of trust in the omatikayan in the way Tonowari never really did with the metkayina boy.

The only reason the omatikayan in front of him wasn't an oloeyktan-in-training was because he had to move away from his clan - and ended up here.

Instantly, Aonung's mouth fell shut at the presence of the other.

Instinctually, he held the omatikayan's gaze.

For some reason, in that moment, his father's words echoed in his head:

("When the time comes, you will find the fire in someone's eyes so beautiful, that you will be willing to burn - just to see them glow.")

It shocked the metkayina greatly when the first thought he had, as he looked into a stern pair of eyes, was of how breathtaking the shade of gold that he could find there, along with the fire softly crackling behind them.

To maintain his 'reputation', Aonung remained silent, of course. In fact, he was too busy internally being confused by his first thought to properly come up with a retort anyway.

The omatikayan was saying something that sort of went into the metkayina's right ear and out his left ear. Something about how Aonung and his friends should leave his sister alone.

He didn't even remember holding out a hand to stop his friend from speaking. When he did realise, though, simultaneously, he also noticed the way his heart burned at the thought of the omatikayan boy in front of him ever taking his disapproving eyes off him.

As soon as he noticed, all he could think about was how he was an idiot.

An idiot for not asking his father what he should do if he ever found someone that he was willing to burn for.

Neteyam and he were far from being a match as great as Aonung's parents. He didn't know why the thought came to him first; all he knew was that he never wanted those eyes off him. Unlike him, Neteyam was a fully fledged young warrior: dependable, mature, and had already passed his iknimaya. Aonung had none of those.

His parents were both respected individuals before they became the oloeyktan and the tsahik - and also mates.

What does 'willing to burn' mean?

Did he want Neteyam as his mate?

Did he like the oldest son?

Barely a second into his 'epiphany', and Aonung already knew that he was in for a really, really, rough ride.

When Neteyam pressed a finger to his chest, Aonung wondered what would be more thrilling: trying to tame a tsurak, or seeing for himself how bright he could coax the fire in the omatikayan's eyes to burn?

With these thoughts running in his mind, as he ignored the chills that ran down his spine when Neteyam called him 'smart' - or at least a variation of that - and blurted out something in an attempt to see if he could 'taunt' the omatikayans, he realised a couple of things.

One: Loak was a lot like him. A bit easy to rile up.

Two: Neteyam was definitely harder to rile up.

Three: He could definitely use Loak to his advantage and in his newest 'agenda'.

Four: Perhaps he should try observing his father's and mother's interactions more closely. (For inspiration.)

When he came home, bruised and beaten up, all he could really think about while his father disappointedly sighed at his son's unruly behaviour while his mother maintained her stern composure, was the heated gaze he shared with the oldest son of the Sullys before they were broken apart by an older metkayina who was passing by.

If Tonowari noticed his son being distracted the entire time the metkayina boy was being scolded, the oloeyktan didn't comment on it.

If Tonowari noticed Aonung's gaze lingering at the Sully's family's marui when they were all having lunch at the centre of the village, if Tonowari noticed the way his son's gaze lingered on the oldest son of the Sullys, and if Tonowari noticed the oldest son of the Sullys glaring at his son, while his son met that glare right back, well.

He didn't comment on it.

***1***

Tsireya liked to think that she knew her brother really well.

It was why she was pretty upset and disappointed in her brother when she heard of what had happened between Aonung and the Sullys.

Right after lunch, and as soon as she was free of her tsakarem's duties, she searched for her brother, and wasn't the slightest bit intimidated to find her brother hanging out with the group of troublemakers he occasionally hung out with.

A younger her would be intimidated, but she was no longer the girl who hid behind her brother's legs whenever they met new people.

When Aonung and his group of friends noticed her approaching, the conversation that was going on came to a halt.

Tsireya couldn't help but feel less upset at the sight of her brother's treated cuts and bruises. Granted, from what she heard, he totally deserved it for being a skxwang.

He was still her older brother, nonetheless.

Once she was close enough, Aonung motioned for his friends to leave, and they begrudgingly obliged - leaving the children of the oloeyktan and tsahik by themselves.

She stopped to stand in front of her brother, placing her hands on her hips, while his brother crossed his arms over his chest in an unbothered manner.

It appeared Tsireya would have to be the one to break the silence.

"Our sempul asked us to guide them; not to belittle them," Tsireya immediately said, feeling less and less upset the more she looked at her brother's unusually beat-up face. (From what she had heard, it was Loak who landed the first punch after Aonung had said a rude remark.

Her fondness for the omatikayan grew a tad bit more - simply because he was strong, and she had always admired those who were always brave and strong enough to act and speak up.)

Aonung clicked his tongue, unimpressed. "I didn't ask to guide those people," her older brother grumbled, arms remaining crossed over his chest while his tail subtly flicked behind him. The sight reminded her of all the times he would sulk whenever she managed to win their silly races when they were younger.

Seeing how her brother seemed adamant to be difficult, Tsireya sighed, before gently touching Aonung's forearm, prompting him to properly look into her eyes. "Let us sit," she suggested - or more so demanded, despite the soft and coaxing tone she had used, tugging her brother towards some rocks nearby so they could sit down on them.

Her older brother's reluctance was palpable only in the groan he made, but, otherwise, he went along pretty well with his little sister's request.

Tsireya's first order of business as soon as she had made herself comfortable on the rock: look over her brother one last time to check if there were cuts that weren't treated. The chances of their sa'nok overlooking a cut were low, but, just in case.

After confirming that all cuts were treated, she asked with a coaxing voice, "Why did you pick a fight with the Sullys?"

The response came instantly.

"No reason."

"I know you, brother," Tsireya stressed, searching for her brother's unusually shifty gaze. "You can be mean-spirited sometimes, yes, but it doesn't usually get to the point where you get physically hurt - especially this terribly."

"Your favourite student was the one who started it," Aonung fired back, grumbling.

Tsireya ignored the subtle callout.

"From what I've heard, Neteyam-" she paused barely noticeably when her brother perked up at the name, "-managed to break you two apart before things could escalate, but you went and riled Loak up by calling them 'freaks'."

The tsakarem pursed her lips in distaste at saying the word.

"He could've walked away - like his responsible older brother was doing," her brother countered, looking like he was biting his tongue from saying anything further.

Tsireya's ears perked up in interest.

She sat straighter, and as soon as her brother noticed the subtle change, he cleared his throat and ducked his face.

It was interesting.

"'Responsible older brother'?" she repeated, intrigued at how her brother had referred to Neteyam.

Aonung had always been someone who rarely gave out compliments. Even if he did give out compliments, they would be vague: 'good' and 'great'. His compliments were never elaborated. Tsireya thought that was always intentional - because he wanted to maintain a 'high standard' that the metkayina girl still sometimes wondered about. Whether it even existed, or perhaps her brother was just too much stubborn and 'arrogant' to acknowledge others' skills.

Knowing her brother, though, she was sure that he simply had a 'high standard'. Aonung may be blunt and occasionally rude, but she wouldn't go as far as to say he's arrogant.

"Yeah," Aonung gruffed, still not meeting Tsireya's eyes. "He already passed his iknimaya, Tsireya. And he's my age."

"And you think that is impressive?"

Her brother pulled a rather pained expression, before reluctantly shrugging. "I mean… everyone thinks that's impressive."

"Then why don't you try getting along with him?"

The pained expression on her brother's face turned into pure mortification.

Abruptly, he stood up from the stone, almost tripping in the process, and Tsireya noticed the way blood was rushing to her brother's face.

Really interesting.

"Uh, no," Aonung deadpanned, almost tripping another time when he tried to back away.

This time around, though, someone else stopped Aonung from falling on his bum - with a hand on the metkayina boy's bicep.

Both Aonung and Tsireya gaped to find Neteyam standing there, out of all the people that could've possibly been there.

Tsireya watched her brother who frantically - panickedly - swatted the omatikayan's hand, and pretty much jumped away from the said omatikayan, creating some distance between them. At the same time, Tsireya went to stand, looking back and forth between the unimpressed look on Neteyam's face and her brother's surprised expression that quickly morphed into his typical smug expression.

Somewhere behind Neteyam, Tsireya noticed an awkward-looking Rotxo - who was already looking at her with a rather pinched expression. (She also noticed Neteyam's tail flicking around, presumably in annoyance - but it was quite the… endearing sight.)

"I came here to apologise," Neteyam deadpanned, breaking the silence as his unimpressed stare remained entirely on Aonung. "…but I can see that no amount of words would make you feel less freaked out by my family and me. So.

If we could just agree on being at least a little cordial with each other, and by extension, my family, then it's fine by me."

Rotxo frantically looked back and forth between the older brothers before turning to Tsireya, looking very regretful.

On the other hand, Tsireya tried to string words in her head to calm Neteyam down. (He wasn't angry, per se, but Tsireya recognised a cold shoulder and quiet anger any day. Her mother had always been eerily silent whenever she was very cross.)

Surely her brother was doing so, too. He knew fully well how much their sempul respected Toruk Makto, and how it was in the clan's best interest to keep a good relationship with the legendary warrior and, by extension, his family. She assumed such because her brother's response was coming out surprisingly slow, since a few beats of silence had passed. Also, when was the last time it took her brother so long to retort when someone was speaking rather ‘rudely’ to him-?

"Is that you admitting your family are freaks?"

Tsireya whipped her head to look at her brother in genuine shock.

She couldn't understand the audacity of her brother to even say such a thing! Especially with the rather condescending smirk on his lips, looking down on Neteyam, who was barely shorter than him.

Just as anyone would be when their family was badmouthed right in front of their face, Neteyam's eyes narrowed, the crossed expression on his face causing Tsireya to stiffen because of how odd it was to see the omatikayan so full of rage than the compassion he would shower his siblings in, and the omatikayan took a bold step forward, ears folded back and his tail stiff, unmoving.

Meeting Aonung's steady and smug gaze, Neteyam asked with an unervingly calm tone, "Do you want to repeat that?"

Tsireya had no clue how her brother wasn't already running away with his tail between his legs.

At this rate, Tsireya was pretty sure it didn't matter what she would say. Her priority would be to break these two apart, and maybe properly reprimand his brother for his very, very, poor choice of words.

Rotxo had come to Tsireya's side, seeming to be sharing the same line of thought as her.

Although, before neither of them could do or even say anything, Aonung went and casually raised his hand in a silent 'stop' motion. Not once did her older brother's gaze trail off from the fuming omatikayan in front of him.

Perhaps her brother's self-preservation instinct had upped and left before anyone noticed. That's the only explanation Tsireya could come up with.

Both Tsireya and Rotxo watched, too stunned by the metkayina boy's unusual attitude. Aonung took the silence as a chance to take a step closer to Neteyam, and then, in the corners of her eyes, she noticed.

Noticed the barely-there yet repetitive twitch of her brother's tail.

The observation surprised her so much, that she found herself turning to look at Rotxo.

Rotxo, who seemed to have noticed what she had noticed, was also wearing a gobsmacked expression on his face as he, too, ended up just looking at Tsireya in pure shock.

While they were processing what they had seen, Aonung went and ran his mouth:

"Is 'terrible hearing' something you inherited from the demon's blood?"

Neteyam clenched his fists hard enough that they started to bleed.

Aonung seemed to have noticed it. There was no way anything would be able to escape the metkayina boy's eyes; not when he was looking at the omatikayan like he was the only thing that mattered at that moment.

To Tsireya's horror, confusion, and exasperation, her brother's smile widened.

Neteyam's ears folded back even more, and his eyes had turned into slits, his fists clenched and slowly dripped with blood, and his tail was lashing out behind him.

Tsireya decided that her brother was not to be trusted with feelings.

Ever.

By some miracle and strength that Tsireya had no idea where Neteyam had found, the omatikayan bit his lower lip, seeming to be trying to suppress the urge to retort and 'bite back'. Aonung's gaze tracked the action, and Tsireya couldn't help but be slightly worried about how his brother would ever settle down with a mate if his choice of 'showing affection' was to 'pick a fight'.

Neteyam closed his eyes as he exhaled, harshed, before he unclenched his fists, his right palm red with little blood trickling and tracing down the patterns on his palm. With the very same palm, he lifted a hand, pressed three fingers onto Aonung's chest, red already reaching the tips of his fingers, and said in warning: "If you ever dared to be a bitch towards my siblings again, I'll do you worse than today."

The omatikayan shoved Aonung, pressed the flat of his palm right where he had his fingers, and added, "I'll make sure to tell your parents, and then we'll see who's smiling and who's not."

He retracted his hand.

He was still oblivious to the way Aonung was all too thriving from the attention. Not that Tsireya could fault the omatikayan. He didn't know Aonung the way Tsireya and Rotxo did.

With that, the omatikayan turned on his heels, and walked away.

Unfortunately, neither Tsireya nor Rotxo was fast enough to cover Aonung's mouth when the metkayina boy blurted loudly: "Running away with your tail tucked between your legs, forest boy?!"

Neteyam paused in his steps.

All three of them waited with bated breath. (Tsireya and Rotxo out of fear for their lives. Aonung for an entirely different reason.)

With one last, long, sharp glare directed at Aonung, the two of them got caught in a staring contest - until they no longer weren't.

Surprisingly, Neteyam turned his attention to Rotxo and Tsireya, his gaze drastically lowering in intensity, before saying a short, "Have a good night, Tsireya, Rotxo."

A pause.

"And thank you for bringing me to the skxwang, Rotxo.

It wasn't worth the walk, but your company was nice."

Finally, the omatikayan left.

As soon as Neteyam was out of earshot, both Tsireya and Rotxo abruptly turned to look at Aonung in justified alarm and horror while exclaiming at the same time:

"Brother, that was uncalled for!"

"Who taught you that taunting someone to kill you is flirting?!"

Both Aonung and Tsireya turned to Rotxo.

Rotxo raised his hands in surrender. "What?!" he exclaimed, defensive. "You guys know that I'm right!" he pressed, hugging himself while he pursed his lips in conviction.

After a beat or two passed, Tsireya turned to her brother and voiced her agreement with their friend's words: "Rotxo's right."

Aonung's jaw dropped in betrayal.

"No way you're siding with the nonsense he just said, sister!" the 15-year-old exclaimed in betrayal, looking at his sister as if she had actually inflicted the most heartless betrayal he had ever gone through.

Rotxo groaned. "We saw your tail wagging, skxwang!"

"Then you guys should get your eyes checked! Mother would be happy to help treat your eyes!"

"Or maybe you should get your brain checked!" Rotxo countered, looking utterly unimpressed and in disbelief. "The tension was so thick - except you wanted him all over you while he wanted you dead on the ground!"

Tsireya bristled at the instant and very unprompted mental image in her head.

"Don't say another word, Rotxo," Tsireya sighed, covering her face with her palm. Quite traumatised. "I'm afraid I am scarred for life in my head."

Aonung scoffed, his annoyance not loud enough to cover the embarrassment Tsireya could hear in it. "You guys have lost it," her older brother claimed, shaking his head from side to side. Whether he was shaking his head at his atrocious 'flirting', at feeling embarrassed that he was so easily figured out, or at the audacity of his sister and best friend, Tsireya wasn't sure. The answer could simply be 'all the above'.

Abruptly after that, Aonung told the two metkayinas that he had 'better things to do', and merely dismissed Tsireya when she insisted that he owed Neteyam an apology.

Tsireya watched in a mixture of helplessness and hopelessness when her brother seemed to notice the redness that had stained his chest. She felt even more… ‘helpless’ when he just… stood there and stared.

Surely enough, he ended up walking again. Without doing anything to wipe away the blood on his chest.

In an attempt to get him to change his mind about leaving, Tsireya pointed out, sounding rather desperate for her brother to realise his mistake - because she absolutely was: "His hands were bleeding, Aonung."

It did put a stop to her brother's footsteps.

Only for a moment, though.

"That's his own fault," Aonung stubbornly retorted, adding on barely audibly, "He could've punched me than hurt himself."

Aonung left after that.

Shortly after that, Tsireya and Rotxo looked for Neteyam.

They found him by the shore, and the omatikayan was wincing at having to wash his bleeding palms. Quickly, Tsireya asked Rotxo to help her retrieve a couple of herbs from her family's marui so she could treat the omatikayan's wounds. With a nod, Rotxo hurried away.

Just watching the water on Neteyam's palms made Tsireya wince. The sting of having saltwater grazing injuries had never been pleasant.

Rushing, Tsireya went to Neteyam's side, offering to help treat his palms and simultaneously apologising for his brother's rude behaviour. He accepted her offer on the treatment, but he shook his head from side to side at her apology, politely dismissing it.

"That is not your fault," he said, his voice so gentle compared to the one he used just some moments ago in front of Aonung. "You don't have to apologise for him."

A pause.

"I don't expect him to apologise, anyway," Neteyam added, wincing when his palms stung and throbbed occasionally. "I just hope he won't ever say that in front of my family."

When Rotxo came back, Tsireya was… surprised at the amount Rotxo brought.

While Neteyam seemed to be in deep thought, as Tsireya carefully applied herbs to the cuts, she took that chance to ask Rotxo in a whisper where he had gotten all those herbs from. After all, she remembered having a stash of them in her marui, but she didn't have that many.

Conspirationally, Rotxo glanced at Neteyam, and when he was sure the omatikayan seemed to still be in deep thought, he turned to Tsireya and shrugged, sending her a knowing look.

"Aonung."

Tsireya couldn't help but pull a puzzled expression.

"How did he manage to get so much in such a short time?"

Rotxo pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"…maybe he could if he stole some from your mother's stash," the metkayina boy 'speculated'.

The next time she saw her mother, Ronal asked her if she had 'taken' some of the herbs she had gathered.

Tsireya was lightly chided for being 'lazy', and she was also told by her mother that it was unusual for her to be so, and that she shouldn't make it a habit.

Tsireya just hoped her brother could get a hang of his feelings before he crossed a line that he could never uncross.

***2***

Loak was fine and all with Aonung finally being cool with him - even though it was at the cost of his dad being mad at him, but then again, when was Jake ever not mad at him? - but the metkayina boy just wouldn't stop following him.

"Why are you still following me?" Loak finally asked the older navi, turning around and stopping in his steps. In return, Aonung also stopped walking, too.

The metkayina shrugged. "Because my family is still mad at me for leaving you stranded."

Loak raised an eyebrow quizically. In a 'how is that my problem?' kind of way.

Aonung scratched the back of his head. "You said your father was mad at you."

…

"So?"

"So the two of us are pretty much in the same situation."

"Actually, we're not," Loak grumbled, turning away to walk away quickly - which unfortunately didn't deter the metkayina from walking after him, catching up with him easily.

"Why aren't we?" Aonung asked.

The omatikayan rolled his eyes, and then conspiratorially looked around before he slowed down, walking beside Aonung instead of in front of the metkayina. Noticing this, Aonung also looked around - but with less interest - as he matched the pace Loak was walking in. When Aonung got bored of pretending to look around, he turned to look at his newly acquired friend. "Why aren't we in the same situation?" he repeated his question, annoyingly.

Giving their surroundings one last look, Loak whispered hushedly to the metkayina:

"Because you don't have a pissed-off older brother looking for you right now."

All at the same time, Loak observed… a few things.

One: Aonung suddenly standing up straight, his ears perking up while his tail turned rigid - not that the metkayinas’ tails were never not rigid compared to an omatikayan's.

Two: Aonung looking around with this… odd look of interest.

Three: Just… the entire shift of Aonung's vibe.

"Your brother is pissed off?" the metkayina asked - with a weird tone.

Loak was never one to shy away from straightforward questions.

"Why do you sound like that?"

Aonung's gaze kept on looking around - like he was searching for something.

"Like what?"

"Like you're excited to see my brother pissed off."

In an instant, Aonung was looking at him. Right into his soul, actually.

"I'm not happy to see your brother," the metkayina hissed, looking awfully suspicious.

"That's not what I said."

"That was exactly what you said."

"I said that you're happy to see my brother pissed off," Loak corrected the older navi, starting to feel really, really, suspicious. Suspicious enough to no longer pay attention to his surroundings, and spending his time skeptically squinting his eyes at the metkayina instead.

Aonung rolled his eyes, was about to retort something, but was interjected when a new voice joined in.

"Loak."

Loak prayed to Eywa that Neteyam wasn't too angry.

Turning to his brother, Loak put on his best 'I know I'm at fault, please don't be mad at me' look, a purposefully pitiful look, and said his piece: "Neteyam, bro, please don't be mad at me.

I promised you; I was just trying to make amends like dad told us to, and I was the one who asked Aonung to bring me out there-"

"You didn't do that," Neteyam interjected.

At the stern tone in his brother's voice, Loak stopped talking. Focusing on what Neteyam was looking at instead.

His big brother wasn't even looking at him.

Which Loak was grateful for - because if looks could kill, Aonung would've been dead seconds ago.

His brother approaching the two of them snapped Loak out of his thoughts, and the younger omatikayan instinctively stood in front of Aonung when his brother seemed to be making his way towards the metkayina.

Neteyam's intense gaze settled on his little brother for a long, very nerve-wracking moment of silence.

The older omatikayan briefly glanced at Aonung before he turned his attention to his little brother again. "Why are you with the jerk?" Neteyam asked, his voice still void of emotions and really, really freaking Loak the fuck out.

Loak had no idea what Aonung did, but he was pretty sure he had never seen his older brother this furious.

"We were-" the younger omatikayan scrambled for an excuse, "-uhhhh-" before deciding he should simply tell his brother the truth, "We were just, you know. Hanging out like friends do. Yeah. Since we're friends now."

To make it more convincing that he and Aonung were friends, he went to stand beside the metkayina, wrapped an arm around the metkayina's shoulders, and gave the said metkayina a couple of friendly pats. "See?" Loak said, the boyish grin on his lips feeling too tense to be natural, "Best friends right here."

Neteyam looked unimpressed.

He also looked torn between staring Loak down with that unamused stare, or glaring Aonung down and shredding the metkayina into pieces.

Whatever it was Aonung did; he probably really fucked up.

Loak had been at the end of a lot of people's fury. (Was it really Loak's fault that he was just curious about everything?) Though rarely was he ever faced with his patient older brother's anger.

Taking a step forward, Neteyam wrapped a hand around Loak's bicep, tugged the younger omatikayan strongly enough so that the said younger omatikayan no longer had an arm wrapped around Aonung's shoulders, and so that he ended up standing behind the older omatikayan.

The second son of the Sullys watched his brother stare down Aonung, feeling all too anxious.

Surprisingly, Aonung met his brother's stare head-on. Fearless.

There's a familiar twinkle in Aonung's eyes, then. Loak would know; it was the same glint the metkayina had when he asked him to 'join him hunting with his friends' - before leaving him stranded and fighting for his life from being eaten by an akula.

However, Loak couldn't help but notice that the glint seemed… different this time - directed at his older brother instead.

While glaring into Aonung's eyes, Neteyam addressed his little brother with a bland and almost bored voice: "I'd rather you make friends with an akula than this skxwang."

Loak's eyes widened.

Aonung didn't even flinch.

As a matter of fact, Loak watched in a plethora of emotions - amazement, horror, genuine concern, and wonder - when Aonung took a step forward and stood toe to toe with the omatikayan his age, a smug smirk on his lips as he drawled, "You're afraid that I'm a bad influence to your little brother, Neteyam?"

His tone was sickeningly sweet. His voice was nauseating.

And mean.

The only thought Loak had in his mind was 'does this guy have a fucking death wish?'.

Of course, Neteyam didn't back down.

His tail flicked behind him, restless and ticked, and Loak watched in growing worry as his brother uncharacteristically slowly lost his temper, ears folded back and presumably had his eyes furrowed and nose scrunched.

"If anything else happened to my brother because of you," Neteyam gritted out, his braids falling off his shoulders as he tilted his chin up, keeping eye contact with the metkayina, "I suggest you watch out for stray arrows, Aonung."

Seeing his brother like this reminded Loak a lot of their mother.

Perhaps, on a later time when Aonung was no longer playing around at death's door, Loak would ask the metkayina what the hell he did - so he could make sure he'd never do whatever it was that got Neteyam so furious.

Neteyam raised a hand, pressed a finger right over Aonung's chest, and pretty much fucking threatened the oloeyktan's son, "I don't usually miss my shots.

But the winds here are different from the ones I'm familiar with back home. It wouldn't be too surprising if I slipped."

Neteyam.

Threatening the oloeyktan's son.

Breaking the one rule Jake had set for them. Again.

Eywa- Maybe the world was ending, after all.

Loak decided that he should prevent a homicide and his future as a witness to the said homicide by breaking the two apart. Considering how he couldn't see his brother's face and met his eyes, he resorted to searching to make eye contact with Aonung instead - which was a terrible, terrible mistake.

Why the fuck was Aonung grinning like an idiot?

He must be insane if he found Neteyam funny right now. Especially now, when even Loak was sort of terrified of his brother.

Like an idiot, Aonung kept on poking.

He raised his hand, went and tested Loak's heart's capability to not fall off his chest from pure fear by gently tilting Neteyam's face by the chin, and taunting:

"Why don't you try slipping now?"

What the hell.

What the fuck.

Loak watched as his brother swatted the metkayina's hand away, and the gears in his brain started spinning and clicking together as he watched the exchange between his older brother and Aonung. Pieces slowly falling into space.

"You think I can't do it?!" Neteyam barked, taking an abrupt step forward while Aonung took a step backward, his hands up in surrender, and the smug smirk on his lips never faltering.

The beads in Neteyam's hair clacked against each other with the sudden movement, and Aonung all too happily reached out a hand to tuck some braids behind the omatikayan's ear, laughing when the said omatikayan swatted his hand away and hissed.

"I don't see you doing anything right now," Aonung kept on taunting, his tail behind him flicking around all too giddily.

The pieces slotted themselves in their place.

Loak was at a loss for words at the conclusion he had come to.

It wasn't too unbelievable; even his own father had admitted that he had always thought his mother was very beautiful when angry.

Still.

Just in time, Loak hauled his brother back by holding the said brother's bicep, and he pointedly ignored the immediate disapproving look Aonung sent his way.

Eywa, what the hell was wrong with his new friend?

"Big bro," Loak started to say, pretending that his brother wasn't trying to get out of his grasp to tackle the metkayina to the ground, "how about we continue talking later back in our marui, and just ignore fish lips'-" Aonung gave him an unimpressed look, "-weird flirtin-", Aonung gave him a gobsmacked look, "uhhh weird way of making friends, yeah?"

Neteyam didn't miss a beat.

"He's not making friends, Loak," Neteyam spat, still glaring at Aonung, "He's asking me to put him in his place, that's what he's asking me to do."

For his own peace of mind, Loak pretended he didn't see Aonung looking all too interested in his older brother's words.

(Thank Eywa for the beautiful, nice, understanding, and not-batshit blessing named Tsireya.)

"You're misunderstanding him, big bro," Loak tried again, forcefully dragging his brother away while Aonung just… kept on staring and keeping eye contact with the oldest omatikayan there. Taunting and everything, and not at all making Loak's job any easier.

"We have to get along with him, remember? Dad's orders," the second son of the Sullys tried reminding his brother, hoping that it would work.

They've managed to at least create a wide enough distance so that Neteyam wasn't able to lunge and immediately get his hands on the metkayina - who was still just standing there.

Fortunately, at the reminder, his brother cooled down - a little.

And then, he cooled down enough to break the 'staring contest' he was having with Aonung and to walk himself, not relying on Loak to drag him away.

Neteyam groaned once they were getting closer to their family's marui, sounding both disappointed and reprimanding to himself. Probably chiding himself for losing his temper.

"I don't know what came over me," his older brother admitted in a sigh after a stretched moment of silence, really upset with himself. "That skxwang is just so-" he stopped himself from continuing, heaving a deep, deep breath, before exhaling.

Man, Aonung really got his big brother good.

Once Neteyam had maintained his composure, he pinched the skin between his eyes and shook his head from side to side - as if that would help shake away all the frustrations he held for the metkayina his age.

They were standing at the side of their family's marui's entrance when Neteyam clasped a hand on his little brother's shoulder, smiling appreciatively as he thanked, "Thanks for looking out for me, brother."

Loak's reply came automatically. "Of course. You are always looking out for me. Wouldn't hurt anyone for me to do the same."

His reply elicited a string of snickers from his brother, and Loak was all too glad to have this smiling Neteyam over the anger that consumed the older omatikayan entirely just some minutes ago.

They entered the family's marui, with everyone already having fallen asleep. Before Loak could fall asleep, though, he nudged his older brother.

"Big bro."

"What?"

"I have something to tell everyone tomorrow," Loak whispered, hushed to not wake anyone up. "Promise me you won't kill Aonung? At least until I tell you guys about what happened today?"

Neteyam mulled it over. Very seriously.

Thankfully, because his brother was so kind and everything nice, Neteyam begrudgingly nodded.

"But if he tries anything…" Neteyam murmured, trailing off. Not that he needed to enlighten the little brother.

Loak assured his older brother that Aonung wouldn't try anything. He also told his brother that Aonung wasn't all that bad - just in case.

Just in case Aonung would come to realise that his life-threatening 'flirting' techniques were dogshit, and decided to leave them behind when he wanted to actually pursue his brother seriously.

It's what friends do, after all; help each other out.

***3***

Kiri watched her youngest brother stomp away after he shared his story about Payakan with them.

She watched Neteyam close his eyes, seeming to be internally chiding himself for accidentally making his brother close up. He looked like he was just about to go after Loak when Tsireya stood up, volunteering to check after the boy and quickly taking leave.

This left Kiri, Tuk, Rotxo, Neteyam, and Aonung by themselves.

Aonung, who had been sneaking glances at Neteyam not so discreetly at all this entire time.

Kiri had always been more in touch with what's around her. It just so happened that it included being aware of Aonung staring really hard at her oldest brother.

It wasn't anything new, but, overnight, it had impressively taken on a new - creepy - level.

Neteyam stared after Tsireya, his ears folded back while he had his lips pursed. Something akin to a pout.

Aonung was just shamelessly and blatantly staring.

Kiri looked at her sister, Tuk, and noticed her still pouting because 'she was really listening to Loak!', clueless to whatever thing was going on between their oldest brother and the metkayina as old as the said oldest brother, and turned to Rotxo.

Rotxo, who was looking at Aonung with a pair of unimpressed and hopeless eyes.

So Rotxo seemed to have noticed, too. Probably had noticed it even before the 'storytime'.

As if he could feel Kiri looking, Rotxo turned to look at her, and he looked a little surprised to find her already looking at him.

Scooting closer to the metkayina boy, Kiri glanced at her brother and his 'acquired fan', making sure they weren't looking at her, before whispering to her friend, "So what's the deal with your best friend and my oldest brother?"

Rotxo pulled a not-so-proud face. "All I can say," he murmured back, also glancing at the mentioned best friend and the mentioned older brother before turning his attention back to the omatikayan girl and continuing, "is that Aonung's terrible 'courting' technique is inherited from his father." A pause, "Or you could say 'flirting' technique."

Kiri processed his words, spent a couple of minutes watching the way Aonung was still just sort of stupidly staring at Neteyam, who looked to be deep in thought, and turned to her friend. "He's not even doing anything?"

Rotxo snorted.

"Yet."

On cue, Neteyam turned away from looking at where Tsireya had gone off to, and, naturally, his focus shifted to the closest person to him: Aonung. Only then did he finally notice the metkayina's quiet staring.

Aonung held eye contact.

Then, the metkayina said:

"Great work on not making your brother feel like a fool."

Neteyam's eyes twitched. Barely noticeable.

He turned away with a rare show of annoyance, a corner of his lips twitching as his tail flicked, barely missing Aonung's face.

Just when Neteyam was about to take another step, the 'impossible' happened.

Aonung practically shot out of his seat, and grabbed Neteyam's wrist.

All three other pairs of eyes that were there latched onto the contact. With Neteyam having a delayed and rather confused reaction, turning to the metkayina with furrowed eyes.

Aonung looked like he, too, was surprised by what he did.

"Sorry-!" the metkayina blurted, ripping his hand away from the omatikayan's boy wrist like it wasn't him who had reached out. "I just-" he cut himself off, his eyes darting off from the eye contact momentarily before meeting Neteyam's gaze again, "Loak was really talking from his heart there, you know? And then you went and, well, tease him. Make fun of him."

Neteyam's confused - and temporarily softened gaze, to Kiri's sharp observation - morphed into a hardened one at the metkayina's words.

"I wasn't 'making fun of him'," her brother corrected. Then, he questioned, "And you would know how to be a good older brother, wouldn't you?" (The words coming out of her brother's mouth were an impressive mixture of a spat, a drawl, and laced with an impeccable amount of sarcasm - especially coming from him.)

The answer that Aonung came up with sounded more like it was instinct than an actual thought-out response:

"I'm not the one who’s struggling to keep their little sibling in check."

Right off the bat, Kiri knew it was going to escalate.

Rotxo and her scrambled up to stand, and Tuk herself noticed the sudden growing tension between the two oldest there were.

Neteyam scoffed, turning away and, again, attempting to leave, mumbling something under his breath that sounded a lot like 'I promised Loak not to stir things up with you'. Again, he was stopped with a hand on his wrist.

He didn't waste another second pulling his hand out of the grip. He also took the liberty to flick Aonung with his tail.

"What's your problem with me?" Neteyam blurted, taking a step forward and right into Aonung's personal space.

Aonung didn't budge.

There's also the part where Kiri could make out the exact moment the metkayina suppressed himself from grinning. What in the world would be the reason for him to grin in this heated moment, anyway?

"Nothing," Aonung said. "No problem at all."

"Then why do I feel like punching you whenever I see you?"

"Maybe you just have anger issues."

Neteyam's ears flattened, his tail lashing out behind him as he got really close - enough so that he was practically breathing Aonung's air.

(Kiri was starting to understand what Rotxo meant by 'terrible flirting' technique.)

"Or maybe you just have a really punchable face," Neteyam retorted, his nose scrunched and eyes narrowed.

For Kiri, Neteyam was one of the most patient people she ever had the pleasure of meeting. As a matter of fact, she was always glad and grateful that she had someone like him as her older brother. The older omatikayan rarely lost his temper, and even when he did, it was usually, well, because Loak was just very good at being impulsive - but all his siblings, including Kiri herself, agreed that it was also part of the second son of the Sully's charm.

Boldly, Aonung leaned closer, and Kiri watched in real time in the split second where her brother's eyes were coloured with surprise, instinctively attempting to take a step back while the metkayina taunted, "I don't see you punching me right now."

In the process of wanting to take a step back, Neteyam's foot slipped on the sand.

Tuk gasped pretty loudly from beside Kiri when Aonung swiftly wrapped an arm around their oldest brother's waist. Pulling the omatikayan boy closer to him.

Their noses bumped against each other. Hard enough for Kiri to wince to herself at the sound.

Still, rather than looking inconvenienced, Aonung merely smirked, and drawled, "I do see you falling for me, though."

If it were anyone else, perhaps Aonung's words would have them flustered and shy.

Neteyam wasn't just anyone, though.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Neteyam headbutted Aonung.

Right on the nose with his forehead.

Aonung yelped, loud and clearly pained as he hunched, while Neteyam took that chance to get out of the metkayina's arm, an uncharacteristically arrogant and smug smirk playing on his lips.

Holding his bleeding nose, Aonung mustered a weak glare, to which Neteyam merely smirked wider before mocking:

"Careful, 'Nung.

Hunch any lower, and everyone would think you're the one falling."

The only warning all of them got before Aonung threw himself at Neteyam was a sound between a growl and a hiss from the metkayina.

The only reason Kiri didn't immediately try to break them apart was because of how stunned she was by the stupidity of the metkayina boy.

In what world would someone try to get attention from someone they like by picking a fight???

He wasn't even slick and subtle about it: not when Kiri managed to catch the huge and triumphant smirk on his lips before he lunged for her brother.

By the time Kiri tried to take Neteyam away from Aonung while Rotxo tried to take Aonung away from Neteyam, the bickering omatikayan and metkayina were already covered in - thankfully - only shallow cuts and grazes.

A corner of Neteyam's lips was bleeding, must have been an old wound opening from the boys' scuffle when Aonung and his 'friends' were picking on her and Loak.

Kiri tried her best not to roll her eyes or gag when Aonung's gaze latched onto the wound - like he was captivated.

Plus, it wasn't like she had time to roll her eyes. Her hands were full trying to pull her brother away from his rare display of recklessness and loss of temper.

She noticed Aonung glaring at her. Not out of contempt, she was sure. She presumed it was because she got in between his atrocious 'courting rituals'.

"Stop it, you two!" Rotxo exclaimed, strained as he had managed to pull Aonung away. "You're acting like unruly children! Aren't we all friends?"

Neteyam spat to the side, glaring at Aonung.

"I can't stand him."

Aonung had a cut on his upper lip - and on the bridge of his nose. It somehow added more to his 'I'm a jerk' persona as he drawled, "Then kneel."

Neteyam hissed.

Both Kiri and Rotxo pretended they didn't notice the wag in Aonung's tail.

Before Neteyam could say anything else, Tuk, who Kiri sort of had forgotten about in the middle of wrangling her brother away from the obtuse 'love interest', finally said her piece.

"Stop being mean to Neteyam!"

Everyone turned to look at the 7 year old omatikayan.

Neteyam instantly softened, while Aonung went rigid under the kid's rather sharp glare.

Composed and successfully calmed down, Neteyam made his way to his little sister, and easily scooped her up. Carrying her on his side while she automatically looped her arms around Neteyam's neck, used as the two were to the comfortable position and maneuver.

"He wasn't being mean to me, Tuk," Neteyam coaxed his little sister - as if she would easily believe that.

"But you guys were fighting!" Tuk countered, looking at her older brother rather disapprovingly. "Look!" She exclaimed, lightly poking at the reopened wound on the corner of Neteyam's lips, "You're bleeding!"

"Well," Neteyam slowly started, glancing at Aonung - who perked up - with a pinched expression before turning to Tuk again, "Big brother Aonung didn't mean it."

Aonung choked on air.

Kiri noticed her brother discreetly narrowing his eyes at Aonung, misunderstanding that the metkayina was holding back his laughter.

Both Kiri and Rotxo knew better, of course. (Kiri had never seen a metkayina blush so much. Minus the time when Rotxo asked if she wanted to accompany him on a swim that one time, shy and quite endearing.)

Skeptically, Tuk looked back and forth between Aonung and her brother, before declaring her verdict. "Good," she said, chin tilted up, "because I don't like telling dad that you broke his rule, anyway."

As a response, Neteyam snickered, affectionately nuzzling his nose into Tuk's and thanking his 'sweet and understanding sister', while the younger omatikayan giggled in glee at the shower of affections.

Neteyam had always been physically affectionate. Tuk was usually at the receiving end of his gentle nudges and holds. Loak, while usually would show distaste because 'he didn't want to be treated like a child', was often at the receiving end of fond headpats. Kiri and the oldest son of the Sully had settled and silently agreed on supportive and encouraging pats on the shoulders - or hugs, if the situation calls to it.

Perhaps it was another reason why seeing her brother resorting to 'violence' threw her off a little.

All courtesy to the idiot of a metkayina who thought the best way to get her brother's attention was to 'rile him up'.

Looking at the said metkayina, Kiri fortunately had the time to roll her eyes. How could she not when she noticed the rather besotted expression the boy had on his face at the sight of her brother's affectionate side?

So she scooted closer to Aonung, and cleared her throat loud enough so the older metkayina would turn to him. (Rotxo was looking at her, too, but that didn't matter. As long as it wasn't Neteyam who's listening.)

"I don't know who taught you that attention can only be gained by being an absolute dickhead," she started, ignoring the blatant confusion on both the listening metkayinas' faces at the word 'dickhead', "but it's easier to 'get on my brother's good side' by being a normal, decent, person."

She shrugged dismissively when Aonung stared at her.

Just then, the three of them heard Neteyam begrudgingly muttering, presumably as a response to whatever it was that Tuk had said, "But we don't have to do that."

Tuk shook her head from side to side, patting her brother's shoulder. A sign for him to put her down.

He reluctantly obliged, while Tuk insisted, "But friends help patch each other up if they get hurt, 'Teyam!"

(Aonung sort of just stopped breathing from where he was standing between Kiri and Rotxo.

Haha.)

Neteyam sighed, quietly looked at his youngest sister's big, round eyes, before glancing at Aonung reluctantly.

The metkayina remained rigid. Maybe a touch more rigid under Neteyam's look.

When Neteyam turned to his sister again, his tail flicked, but he crouched down, gave her cheek a gentle squeeze, and gave her a small, 'what am I going to do without you?' smile.

"Fine," he relented, his eyes softening further when Tuk cheered and hugged him, gushing about how 'this is why you're such an amazing brother!'.

Once they separated, Neteyam sighed, again, before standing up and turning to Aonung. Still with the distance between them.

"Come," he said - to Aonung. "I'll help treat your face. Your sister isn't around right now, anyway."

Kiri watched Aonung sort of blindly and automatically obliged - unlike his mouth.

"Do you even know anything about treating cuts, forest boy?"

The omatikayan rolled his eyes, his tail flicking again. "Don't test me," he gruffed, boldly reaching for the base of the metkayina's kuru and tugging, ready to drag the obnoxious 'future oloeyktan' away to… wherever it was they were heading.

Presumably to the village. Maybe to ask the tsahik for herbs or something along those lines.

For someone whose kuru was grabbed so carelessly, Aonung looked pretty content with being dragged around. (Kiri had never seen a metkayina's tail so actively wagging.)

While Kiri and Rotxo watched the 15 year olds left, Tuk went to stand with them while watching the retreating figures, too.

Except she was looking at them like she was… proud?

Kiri didn't even get to ask what's up - because her cute, sharp, and smart younger sister spoke up as if on cue:

"'Big Brother Aonung' owes me an armful of shells for being his wingman."

Forget 'an armful of shells'.

By the end of the day, Rotxo and Kiri took it upon themselves to give the 7-year-old two armfuls of shells.

She asked Kiri if she could get Rotxo and her to do her bidding if she kept on setting Aonung and Neteyam up together.

Kiri ended up having a long talk with her beloved little sister about how it was smart to be opportunistic, but it was also smart not to take a risk and play 'cupid'.

Yet another thing Kiri had learned about from her father: a person who had a bow, and used it to shoot arrows and matchmake people. It was something that some of the sky people seemed to believe in, apparently.

Still, she did wonder if having Tuk intervene would do all of them good - especially when her brother came to their family marui in a better mood while muttering about how 'Aonung wasn't so bad if he just shut up'.

Maybe 'Big Brother Aonung' owed Kiri something, too.

***4***

"Do you think our son is… close to the tsahik's son?" Neytiri found herself asking Jake one evening, her eyes trained on two figures by the seashore.

Jake, who had been weaving something the entire time he had returned to their marui after spending almost an entire day with the oloeyktan, grumbled, seeming to be struggling. He only ever replied after grunting, his hands finally stopping with his weaving.

"Loak and Aonung?" he murmured, thoughtful and with a furrow between his eyes. A furrow that felt almost permanent between his mate's eyes whenever it came to their second son. It was something that Neytiri had been telling him to refrain from doing. He was always hard on their sons, but there was always a subtle distinction - subtle yet extra concern - in the way he treated Loak. "I'm just happy that kid is no longer picking fights and throwing punches all the time," Jake muttered, resuming his weaving after an inhale.

Neytiri took her eyes off the two figures by the seashore to turn to her husband, the orange, pink, and purple colours of the sky reflected from the ocean having mutely illuminated her mate's concentrated face.

"Not Loak," she said, paying a brief glance to whatever it was her husband was weaving before deciding she'd rather stare at her husband's face. "Neteyam."

Jake's hand movements paused entirely.

He turned to look at her, ears folding unsurely as his tail flicked, both curious and intrigued. "Neteyam and Aonung?" he asked - for confirmation.

Without answering, Neytiri tilted her head to the two figures she had been observing for the past… time.

She wasn't sure how long she had been observing.

It was just that she wasn't doing anything in the marui, and she had spotted her son and the… tsahik's son by the seashore.

It was unknown to her how long the two boys had been sitting there, but the conversation between them appeared to have been going on for a long time, judging from how easy and relaxed they were with each other.

There were some herbs laid near the two boys, and Neytiri could only assume that those two were treating each other's newest cuts. (Neteyam had always dismissed both her and Jake whenever they asked about the cuts. Though he could not fool her; she had seen how sharp her son's glare could be when it came to the son of the tsahik. It was also the reason why it surprised her to see the two boys suddenly getting along well.)

Jake went to see what she was gesturing at, and she found herself endeared when her husband's ears perked up, looking pleased as a grin took on his lips.

"It's good to know our kids are finally adapting well enough," Jake said to her, still looking at the two boys. "I was worried when they kept on clashing with Tonowari's kids. At least now they are friends."

The man's grin morphed into a thoughtful one quick enough, though, as he asked his mate in a hushed, "What do you think they are talking about?"

As Neytiri pondered over a possible answer for her husband's question, she continued observing the two boys.

Just some minutes ago, the two boys were seated with some space left between them. At the moment, though, at some point, they've sat closer to each other. It appeared that it was the metkayina boy who had been scooting closer, and her son seemed to have not noticed, seeming to be too invested in whatever it was he was talking about.

Her curiosity also piqued, she turned to her husband, who met her gaze.

"What better way to find out," she started, trying to gauge her mate's reaction, "… than by listening ourselves?"

Jake gawked - but his reaction was too delayed for him to stop a determined Neytiri from stealthily approaching the two boys, instantly spotting a large enough boulder close enough to the kids.

She may be in an unfamiliar environment, but her skills and prowess when it comes to stealth have always been one of the best.

Her mate fumbled after her, sputtering about how they were 'invading their kids' privacy', but Neytiri did not heed her husband's words.

In the blink of an eye, both Jake and she were already crouched behind the boulder, the sound of their son's familiar voice reaching their ears as they could finally make out the words uttered by their son and his… friend.

When Jake tried to speak, Neytiri turned to him with a warning and serious look - which was effective in shutting him up and in getting what she wanted.

As a reward, she pressed a short kiss to her mate's lips before turning to focus on the conversation at hand, ears flicking as they started to pay attention.

"I still think you'd better have your mother or sister treating your cuts," Neteyam was saying, his eyes looking all over Aonung's face while he raised one of his hands before tilting the metkayina's chin, still focused on examining the cuts, presumably. "I'm not the best healer out here. Even my sister Kiri is better than me at this kind of thing."

Neteyam, suddenly, stopped examining his friend's face in favour of properly looking into his friend's eyes, skeptical and a tad warning, "You do remember her name now, right?"

From where Neytiri was hiding, she couldn't see the metkayina boy's expression quite well. However, she did notice a corner of the boy's lips twitching upwards as he tilted his head and questioned:

"You mean Kira?"

Jake was quick to stop Neytiri from jumping into the conversation and daring the metkayina to say that again to her face.

"Baby, calm down-"

"I am calm-!"

"No, what you are right now, is murderous, and blood thirsty-!"

"I have been out for blood this entire time, Jake," she retorted, hissing as she whipped her hand to look at her mate. "I have been out for that demon's blood even before we are here," she hissed out, and couldn't help but narrow her eyes at the thought of the dreamwalker who could've taken Jake away from her when they were all at war.

Her words caused her husband's gaze to soften, and, in return, it soothed her, too.

As instinctively as always, Jake abandoned what he was weaving - why did he insist on weaving something he was so terrible at so much? It was beyond the omatikayan woman - to comfortingly wrap his arms around his mate, consolingly rubbing her back.

"We're safe here, Neytiri," he consoled, a hand on the back of her head while she allowed him to tuck her face in the crook of his shoulder.

As a response, all Neytiri did was let out a sigh. In understanding and resignation.

The moment lasted almost long enough for Neytiri to forget what she was so offended about.

Breaking the rather touching moment, suddenly, the sound of someone hitting the sand was registered, and both Jake and Neytiri whipped their heads around to look in the direction of the sound.

While Jake was clearly flabbergasted to see what had happened, Neytiri couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride in her chest to find that her son had a hand pushing onto his 'friend's shoulder, and his other hand pointing at the metkayina boy's chest, his braids framing his face as he looked down to meet the other boy's eyes.

"Are you saying my hands are like a woman's?!" Neteyam hissed, his teeth presumably gritting, and his eyes furrowed in offense. Neytiri could only assume; with her son's braids in the way, she couldn't exactly see the expression on her firstborn's face clearly.

Aonung snorted, suppressing what sounded like a fit of laughter while he remained lying down, not bothering to push the omatikayan boy away, smirking as he drawled, "There's no shame in having hands like those of a woman's."

"But I'm a warrior!"

"Can't women be warriors?"

Neteyam grunted in frustration, pushing Aonung further into the sand while his tail lashed out behind him, his ears flattened. "You're twisting my words!"

"Your sa'nok is a fearsome and incredible warrior."

"I have never said that women can't be warriors!"

Abruptly, Aonung grabbed the hand on his shoulder by the wrist and sat up, causing Neteyam to promptly be surprised and back away, leaning even more away when the metkayina boy leaned his face closer to the omatikayan's boy, his smirk still on display.

It was almost as if he didn't want Neteyam to look away, ever. Even if the world around them were to suddenly burn.

"Then why are you so offended, Ma 'Teyam?"

Both Jake's and Neytiri's eyes widened.

The pair exchanged looks with each other, but didn't get to exchange a word when their son groaned, completely disregarding the way the metkayina boy had addressed him.

Whether it was because this wasn't the first time, or because their son was too distracted by his frustration to notice, Neytiri wasn't sure which option she would prefer.

Instead of reacting to the nickname, Neteyam's ears flicked, as if irritated, and leaned close enough that their noses brushed momentarily. "Because my hands are supposed to be rough - like a warrior!" the omatikayan boy hissed, moving away just as quickly.

Just as with the nickname, Neteyam also didn't react at the instant way Aonung grabbed his wrist when he tried to move away. In fact, it almost looked like he had expected it and wasn't planning on moving too far anyway.

The metkayina boy took the liberty to scoot closer, searching for Neteyam's frustrated gaze as he spoke, his voice the softest Neytiri had ever heard during the very few times she talked to the metkayina boy, "You can have a warrior's hands and a woman's hands. Like your mother’s and mine’s."

When Neteyam met his friend's gaze, it looked as if it was by accident when he blurted, "But that would make me weird, wouldn't it?"

This time around, Neytiri was glad the metkayina boy had the same question she had in her mind: "Why would you say that?"

"I don't know," was the automatic answer from the omatikayan boy before he half-heartedly elaborated, "It's normal for a woman to be able to do both, but a man? That's pretty rare."

A pause.

"I mean, my dad sort of treats me and my brother like we're soldiers. He was soft when we were younger, but he has not been like that ever since the sky people returned."

Neytiri sent an 'I told you that you should be more lenient with our sons' look.

Jake stubbornly pretended he didn't notice her look.

Aonung pursed his lips thoughtfully before grinning, "So now you are saying men are inferior?"

Neteyam thought about it for a moment.

He settled with a 'shrugged his shoulders dismissively' as a reply, before grumbling again and finally pulling his wrist out of his friend's hold. "You always do that."

"Do what?"

Neteyam clicked his tongue. Glaring at his friend with barely any venom.

"It's like you purposely try to make me mad," he huffed, his tail flicking behind him. "It's like you get a kick out of seeing me wanting to punch your face in."

Both Jake and Neytiri stared in muted silence when the metkayina's boy's tail, that had been barely unmoving this entire time, suddenly wagged.

The pair kept on looking at the boy's tail.

"Why would I even do that?" Aonung asked, dismissively rolling his eyes before he casually reached out a hand to tuck a couple of braids behind Neteyam's ear.

Neytiri stared.

The metkayina boy seemed to be examining her son's face, before it lingered on a corner of her son's lips.

Neytiri thought of the times she caught herself doing just that when she was getting to know her mate.

"Your lip's cut looks like it's getting better," Aonung observed, quiet and barely audible from where Neytiri and Jake were hiding.

Her son, oblivious, swatted the metkayina boy's hand away, standing up and making a beeline for the herbs cast aside.

The omatikayan woman wasn't sure whether the tip of her son's tail grazing the metkayina boy's cheekbone was intentional or not.

Herbs in hand, Neteyam sat himself back on the sand, and, unfortunately, he was sitting with his back facing Neytiri.

"I don't go around and recklessly swim without being aware of my surroundings the way you do all the time," Neteyam spoke, his tone a mixture of sarcasm and reprimanding.

Aonung's tail wagged a little as he went to sit in front of Neteyam, facing the omatikayan boy.

Neytiri could clearly see the pleased look on the metkayina boy's face.

The pleased look remained even when he winced at the sting that always comes when herbs are applied to cuts and wounds.

"It's a miracle how you managed to survive the reef this entire time when you're such a terrible swimmer," Neteyam commented, still with that lightly reprimanding tone. Only then did the metkayina boy momentarily scowl.

"I am an excellent swimmer."

"Then why do you keep coming back with all these cuts?"

Aonung's tail flicked while his ears perked up for a second or two. "It's a means to an end," he answered, vague and nonsensical.

Neytiri turned to her mate to see his reaction to such a ridiculous answer, only to feel more perplexed when it appeared to her that Jake seemed to be… snickering. In that 'nostalgic' way that Neytiri recognised.

When Jake noticed her looking, he suddenly urged her with a new sort of determination to stop 'eavesdropping' on their son and his friend, gently tugging her away from the boulder and as quietly as they could back to their marui.

The omatikayan woman kept on sneaking glances at the sight of her oldest son chiding and treating the metkayina, while the said metkayina faced all of those things with a rather cheeky and triumphant(?) grin.

Only when they were back in their marui did Neytiri turn to her mate.

"That Aonung boy does not make any sense," were her first words to her mate, lips pursed into a thin line and wondering if letting such a careless boy hang out with her son would do Neteyam any good.

Softly, with an amused chuckle, Jake placed his hands on Neytiri's shoulders, before gently cupping the side of her face to look her in the eyes.

"Let the boys do what they want," he said, the amused look on his face never ceasing. "There's no harm in leaving them be."

"But what if his terrible swimming is passed down to our son?" Neytiri argued, ears folded back and feeling a little restless. "What if our son fails to adapt to the water because he has an inadequate teacher?"

Jake gently shushed her.

He pressed a kiss to her temple, a kiss to her nose, a kiss to her cheekbone, and a kiss to her lips, before leaning away and reassuring, "I know Tonowari, and I know he's the best in the water. I'm sure Aonung has learned a… thing or two from his father."

That night, Jake was finally finished with whatever it was that he was weaving. He claimed it was a sort of 'compartment' for Neytiri to fill with whatever she deemed fit. A gift.

She reprimanded her husband for pushing himself hard enough that his fingers looked worn.

Like Aonung, he was smiling through her entire reprimand. The way Aonung was doing just this evening.

Neteyam returned in the middle of her still chiding her mate, and when her son asked what happened, she told him about how 'his father was careless'.

Her oldest son looked back and forth between his father, his hands, and the not-at-all-guilty look on his face, before shaking his head from side to side and making his way to his corner of the family's marui.

"It must be the water that's making everyone a little careless," Neytiri heard her son mumble, in both wonder and slight apprehension and concern.

He informed them that Tsireya was going to bring his siblings and him to the Cove of the Ancestors, and Neytiri reminded him to 'look after his siblings' and 'to take care, be careful'.

Only when Jake and she had comfortably lain beside each other, the man already asleep, did she realise the similar way her husband acted with the metkayina boy.

Perhaps it would be best to keep that Aonung boy away from her son - if he couldn't even properly express himself.

***5***

Tonowari was minding his own business by the seashore, his mood entirely great after having conversed with his spirit brother and at the sight of his clan members relaxing and elated, when his beautiful mate came marching to him with an urgent look on her face. (Even with a scowl and a pair of furrowed eyes, the oloeyktan never failed to be amazed by the beauty of his mate.)

"Where is our son?" were the first words that came out of her mouth as she reached him, looking around in the process before settling on looking at her husband.

The oloeyktan allowed himself a few moments where he simply admired his wife. (He was in no rush, he was in a good mood, and his wife was here with him.)

"Tonowari!" Ronal hissed, her tail subtly lashing out behind her as she narrowed her eyes at her husband. "I'm being serious."

"I haven't seen our son anywhere," Tonowari finally answered, looking around briefly and spotting Jakesully with his wife. Neytiri was smiling happily for once. It was more the reason why the day was so great, with even her being able to smile at such an eventful day. Seeing the two omatikayans did remind Tonowari of something. "But I was told by my spirit brother that he saw him with Toruk Makto's oldest son."

He perked up in alarm when his mate only furrowed her eyes further.

Gently, he placed a hand on her back and guided her towards their marui - so they could continue their conversation in their marui and have some privacy to themselves.

"What's wrong, ma yawntu?" he murmured, softly as he guided her.

Ronal's ears flicked, but her expression thankfully softened.

"That woman was right," Ronal answered in a grumble, Tonowari immediately understanding that she was referring to the fierce warrior who was Toruk Makto's mate. "She was learning to ride an ilu again. I insisted, as that is the least she could do, living in the reef as she is," she explained, lips pursed. "After a few attempts from her, she turned tail and told me that I should 'keep my son in check' before stomping away - like a petulant child."

Their marui was closed by.

"What does she mean by 'keeping our son in check'?" Tonowari wondered aloud, his own lips pursed, too, mirroring his mate.

The tsahik sighed, troubled. "It is why I want to find our son. To ask him if he had done something foolish like offending that woman."

They got to their marui.

The first thing Tonowari noticed was the stark and deep colour of dark blue skin in the middle of their marui.

Both the son his mate was looking for and the son of Toruk Makto noticed his and his mate's presence at the same time he and his mate noticed their presence.

The two boys were sitting in Aonung's corner of the marui, herbs scattered in a couple of neatly piles around them, while it appeared that the omatikayan boy seemed to be… chiding the oloeyktan's and the tsahik's son.

Tonowari would've laughed at the shocked looks on the boys' faces if he weren't aware of what was going on here.

He had noticed the rather tense relationship between his son and Toruk Makto's first son for the first time after the fight between Aonung and the two sons of Jakesully. Though the tension he saw between his son and Toruk Makto's firstborn was different than that of hostility - or, for better comparison, the tension between his beloved mate and Toruk Makto's mate.

He truly didn't see the two boys getting along so suddenly, especially after noticing for himself the simmering tension between them.

While he was relieved to see the two boys getting along, he was starting to wonder if there was more to the two of them - especially from the way his son was clearly avoiding eye contact with him like he was caught lurking past the reef again.

The first to react was Toruk Makto's firstborn, abruptly yet carefully putting down the herbs and self-made bandages he was using before standing up, looking at both the oloeyktan and the tsahik rather stiffly and nervously as he greeted, "Tsahik," he turned to Tonowari, "Oloeyktan."

He didn't get to say another word before Ronal was striding up to crouch beside her son, taking his chin into her hand as she questioned aloud, "You are treating my son."

From her look alone, Tonowari could safely assume his mate was examining Toruka Makto's firstborn's handiwork.

Wrecked with nerves, the omatikayan boy seated himself back opposite Aonung, at the same time that Aonung tried to swat his mother's hand away half-heartedly and muttering an embarrassed-sounding 'sa'nok, I'm fine'.

"I don't mean to intrude," Toruk Makto's firstborn said, opting to also ignore his friend's complaints and paying attention to the tsahik instead, "but 'Nung-"

The omatikayan boy anxiously cleared his throat when Ronal abruptly shifted her sharp gaze to the said boy at the nickname.

"Aonung," the boy corrected himself, his tail flicking behind him anxiously, "got into, um, a bit of an-" he paused for a moment, "-accident, and I'm used to treating him already since he often ended up scratching himself after swimming." The rest of his words started to be laced with confusion at the way Ronal stared at her son while the said son averted his gaze, "…so I asked Tsireya if I could borrow some of her supplies, since she had taught me about some of the reef people's herbs, and I've… grown used to using them. Somewhat."

Ronal finally dropped her hand from her son's face, and regarded Toruk Makto's firstborn with an unreadable look.

"…Neteyam, is it?" she asked.

Neteyam slowly nodded.

Aonung, sensing the discomfort in his friend, spoke up to address his mother, "Mother, he's just trying to help-"

Ronal shifted her gaze to her son.

Tonowari understood the knowing look his mate sent their son's way, and, apparently, even their son understood that he was 'busted'.

'Cover's blown', or so Jakesully would groan in frustration whenever his plans were thwarted when they were hunting together in the ocean.

Once her silent message was successfully sent to her son, Ronal turned her attention back to Neteyam - who had been awkwardly waiting for her to say something.

"My daughter was the one who taught you how to treat, you said?"

The omatikayan boy nodded again. "Yes," he verbally affirmed, before adding as an afterthought, "Your daughter is a wonderful teacher."

The purse in Ronal's lips finally ceased; replacing it a proud and fond smile.

"So I have heard," she replied, looking at her son's treated face again as she added, "And so I have seen reflected in your handiwork."

Neteyma visibly perked up.

All three metkayinas in the room noticed the way the omatikayan boy's ears perked up, his tail thumping rather delighted, and a smile tugging on his lips.

"Thank you, tsahik," he said, his voice all too grateful and pleased.

Tonowari decided it was about time he joined the three of them, sitting beside his mate and grabbing the attention of three pairs of eyes in the marui. "We thank you too, boy," he said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We apologise for the trouble our son has put you through during your stay here."

Aonung gasped in offense at being called trouble, but both Ronal and Tonowari paid him no mind, focused as they were on the omatikayan boy who shook his head from side to side. "He's no trouble," the boy said, his gaze drifting to presumably meet Aonung's before he added slowly, "…at least not anymore."

Surprisingly, his words evoked quite the reaction from the metkayina boy.

Their son reached out and pinched the omatikayan boy's thigh, and Tonowari watched silently when Neteyam grinned, boyish and so unlike the usual way the boy carried himself when he was with Toruk Makto.

(A lot like a teenager - which the boy was.)

"I didn't even cause you trouble!" Aonung grumbled, his tail flicking behind him. "I caused more trouble for your brother than you."

Neteyam didn't get to reply because Ronal had answered for him: by pinching her son's side hard enough that the metkayina boy winced and complained under his breath.

"You are causing him trouble," Ronal reprimanded. "You could have gone to your sister or me, the tsahik, for something as trivial as cuts on your face and your arms," she added, adding further with a voice that was meant to be just for her son's ears, "Especially cuts that you inflicted yourself."

Aonung averted his gaze. His face coloured in embarrassment and dissatisfaction while his tail flicked in mild irritation.

Before the puzzled-looking Neteyam could inquire anything too 'embarrassing' about his son, Tonowari saved his son from further embarrassment by speaking up:

"We apologise again for our son.

It appears he has learnt too many things from me - especially when it comes to asking for attention."

Aonung choked.

Tonowari opted to ignore the disbelieving look his mate sent his way.

Neteyam, who seemed to grow even more confused at his words, awkwardly cleared his throat and chuckled, muttering unsurely about how his little siblings also had their own unique and interesting ways they would do to grab their parents' attention. (He was rambling out of feeling nervous and confused. Tonowari found his effort to understand admirable - just like the boy's father.)

Clearing his throat another time, Neteyam stood, and Tonowari was barely able to suppress the amused snort crawling up his throat when his son visibly panicked.

"Where are you going?" Aonung blurted, scrambling to stand up, too.

The omatikayan boy's ears flicked.

"Well… your mother is here, so…" he trailed off. Though he was quick to pick his words back up when Aonung kept on looking at him expectantly, "…so I thought you would be happier to have your mother treat you."

Surprisingly, it was Ronal who replied.

She stood up, clasped a hand on the omatikayan boy's shoulder, and spoke, "Please. Continue where you have left off. The oloeyktan and I have other things to discuss. You are free to remain here."

Tonowari wondered since when did he have anything to discuss with his mate.

Neteyam glanced at him, and Tonowari realised that was his cue to support his mate's on-the-spot excuse. So he stood up, wrapped an arm around her waist, and gently placed his hand on it as he agreed with her, "The tsahik's right."

Nodding, the omatikayan boy went back to sit across Aonung, while the mated pair thanked him one last time before walking out of the marui.

The oloeyktan was all too excited at the thought of an impromptu 'date' with his wife, but didn't get to take another step away before Ronal tugged on his arm.

They were standing beside the entrance to their marui, safely out of sight from the boys who were inside the said marui.

Tonowari looked at his mate, who was peeking into the marui.

There's a furrow between her eyes, yes, but there was also a fondness in them that told Tonowari all he needed to know.

She was pleased to see her son so happy - especially when the said son didn't usually fill his time with hanging around a good company like Toruk Makto's firstborn, who had passed his iknimaya at 15.

Neteyam was truly a remarkable warrior.

"That boy's skills are truly remarkable for someone who has been here for only less than a year," Ronal suddenly spoke up, easily grabbing her mate's attention. "He is pleasant to talk to, respectful, and eager to learn," she continued, sounding more and more pleased.

When she turned to Tonowari, though, her smile faltered a tiny bit. "It is a shame that his mother is so hard-headed," she deadpanned, her lips pursed in a thin line.

The oloeyktan still wondered what it was between the two women that had them behaving so 'hostile' with each other. He knew his mate cared for their guests, including the mother of the Sullys, yet both women mentioned had such a… peculiar way of showing that they cared.

Before Tonowari could distract her with a kiss and some sweet words, her attention shifted to him as she scowled. "Out of all the things our son could learn from you, it is beyond me how he chose to learn your method of grabbing attention," she chastised, her tail flicking behind her.

It was only 'beyond her' because she would never get to see the care and love lacing her words and actions whenever she reprimanded the oloeyktan for all his 'carelessness'. At least that's what Tonowari believed.

Before he could say anything, though, there was the sound of someone jumping into the water, and the pair quickly took a look into the marui to find that it was their son who had caused the loud splash. Meanwhile, Neteyam could be seen looking disapprovingly at the metkayina boy in the water - who was already forming a tsaheylu with an ilu he had presumably called.

"'Nung!" Neteyam hissed, his tail lashing out disapprovingly and ears flattened as he stomped to the walkway outside of the marui - not the one Tonowari and Ronal had been sort of blocking in the past few minutes. "You have to keep your skxwang ass here! The cuts will reopen if you get into the water so soon!" he hissed again, reprimanding.

From the water, Aonung scoffed, smirking tauntingly, "You're just scared of losing again, forest boy."

"I did not lose!" Neteyam retorted. "You and your ilu got a headstart, and there were too many tulkuns and metkayinas for me to safely maneuver around while chasing after your annoying ass!"

His words only caused the metkayina boy to snort. "All I can hear are excuses, Ma 'Teyam."

Both Ronal and Tonowari exchanged looks.

Almost instantly, there was the sound of someone jumping into the water, and Aonung's cheer was loud as Neteyam surfaced, calling for an ilu and swiftly forming tsaheylu as if he had been living at the reef his entire life.

"You're going to regret taunting me, fish lips," Neteyam huffed, moving his ilu so that it was beside Aonung's. Then, seeming to be looking all over the treated cuts, the omatikayan boy added, "You and your cuts."

There was no other way to describe the short laugh and the voice his son used when he quipped aside from ‘triumphant’.

His son leaned close to Neteyam, face-to-face, and drawled:

"I have nothing to regret.

Especially when you're just going to kiss me better anyway."

Ronal instantly stood straighter and marched inside the marui.

Though, before she could call out to the two boys, both boys had already swam away, with only Neteyam's slightly flustered 'you used that phrase wrong, jerkface!' retort left behind.

Tonowari followed after his mate when she stomped away. Making a beeline for Toruk Makto's family's marui.

When the answer to 'what does 'kissing someone better' mean, Jakesully?!' was demanded from the legendary warrior by the tsahik, Jakesully waved a dismissive hand.

"I think you mean the phrase 'kiss it better'. It's what sky people used to say to their children to make them feel better and comforted after kissing their children's injuries."

A pause.

"Where did you hear that phrase from anyway?"

Both Aonung's and Neteyam's parents had quite the… interesting conversation during dinner that day. (For the first time since the Sullys arrived, Ronal and Neytiri were able to put aside their differences for the sake of their sons'.

It was an enjoyable night - though he still wished he could've gone on a date with his beloved mate.)

***+1***

He didn't think he could ever describe the sinking feeling in his chest when Aonung said he got shot.

Neteyam hadn't planned to bring Aonung with him when he went to save Loak, Tsireya, and Tuk, but the metkayina boy insisted on helping, and had insisted that 'Tsireya is my sister just as Loak is your brother, 'Teyam'.

Not willing to waste any time going back and forth, Neteyam simply told the boy to 'stay close'.

It didn't even cross his frazzled mind the possibility of any of them being shot.

Let alone the possibility of his friend getting shot.

Rather than moving to swim away and find a safer place, Neteyam knew that going into the water would only cause the blood to flow faster out of his friend, especially because of the strong current. So he frantically asked Spider if there was any part of the ship nearby that they could go into to stop at, just for a while so he could at least try and stop the bleeding. At his request, the human boy guided them back onto the ship.

It was risky, and they could've been found by their enemies - but Neteyam would risk his life rather than lose his friend's.

Neteyam, at his core, was greedy.

He wanted to save everyone. No exception.

Even if it may cost his life.

He told Loak to get Spider and Tsireya to somewhere safe, but his little brother insisted on staying, a rifle in his hands as he said he would guard the entrance to the small room they all were in.

So Neteyam cursed, he didn't have time to waste on insisting his brother to leave, and got to work.

The room they were in thankfully had the medical supplies they needed. It was even more fortunate that Tsireya was with him, familiar as she was with a metkayina's anatomy compared to Neteyam was. Their differences may be minimal, but it reassured Neteyam greatly to have someone to help him and lean on in this kind of situation.

"You skxawng," Neteyam couldn't help but run his mouth, tears prickling at his eyes as he wrapped layers upon layers of cloth, bandages, and tapes he could find in the room with Tsireya's help, heart stuttering and racing when red seeped and soaked. "Who told you to take a bullet for me, you- you skxawng!"

His voice was cracking, his hands were shaking, and his entire body was trembling.

He was speaking pretty loudly, but neither Loak, Spider, nor Tsireya commented on it nor chastised him for using such a loud voice. Not that they even had to worry much about being heard, considering the loud sounds of gunshots and screams happening outside.

Aonung, the skxawng, laughed.

He laughed, but ended up coughing a couple of times before laughing again.

With no bite, Neteyam went: "I hope you choked and keeled over."

The bleeding metkayina merely laughed, his body shaking hard from how funny he thought the situation was.

In the background, Neteyam distantly noted how Spider was saying something about 'calling for backup', but he was too busy patching up Aonung to inquire about the human boy's plan.

He wasn't sure how many layers he had wrapped around the metkayina boy, but it must have been thick enough - because Tsireya had gone to Loak's side, seeming to be asking Loak what had happened and why Spider had left. Not that Neteyam could exactly focus on whatever Loak's reply was.

Despite that, Neteyam busied himself wrapping more bandages - what if they had to go into the water later, and the bandage would get wet, and things would get messy? - almost obsessively.

He only stopped when there was a hand around his wrist.

Neteyam felt like he almost snapped his neck at how quickly he looked to meet Aonung's gaze.

"'Teyam," he croaked out, murmuring. "I'll be fine."

"We can't be too sure," Neteyam stressed, recalling how Tonowari and Ronal had looked at him the past few days ever since they found him treating the metkayina boy's cuts in the middle of the oloeyktan's and tsahik's marui. "I don't think I'll be able to face your sempul and sa'nok if you die because of me," the omatikayan boy stammered, the tears in his eyes finally spilling.

Aonung shushed him in an instant - sitting up and barely wincing when he cupped the side of the omatikayan's face. "I'll be fine," he reassured. As if the words from a man whose blood stained Neteyam's hands could ever reassure the omatikayan. "We'll be fine."

The metkayina wiped the tears falling from golden eyes with his thumbs.

It only made Neteyam cry harder, for some reason.

At some point, no matter how hard Neteyam tried, Aonung ended up losing consciousness.

By some miracle, shortly after that, his parents, Tonowari, and Ronal were all barging through the door, Spider at the front of them all.

So that's the backup.

Everything else that happened after that was a blur.

Apparently, the ship was sinking - had been sinking this entire time - and Quaritch demanded that Jakesully show himself, threatening that he'd hurt Kiri and Tuk if he didn't show up.

Although reluctant, Neteyam forced himself to part ways from Aonung, and joined his parents and Loak to confront Quaritch.

By the time everything ended, Neteyam practically fainted from exhaustion.

They all did - once they returned to the village.

However, the very next day, Neteyam's first destination was the oloeyktan's and tsahik's marui.

Tsireya found him first.

She reassured him that Aonung was fine, and that the metkayina boy was just unconscious, recovering slowly from the heavily inflicted gunshot wound.

Neteyam would be forever thankful that Tsireya was there to catch him when his knees and legs gave out on him.

He didn't even care to figure out how the tsahik managed to treat such a fatal wound. He was just glad no one died because of him.

The next few weeks, Neteyam dutifully visited Aonung.

It was fortunate that Ronal didn't seem to mind his presence much. In fact, sometimes, she would encourage him to sit closer to her unconscious son. She would tell him to hold Aonung's hand, and he would simply obey. He couldn't find any reason not to comply.

(Especially not when he yearned to keep his friend as close to him as possible.)

It got to a point where the tsahik taught him herself about her routine: dressing and undressing the wound, applying the herbs and in what order, how often they should adjust the unconscious boy, and what to look out for.

Eventually, she trusted him enough to leave him alone with her son.

Occasionally, Neytiri would join him in silence. Her presence immensely comforted the omatikayan boy. Jake joined him sometimes, too - though less often compared to the 15-year-old's mother.

Rotxo and Tsireya dropped by often. The former usually visiting to keep Neteyam company, while the latter visiting to help Neteyam. Sometimes, they would bring Loak, Kiri, and Tuk, too. Kiri would quietly clasp a hand on her oldest brother's shoulder, Loak would pat him on his head, and Tuk would hug him to comfort him.

It was nice - to not feel alone.

It was at night, when Neteyam was nodding off and holding his friend's hand, too stubborn to leave the metkayina boy's side, when he felt the hand he was holding squeezing back.

Falling asleep as he was, Neteyam instinctively returned the squeeze.

"You are such an idiot," he murmured, his voice and words still heavy with sleep. "I felt like I almost died out of a heart attack when you got shot," he huffed, raising the hand he's holding and pressing it against his temple. "It's like you were trying to kill me by increasing my blood pressure."

"Wha's bloo' pressur'?" came the slurred question.

Neteyam snorted.

He shook his head from side to side, the beads in his hair softly clacking against each other. "It's something that's going to give me a heart attack."

"Wha's a hear' atta'?"

"Something that could kill me, for sure."

"Don't die, Ma 'Teyam.'

The omatikayan froze at the nickname.

The hand in his squeezed again, and Neteyam finally properly looked at his friend.

His friend, who had a lopsided grin on his lips, and was already gazing at Neteyam with the softest look the omatikayan boy had ever seen on the metkayina.

"Who's gonna kis' me bette' if you die?"

Perhaps Neteyam should've been more concerned about pulling a patient into a very crushing hug.

All Aonung had to say as a response was a wince that trailed off into a pained, yet all too delighted, hug, attempting to wrap his own stiff and weak arms around the omatikayan. To which Neteyam swat at.

Neteyam buried his face in the crook of his friend's shoulder, and couldn't even bother to hide the fact that he had already started tearing up and was on the brink of bawling. "Don't move, skxwang," he chastised with a cracking voice - right there against the pulse he could feel, gently thrumming and slowly thumping. "You're fucking fragile right now."

Aonung chuckled; his entire body shook with it. (Never had Neteyam been so glad that his friend had never been one to take anything seriously.)

"And yet you ar' suffocatin' me wit' your hug," Aonung quipped. Even though he said that, though, he obliged and stopped himself from attempting to wrap his arms around the omatikayan again.

The omatikayan wasn't sure how long he hugged his friend, but by the time they separated, his eyes felt rather swollen.

Aonung took one look at him, and then started laughing his ass off with a cracking and sore voice. A result of not speaking for a long time and having a dry throat.

Sniffling, Neteyam reached for a bottle of water - Jake lent him a large wooden water bottle that was apparently based on the sky people's design - and gently coaxed his friend to drink, tilting the said friend's chin and tipping the bottle near his lips. "Drink," he weakly chastised. "You sound like sand," Neteyam jabbed, adding a second later, even though he was sure he wasn't making much sense. "Coarse and rough sand."

When Aonung had his fill, he tapped Neteyam's knee, and the omatikayan took away the bottle and placed it beside him. When he looked over at his friend, Neteyam shook his head from side to side at seeing the water trickling down the corner of the metkayina boy's mouth.

He raised his hand to wipe it away, used to doing just as much with Tuk whenever she ate messily. Though he didn't get to wipe it away when Aonung loosely grabbed his wrist.

Neteyam met his friend's gaze, and his heartbeat stuttered in his chest at the twinkle in Aonung's eyes.

"You're not gonna kis' me bette'?" he taunted.

His lopsided and expectant smirk was still there on his lips, infuriatingly.

Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan wasn't too dense.

He realised, belatedly, that his friend got a kick out of riling him up when the said friend was somehow still able to grin rather drunkenly from blood loss and looked at him like he had hung the stars and the moons on the sky, while also bleeding out from a gunshot wound.

A bit too late for an epiphany, but Neteyam noticed it himself, in the end.

Usually, as a response, he would chide his friend for the stupid joke - which was exactly the response his friend seemed to like so much.

As a revenge for almost giving him a heart attack, Neteyam opted for the unexpected response.

Abruptly and very, very, briefly, he pressed his lips to the corner of Aonung's lips.

Not graceful at all. Careless as fuck.

And then the omatikayan was abruptly standing up, covering his lips, ignoring the loud and fast beating of his heart, ignoring the blood steadily rushing to his face, and entirely ignoring the gobsmacked expression on Aonung's face and the way the metkayina was also quickly flushing, as he blurted some excuse about how 'he needed to tell everyone that Aonung was awake.

He didn't even get to take a step away when Aonung blurted out with a clarity that surprised Neteyam:

"That's not fair!"

Neteyam turned to his friend, scrambling.

"Don't shout!" the omatikayan hissed, sitting beside the metkayina again, and was about to chastise Aonung because it was in the dead hour of the night, for Eywa's sake, when hands cupped his face.

The words all sort of died in his mouth when the metkayina tilted his face with his hands, and pressed his lips squarely - as clumsily as Neteyam had - into Neteyam's own.

It was brief.

(It was a fucking murder attempt.)

When Aonung leaned away, he had this triumphant smirk on his lips that Neteyam sort of wanted to punch.

"I did it better," the metkayina declared.

Before promptly wobbling.

Panicking, Neteyam caught Aonung in his arms, and blurted out question after question. ("What's wrong? Are you dying? You can't die! Not after that! 'Nung? 'Nung, what the fuck wake up right the fuck now-?!")

Apparently, Neteyam's spiralling had been so loud, that it woke Ronal up - who was sleeping in the marui beside the one he and Aonung were in.

Just like that, the marui was filled with pretty much the entirety of the Sullys' family and the Tonowari's, along with Rotxo.

After checking up on her son's sudden light-headedness, she claimed, quote on quote, "Something must have happened to make his blood rush to his head too abruptly that it caused him to feel faint."

Aonung had slurred something about how 'Neteyam was jus' kissin' me bette''.

Everyone else, aside from Aonung and Neteyam, was snickering.

(That skxwang should be glad that Neteyam cared about him too much to not deck him in the face so soon after waking up from a pretty much coma.)

***END***