Archive of Our Own ^beta

***

Neteyam was never one to be easily distracted.

He always tried his best to stick to what was expected of him. Be the responsible older brother, be the stealthy and reliable lookout, set an example for other teenagers and children, be a skilled and smart warrior, and practically all the other duties that came hand-in-hand with being Toruk Makto's firstborn.

He took responsibility for when Loak disobeyed orders and joined the others on the ground when they were supposed to be on the lookout. He maintained a strong and brave face for his siblings when they were all saddened that they were leaving their home, even though he, too, was reluctant to leave. He looked out for Loak when his little siblings were picked on, and joined the tussle when Loak threw the first punch, even though he knew they were disobeying their father's order. He tried taking the blame for that one, but Jake told him to 'stop taking the blame for this knucklehead'.

In other words, obeying orders was pretty much the only thing he had ever done before he died.

Before he almost died.

Apparently, he did stop breathing. But, at some point, while his family went to save Kiri and Tuk, the waves and current grew strong, and his body ended up drifting away into the depths when a particularly strong and large wave swept him off the rock his body was on. Tsireya, who was told to look after his body, swam after him in panic, but then.

Then a miracle happened.

Apparently, according to what Tsireya had told him and everyone else, shaken yet thankful, his body was pulled into the depths by plants that were tentacle-like, yellow in colour, and vibrant. He was pulled into them, and when he was 'returned', Tsireya immediately reached for his body, and the wound in his chest was… sealed.

There was still the 'evidence' of the gunshot wound. It was still there; a small, circular scar.

Tsireya brought his unconscious body back to the surface, and she kept her ear pressed to his weak heartbeat the entire time - right up until the Sullys came back to her.

By the time Neteyam regained consciousness, an entire month had passed.

Loak was by his side when he woke up, and Neteyam felt like that was the first time his little brother ever hugged him so hard.

It surprised him even more to find that his brother wasn't alone.

Aonung was there.

Neteyam wasn't sure what was more jarring: his little brother and Aonung being in the same room without bickering and bantering with each other, or the unfamiliar swirls on the metkayina's face.

Tattoos.

Upon noticing that Neteyam had woken up, Aonung also moved closer, placing a hand on Loak's back as a tender smile that was so unlike the metkayina graced his lips as he spoke with uncharacteristic… fondness and gentleness, "Let him breathe, Loak."

Neteyam felt goosebumps all over his skin at the metkayina's voice.

It was… different.

It made Neteyam's heart stutter. Worse than usual - which was terrible.

His ridiculous crush on the metkayina was already, well, ridiculous. If Aonung kept on doing… whatever it was that he was doing that made him feel so different at the moment, Neteyam feared that the 'harmless' crush he harboured for the metkayina may grow to be a bigger trouble and a hassle.

When he first realised he was 'somewhat' crushing on the metkayina, it was when the metkayina first taught him how to ride an ilu. In other words, it was pretty early on.

It was an epiphany that he never shared with anyone. It was a little embarrassing - even more so when the metkayina proved to be such a troublemaker. In fact, the omatikayan would even say the metkayina was more than a 'troublemaker', with the 'exhibits' being Aonung picking on his siblings and leaving Loak stranded in the middle of nowhere, where akulas were known to swim in often.

Sometimes, when Neteyam couldn't help but let his gaze linger on the metkayina back then, the only thing that would cross his mind was a little bit of shame and a little bit of 'why does my heart decide to go ballistic for the most obnoxious navi I've ever met just because he happened to have a cute face?'.

Their friendship did grow to become better after Loak and Aonung made amends. Aonung became a decent company, so instead of being just a 'pretty face', he ended up being a 'pretty face and decent company'. It was an upgrade, but Neteyam made sure that his crush never really grew. At least he thought that the crush didn't grow into something troublesome. They really did become good friends.

Oh, look at him: he survived death itself, and, somehow, the first thought and concern he had was 'shit, did my crush look better, or have I actually died, and is this just a memory of him in rose-tinted lenses?'.

Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan. Get a fucking grip.

At Aonung's words, Loak released Neteyam from his tight hug, and Neteyam finally got a proper look at his brother, then.

It was more instinct than planned when he reached up and ruffled his baby brother's hair - to which didn't get the usual reaction of his hand being swatted away. He thought it was a nice change.

"Good to see you well, little brother," Neteyam had said, grinning when Loak burst into tears. (His brother had always been a bigger crybaby than he was. At least that's what the omatikayan liked to believe.)

In an attempt not to be seen crying - even though Neteyam had already seen his baby brother cry so many times before - Loak clambered to stand, and sputter out how he'd call for everyone to tell them that Neteyam had woken up before practically bolting out of the marui.

Leaving Neteyam with Aonung. Alone.

Neteyam couldn't even start panicking over being left alone when there was a hand on his shoulder, and he was gently nudged so that Aonung could get a good look at him.

The metkayina's eyes raked all over Neteyam, but the omatikayan was too flustered by the other's rather intense attention to properly return the sentiment and 'rake his own eyes' over his friend's profile.

Then, Aonung… pulled him into a hug.

A really gentle hug.

Neteyam never recalled Aonung being someone gentle.

"It's good to have you back, Neteyam."

Neteyam thought it was impossible for Aonung's voice to be even softer.

Before the omatikayan could get a word in, his entire family came barging into the marui, and, in an instant, he was swarmed.

Only then was he told that he had been unconscious for a month, that so many things had happened. They were all talking all over each other - at least his siblings were. The air traders, the mangkwans, Quaritch, Varang, and the huge battle they fought in with the tulkuns by their side.

Sometimes, Neteyam saw the hopelessness in their eyes behind the overwhelming relief at seeing him awake. Perhaps they thought for the longest time that he wouldn't wake up despite his weak heartbeat.

Neteyam still found it hard to believe that he… died.

He remembered being shot, yes, but, most of all, he remembered desperately wanting to be home.

It's been a week since he woke up.

Current things to be grateful about: being alive, his strength and energy coming back to him at an extremely fast speed - which helped in convincing his family that he didn't need any 'coddling', and how the metkayinas had definitely warmed up to his family while he was unconscious.

Current things to be concerned about: his worryingly fast-growing, stupid crush on Aonung.

A lot of things had happened and had been omitted from his family's retelling of what had happened in the month. Like Rotxo's and the tsahik's death. They were not the only deaths that the Na'vi suffered from the war.

In the quiet of the night, while Neteyam was unnecessarily sweating because his family was still adamant about keeping him as close as possible, and hence he ended up not being able to sleep because of the heat, he wondered if their deaths were the reason for Aonung's 180 change from the last time he had seen the metkayina.

He loved his family, he truly did, but he couldn't remember the last time in his 15 years of living when he was coddled and spoiled so much. Jake was always checking in on him and making idle, borderline awkward conversations with him through the throat comms. Neytiri was always asking him to accompany her to the village and to archery practices. Loak was probably the worst: he was always attached to Neteyam's hip, and wouldn't leave him alone. Kiri would get insects or small animals to 'monitor' where he was going (It was apparently a new ability his sister managed to obtain while he was 'half-dead'). Spider - with his kuru, which, pretty awesome - would always offer to give him a ride around with an ilu whenever he as much as got one step near the water. Even Tuk coddled him by always bringing him food and stuffing him full to the point that he thought he'd be bloated forever.

The only time his family would willingly leave him be was when he was with the Tonowaris: Tonowari himself, Tsireya, the metkayinas' newest tsahik, and Aonung.

Tonowari was a comfortable company. He had always been a man of few words. Although, after Neteyam had spent a couple of times weaving with the older metkayina, he found that the man's silence was less about him choosing to be silent and more about him… reminiscing.

It got to a point where… Neteyam's own heart would ache at seeing the gentle yet solemn expression that was almost constantly on the oloeyktan's face. So 'hanging out' with the oloeyktan became something that Neteyam… was less inclined to do. He didn't want to intrude on the man's time. He didn't want to be a reminder of how he was a 'miracle' while the oloeyktan's mate didn't get to be.

Tsireya was as kind as he remembered. Although, spending time with her meant walking around almost constantly. She was diligent with her duties as the tsahik: always checking in on her clan members, going from one marui to another, and checking on those who were sick to the point of not being able to get out of their maruis. To not add more work to her already piling up responsibilities, he saved the 13 -year-old some 'burden' by not making her 'babysit' him.

Aonung was an interesting company.

Whenever Neteyam was not with him, he would always look so busy. Busy hunting with the hunters, busy helping the villagers, busy teaching the young ones how to swim, ride ilus, and how to hold their breath, busy weaving nets and whatever he could, busy discussing something with his peers, busy-

Busy enough to be able not to notice Neteyam looking at him.

Aonung was always surrounded by people. Neteyam wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. A good thing, because that would mean Aonung had managed to find his place among his clan members, and that the metkayina was right on his way to build his reputation as the future oloekytan.

A bad thing, because-

It wasn't a bad thing.

It wasn't a bad thing at all, because, somehow, even though he always looked so busy, Aonung always managed to make time for the omatikayan.

"Neteyam."

And the metkayina had taken to using that awfully gentle voice whenever they talked.

It was detrimental to the omatikayan's health.

"You're spacing out again," Aonung told him, stopping from tying nets in favour of looking at Neteyam with a curious look. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing interesting," Neteyam quickly answered.

"But it must be a little interesting if you keep on thinking about it."

"How would you know if I'm thinking about the same thing over and over or if I'm thinking of different things every time I think?" the omatikayan countered, focusing his effort on tying his net in favour of not meeting his friend's gaze.

Unfortunately, to his mortification, he ended up tying the knot wrong. Just when he wanted to pretend to be busy.

Maybe Eywa let him live just for him to suffer.

Aonung snorted, and then in the next second, he was hovering his hands over Neteyam's, and the omatikayan sort of tuned out whatever explanation and correction the metkayina was telling him as his hands worked to skilfully untie the knot. Patient and frustratingly kind.

When he removed his hands from Neteyam's, Aonung looked at the omatikayan expectantly.

Neteyam stared back. Attempting to pick his friend apart.

The omatikayan didn't want to get ahead of himself. He's matured, regardless of the fact that he was just 15, but he already passed his iknimaya, so that was obviously proof of some kind of maturity, and he's a pretty observant guy.

So would it really be a stretch to assume that, maybe, Aonung was going out of his way to keep his schedule clear for Neteyam because he liked him? Or at least because he liked spending time with him?

He wasn't getting ahead of himself, was he?

But he had no way of testing his 'theory'.

A hand tucking his braid behind his ear snapped Neteyam out of his thought, and the omatikayan focused his attention back on his current companion - who looked a mixture of amused and fond as the said companion observed aloud:

"You're spacing out again."

Neteyam didn't have the heart to swat the lingering hand away.

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"About how you've changed so much."

It wasn't the entire truth, but it was a part of it.

Aonung pursed his lips, thinking over his friend's comment on his recent changes as he retracted his hand. After a few beats of silence, he shrugged with an air of nonchalance and dismissal, "I would say that I've 'grown up'."

"Only a month had passed since we talked, though," Neteyam murmured, resuming his ministrations on his net and relieved to find that his hands seemed to remember how to tie their knots. "I guess I'm still trying to… make sense and familiarise myself with the changes that have happened so fast while I was not around."

The omatikayan was a little surprised at the sudden hand clasping his knee in reassurance, and he lifted his gaze to meet his friend's as the mentioned friend reassured him with a supportive and encouraging smile.

"A lot did change," Aonung agreed, giving Neteyam's knee a light squeeze. "But you'll have all the time to familiarise yourself with these changes," he continued, a determined glint in teal eyes, almost hidden by the reassuring look he had in them, "I'll make sure of it.

I'm not going to lose anyone else."

Neteyam stared at his friend.

(He had to test his theory. Subtly.)

Covering Aonung's hand that was still on his knee, the omatikayan gave the hand under his a gentle squeeze, and accompanied the gesture with a comforting grin as he told his friend, "If I could help it, I'm definitely not going anywhere anytime soon."

His words caused the somewhat strained smile on Aonung's lips to soften.

The metkayina removed his hand from his friend's knee, and started to pick up from where he left off at tying knots to make a net as he quipped, "I think it'll ease me better if you just say you're 'not going anywhere' and not say the whole 'if you could help it' bit."

Neteyam rolled his eyes before he lightly nudged the metkayina's shoulder with his elbow.

"I'm just being honest," the omatikayan quipped, his heart skipping a beat when Aonung fondly rolled his eyes and chuckled.

By the end of their hangout, Neteyam had solidified his mission:

'To figure out whether something could 'bloom' between him and his 'friend''.

It was worth a shot.

It may not be an order from anyone, but Neteyam felt that, after surviving death, he deserved a short break from orders in general. Regardless if they're from Toruk Makto himself or his 'marine soldier' dad.

***1***

Loak knew his brother pretty well.

For starters, his brother usually did not lose his focus more than two times.

For the day, Loak had volunteered to walk around with Neteyam wherever his older brother wanted to go. Of course, the only one who was against the idea was his older brother himself, which, irrelevant.

They were supposed to just walk around further into the middle of the island. Maybe hunt some creatures that could be made into meals, if Neteyam wanted to. Loak knew full well that his older brother missed drawing his bowstring and archery.

Initially, Neteyam did look pretty excited at the idea. Loak managed to get himself a thankful pat on the head for his smart suggestion, and, on top of that, Neteyam promised him that he'd catch something for him.

It felt like the old times, and, after all the shit that had gone down in the one month Neteyam was unconscious, Loak really looked forward to anything that could remind him of 'simpler times'.

However, when they got to an area where the metkayinas had taken to learn archery and using crossbows alike, inspired by Neytiri's archery skills that she had impressively used to single-handedly break into the sky people's facility and used throughout the fight with the sky people, his brother suddenly was so easily distracted.

Suddenly, rather than 'go hunting', Loak noticed that his brother seemed all too eager to linger. It was weird - especially when Neteyam had complained about 'being stuck at one place all the time'.

To accommodate his brother's sudden 'change of interest', Loak had asked his older brother to teach him how to use a bow. After all, when it came to the bow and arrows, his older brother had always been 'superior' at it than he was, who preferred wielding guns and rifles like their dad did. (His relationship with his dad was still a tad strained, but Loak was just relieved and happy that his older brother was alive.)

Loak noted how Neteyam's tail flicked in its happy way as the older omatikayan agreed with his suggestion.

Just when Loak thought his older brother would not be all 'spacey' and distracted with the new goal that was set, Neteyam still ended up distracted.

There were a couple of metkayinas around, most of them young ones, 9 to 10-year-olds. The metkayinas, having seen how dangerous a war could be, especially when they had limited combat skills to defend themselves, have started to train their young ones in weapons such as crossbows, bows, and spears. Anything that would be of help when war crashes their shores.

Loak found that his older brother seemed all too intrigued by the group of metkayinas.

So, when Loak got all too frustrated when he missed for what felt like the nth time using his bow, and Neteyam was still too busy glancing at the metkayinas, he gave up on his bow and instead - finally - relented and blurted out his questions.

"What have you been looking at this entire time?"

Neteyam didn't even bother to look at him when he answered, his eyes still on the group of metkayinas. "Aonung's teaching the young ones how to use crossbows?"

Loak furrowed his eyes, looked properly at the group of metkayinas, and, sure enough, he saw Aonung crouching beside a kid so they were eye-to-eye as he was adjusting the kid's hold on the crossbow.

Instantly, Loak felt himself grinning and brightening up as he immediately slung his bow over his shoulder and jogged up to the group of metkayinas.

He hadn't noticed Aonung amongst the children.

The younger omatikayan called for Aonung, and waved enthusiastically when the metkayina turned to look, teal eyes widening in minute surprise before he returned Loak's wave with his own.

Aonung went to stand upright, and clasped Loak's offered hand before he grinned amicably. (Loak had never said it to the metkayina's face, but he really liked how approachable and kind Aonung's grin had become.)

"You're up early, Loak," Aonung commented, grinning a touch teasingly. "Maybe the world is ending after all."

Loak scoffed, rolling his eyes as he lightly shoved his friend. While Aonung was busy chuckling at his show of mild annoyance, the omatikayan pointed at his oddly quiet older brother with a thumb. "I'm just hanging out with my brother," he said. "He wanted to stretch his legs and go hunting…" Loak paused, lips pursed, "…initially."

A few beats passed, but Loak didn't get a reply.

So he looked at his friend, words dying in his throat once he realised Aonung wasn't looking at him. Rather, Aonung was looking at Neteyam, and…

…and the two of them were just…

…staring at each other.

Aonung had this… weirdly gentle smile on his lips, whereas Neteyam had this… smile on his lips. A smile that Loak felt like he had never seen on his brother.

Before the young omatikayan could say anything to break the rather odd tension, Aonung took a step forward to Neteyam, and clasped a hand on the omatikayan's shoulder, his weirdly gentle smile still on his lips.

"Good to see you in action again, mighty warrior," Aonung said to Neteyam, his hand remaining on Neteyam's shoulder.

Neteyam rolled his eyes, shaking his head from side to side while he had an almost… bashful smile on his lips. Loak felt like he really had never seen his brother smiling that way.

"You're talking as if this is the first time you've seen me up and about."

"It's my first time seeing you 'up and about' in this part of the island."

Loak stared really hard at Aonung's hand that was still on Neteyam's shoulder. (The young metkayinas around them had gotten bored and started to swing around their crossbows; thankfully, not pointing the crossbows at each other.)

"Maybe you're just not too good at being aware of your surroundings," Neteyam quipped, arms crossed over his chest and not making any move to shake off Aonung's hand. He added on a second later, not waiting for Aonung's reply as he looked at the young metkayinas who were growing increasingly bored, "Since when have you gotten good enough at crossbows to be trusted with teaching these children?"

Aonung scoffed in feigned offense.

"I've always been good with one," he countered, his eyes twinkling in intrigue when he asked, "Maybe I could teach you a thing or two."

Not even waiting for Neteyam's reply, Loak watched and gawked, speechless, when Aonung casually slid his hand from Neteyam's shoulder, to the omatikayan's back, then to somewhere at the omatikayan's lower back, already guiding Neteyam away as he continued, "You're up for learning something new?"

Loak watched his brother just… went along.

Loak felt a lot like he was just ditched - but he was too busy still gawking at how his brother's tail was flicking around in something akin to glee and curiosity to point that out.

"Using a crossbow can't be too hard," Neteyam quipped, keeping eye contact with the metkayina whose hand was still on his lower back, comfortably so. "I know how to use it underwater well enough."

Loak gaped when Aonung simply moved his hand so that it was on his brother's waist instead.

"But it's different; to use a crossbow on land and underwater," Aonung said, stopping a distance away from a target before he turned to one of the children and called them.

"Ior, can Neteyam and I use your crossbow for a second?" the metkayina asked, one of his hands still remaining on Neteyam as he used his other hand to accept the crossbow happily handed to him.

After thanking the kid, Aonung focused his attention on Neteyam as he handed the acquired crossbow to the omatikayan. His smile grew a little lopsided and amused, a challenging glint in his eyes as he offered his friend, "You want to demonstrate how to hold a crossbow?"

Neteyam rolled his eyes before he took the crossbow out of Aonung's hand. (Aonung's hand was still on Neteyam's waist.)

Wordlessly, he got into stance: the stock of the crossbow against his shoulder, his left hand supporting the crossbow, and his right hand on the trigger. When he went to adjust how he stood, one foot pointed at the target as he kept his feet apart, Aonung's hand on the omatikayan's waist finally moved away.

He did remain close, though.

From what Loak observed, he'd say his brother had been pretty humble. After all, from his stance alone, the younger omatikayan thought that his older brother had a good enough form to be able to shoot cleanly. He was pretty sure the impressive form was also the byproduct of his brother being good at archery, too. Neteyam probably didn't even need Aonung teaching him.

As if he knew he had done well, Neteyam stopped looking at the target and glanced with his eyes alone at his friend, smirking smugly as he inquired, "Well? How am I doing?"

The young metkayinas around them all had their interest piqued at how easy Neteyam made it look, so they all ended up staring at the omatikayan in unabashed awe. Loak would say he was in awe, too, but he was preoccupied with trying to figure out why the tension between his older brother and friend felt so personal.

As a response to Neteyam's question, Aonung took an unnecessary step closer and raised his hands to hover over the omatikayan's hands. The action made it look like he was simply making minor adjustments to Neteyam's hands, but Loak wasn't an idiot.

The guy clearly just wanted an excuse to be close to Neteyam.

…

Slowly, Loak tried to let the thought sink in.

Meanwhile, Aonung pretended to be thinking, his eyes as if examining the position of Neteyam's hands on the crossbow before they finally returned the omatikayan's inquiring gaze. "You're pretty amazing," the metkayina settled to say, his eyes almost loud with unsaid words as he added jokingly, "Especially for someone who just woke up from death."

At the metkayina's words, Neteyam scoffed, dropping his stance as he properly faced his friend, a disatsified scowl on his lips as his tail flicked and ears twitched. "'Amazing'? That's it?" Neteyam uncharacteristically complained. He scoffed again when Aonung shrugged his shoulders dismissively before turning to the kid from before and returning the crossbow, dropping his dissatisfied expression to smile and thank the kid before it returned full force, once again directed at Aonung.

"Let's see how good you are at drawing a bow, then," Neteyam challenged, not bothering to wait for a reply as he was already taking off his bow that was slung on his shoulder before handing it to his metkayina friend.

Aonung suppressed a too amused - and fond - smile.

"I'm not sure about that," the metkayina said.

"Why?"

"Because I'm still learning from Neytiri," Aonung answered, before gesturing over the young metkayinas who were all curiously watching their instructor talk with his 'friend', "Why do you think I'm stuck with teaching these guys on how to use crossbows rather than on how to use bows?"

Loak stared when Neteyam's tail did its happy flick again.

"Then I'm happy to see what you've learnt," Neteyam said, wordlessly making Aonung grab his bow. "Here, just show me how you will draw the string, and I'll rate it."

"You just want to make fun of me."

"Or maybe I just enjoy taking your time," Neteyam drawled, shrugging his shoulders dismissively; a contrast to the suppressed smile on his lips.

Loak was coming back together. Sort of.

"But I do need to get back to the children," Aonung reminded, glancing at the young ones before meeting Neteyam's gaze again. "If I had known you wanted to spend time with me so much, I would've kept my schedule free for a day or two."

"Maybe make it three days?" Neteyam joked. Or not.

Aonung snickered, shaking his head from side to side. Then he turned to the young metkayinas, and asked if they wouldn't mind waiting some more before they could get back to their lessons. They all said that Aonung could 'practice with the bow' as long as the older metkayina wanted to. Plus, the young metkayinas also wanted to see how a bow should be strung.

Permission granted, Aonung got into stance.

He was stopped before he could, though. Since Neteyam stopped him and gave him an arrow.

The metkayina looked surprised, then. He looked at Neteyam as if to ask for confirmation without saying anything, before he went and verbally asked anyway: "You're trusting me with an arrow?"

"I trusted you when we were saving Payakan," Neteyam easily answered. "I trusted you when we went after Loak that day to have my back," he added - before continuing a beat later while looking at Aonung rather meaningfully, "I trust you."

So many words just to say that he was confident Aonung wouldn't accidentally shoot someone.

Unlike Loak, though, Aonung looked rather moved by the omatikayan's words, if the muted, astonished look on his face was anything to go by.

A beat of silence of them staring into each other's eyes passed before Aonung nodded, taking the arrow Neteyam offered him and resuming to getting into stance. While he was doing that, Neteyam's hands were almost impatient when he placed them on the metkayina's side and arm, helping the other to get into stance. Aonung noticed the detail, too.

With an amused grin and barely audible snort, Aonung kept his eyes on Neteyam, who was busy adjusting the metkayina's feet and arms, and quipped teasingly, "You know, if I hadn't known any better, I'd think you're just using this as an excuse to 'put me in place'. Didn't know you've missed my company so much."

Neteyan scoffed, and when he paid attention to Aonung's face rather than the position and placements of the metkayina's face, the omatikayan didn't even bat an eye at the proximity of his face and his friend's. "I'm just being a good teacher."

"Neytiri doesn't make 'standing too close' a common thing when she's teaching me how to use the bow."

(Both of their tails were flicking around: Neteyam's tail flicking left and right, while Aonung's tail was very subtly wagging.

Loak sort of wanted to bury himself to free himself from this torment of being an unwilling audience to whatever was going on between his older brother and metkayina friend.)

"Is that you complaining?" Neteyam retorted, making a show of attempting to take a step back from his friend and taking his hands off the said friend while he continued, "If you are complaining, I'll be happy to-"

Aonung hastily stopped drawing the bow string, fumbling with holding his arrow and not trying to let it get in the way. Simply because his hand had shot out and grabbed Neteyam's wrist before the omatikayan could create distance between them.

"Not complaining," he murmured, his gaze on his hand holding the omatikayan's wrist and his arrow oddly before it shifted to meet Neteyam's gaze. "Just observing."

(They're flirting in front of Loak's eyes.

Loak was pretty sure his presence there was completely forgotten the moment Aonung had made eye contact with Neteyam. Heck, maybe his metkayina friend had gotten lost in his older brother's eyes.

Eywa, watching this 'back-and-forth' was a rather huge wake-up call for Loak. He'd make sure that he'd try not to 'flirt' or 'be sweet' with Tsireya when others were around. The thought of his siblings seeing him fumbling suddenly felt rather daunting and mortifying.)

Looking triumphant as if he was admitted to be right, Neteyam swatted Aonung's away, and somehow went to stand impossibly closer to the metkayina, taking the swatted hand and guiding it to draw the bow string again. "I didn't ask for commentaries or observations," he retorted, doing a few final adjustments to his friend's posture as he did. "So, be quiet, and try not to embarrass yourself by missing your shot."

After some more adjustments, Neteyam hummed in satisfaction before he stepped away, crossing his arms and moving to stand beside Loak - which, was both a relief and an offense. A relief in the way that Neteyam hadn't actually forgotten his little brother's existence, but an offense because he really did actively choose to pay attention to the metkayina rather than his little brother, who was supposed to be the one to 'keep him company'.

"Try shooting," Neteyam gave the metkayina the green light. Though he added as an afterthought when Aonung was still glancing at him rather than at the target, "Try shooting with your eyes on the target, by the way. You'll get cross-eyed if you keep on sneaking glances at me."

Loak refrained from pointing out that Neteyam had been sneaking glances at Aonung even before they approached the metkayina just some time ago.

At Neteyam's words, Aonung scoffed, bemused as he turned his attention to the target, straightening his posture as he got ready to shoot. "I'll try," he sarcastically murmured, the grin on his lips turning into a focus pursed of lips.

Loak glanced at the young metkayinas, some of them watching Aonung with bated breath, some of them looking at Neteyam in admiration, and a few of them looking back and forth between Aonung and Neteyam with skeptical and squinted eyes.

One of them, Ior, as Aonung had addressed the kid, scooted to stand beside Loak.

Loak looked at the young metkayina, and when Ior noticed him looking, he pointed at Neteyam and Aonung as he whispered conspirationally to the omatikayan beside him: "They act like my sempul and sa'nok."

Loak couldn't help the snort he made.

"No kidding."

"What is 'kidding?'" The boy asked, curious eyes staring into Loak's soul.

Before Loak could reply, the sound of an arrow cutting through the air could be heard, followed by loud and excited cheers and hollers from the young metkayinas.

Loak turned to look to find that Aonung had managed to shoot right at the centre of the target.

Thoroughly impressed, for a moment, he forgot his bitterness at being forgotten and shouted a congratulatory 'nice shot, dude!', and earned a triumphant grin from Aonung who had lowered his bow.

But then Aonung turned to look at Neteyam, his body language open and smug, and Loak resigned to his face at being temporarily forgotten again.

"So, how did I do, ma tsamsiyu?" Aonung drawled, his grin a little crooked as his gaze remained unbudging from Neteyam. (What was with the nickname??? Loak was going to shoot himself if he had to see them flirting again.

He's pretty funny - but he internally reminded himself to not crack such jokes in front of Kiri and Tsireya.)

The addressed omatikayan hummed, thoughtful as he approached Aonung and gestured for the metkayina to give him his bow. Aonung wordlessly returned the bow to the 'tsamsiyu', and Neteyam swiftly took an arrow and got into stance as he spoke:

"Good to know I have competition."

A moment passed, with his brother looking at the same target Aonung had shot.

Everyone present waited with bated breath, wondering what the young warrior was up to.

Then, when the waiting was over, Neteyam shot.

He didn't even bother to see if his arrow landed. Not that he needed to check to know if he hit the target with the way the young metkayinas were cheering and hollering in amazement louder than just a few moments ago when Aonung made his shot.

The only reason Loak wasn't immediately praising his older brother from sheer respect and admiration was because of how stunned he was to see an arrow piercing through another arrow.

With a cocky grin, Neteyam shrugged, his gaze naturally searching and meeting Aonung's as he boasted playfully, "But I'm still the best with the bow here in Awa'atlu. Right after my mother."

Loak noticed the young metkayinas copying Neteyam's and Aonung's stance before shooting, and he couldn't help the endeared grin on his lips to see the kids so ecstatic and enthusiastic.

"So I'm not going to be rewarded for my pretty impressive first shot?" Aonung questioned, grabbing Loak's attention again.

Neteyam pretended to ponder as he slung his bow over his shoulder.

Once his bow was comfortably secured, Neteyam gave Aonung a pat on the chest, his hand lingering longer than it needed to be, and answered with a grin, "I don't think you have any time to be thinking about 'rewards'.

Don't you have kids to teach, ma eylan?"

The kids, overhearing Neteyam's words, all perked up and started eagerly talking over each other about how they wanted to learn how to use a bow.

Some of them went as far as to get between Aonung and Neteyam in an attempt to grab the metkayina's attention, but Aonung stubbornly held eye contact with the omatikayan.

"I can always make time for you," Aonung said, attempting to calm down the kids around him by patting their heads.

Neteyam adjusted the bow on himself with a teasing smile.

"For me, or for the reward?"

Eywa, Loak really missed Tsireya.

"Both," Aonung easily answered. "Time with you is a reward in itself, but I think I deserve a separate reward for the stunt I pulled today."

Loak hoped Aonung could feel his judgmental stare. Seriously.

Unlike the young omatikayan who felt like barfing, Neteyam's smile grew a touch bashful, just as it was playful, rolling his eyes and dismissively waving a hand at his metkayina friend's words.

"Then, when you're not busy, we can spend time with each other," Neteyam said, waving one last time before he turned around and started walking away.

Loak lingered and kept looking at Aonung with his judgmental stare.

When Aonung turned to look at the omatikayan, the nauseatingly sweet smile on his lips was nowhere in sight, replaced with a too-wide grin.

"Sorry," he apologised, not sounding sincere at all. "Didn't mean to steal your brother's attention away from you."

Loak lightly smacked the metkayina on the arm, but Aonung merely snickered at the hit.

After Loak narrowed his eyes at Aonung and dramatically made an 'I have my eyes on you' gesture at the metkayina, he went to catch up with his older brother who was already a distance away from him.

When Neteyam noticed his little brother was back to walking beside him, he grinned a little crookedly as he tilted his head, away from the makeshift shooting range for the metkayinas.

"You want to get back to hunting?" Neteyam asked, his mood significantly improved.

Of course, Loak could never say no when his brother was in such a good mood.

They filled the time with tracking their prey and filling the silence with conversations, Loak doing most of the talking as he told his brother what had happened while the said brother was unconscious in more detail compared to what was told when the omatikayan had woken up.

At some point, Aonung came up in Loak's stories, about how the metkayina always kept an eye out for the Sully's children like an older brother would.

"What do you think of him?" Neteyam asked, the tone he used unreadable to his little brother.

Loak pondered over his answer.

"…he was there when I needed someone to be there with me," he settled to say, averting his gaze when Neteyam searched to make eye contact. "He was there to support me when I thought there was… no hope left for you to wake up."

Neteyam insisted on taking a break from hunting in favour of reassuring Loak that he wasn't going anywhere.

Loak refrained from explaining how terrified he was at the thought of losing his brother. At the sight of his brother's unmoving body, safe for the slow and weak rise and fall of his chest, barely clinging to life.

Only when they got back to the marui, did Loak realise that his brother was asking about Aonung while, perhaps, expecting a different kind of answer. It only dawned on him because he replayed their conversation in his head, and noticed the unsure look his brother had when he asked the question.

So, that night, before they fell asleep, Loak called his brother.

"Bro.

Aonung's totally into you."

(He sort of forgot that Neteyam probably didn't understand what 'being into someone' meant, since that was a sky people's lingo - not that Neteyam was unfamiliar with the sky people's language, but, aside from Loak, only Spider had quite a pretty impressive understanding of the sky people's language.

Whatever.)

***2***

At 13, Tsireya had to step in as the tsahik for the metkayina clan.

At 13, she lost her mother, a close friend, and several other friends and acquaintances because of the war the sky people brought to her shore.

At 13, she met a boy, and with him a family who had seen and gone through the things she couldn't even begin imagine.

At 13, she healed and guided the injured - just as her mother would do before she left her to succeed her.

Though, at the end of the day, despite having to shoulder the responsibilities of a tsahik at such a young age…

…she was still 13.

13, and very intrigued by what Loak had told her when they were spending time together in the dead of the night, where Tsireya could be free of her tsahik's duties and properly get a breather for herself.

"I'm being serious, 'Reya," Loak had told her the so-called tale of his and her older brothers, hands endearingly gesticulating all over in how enthusiastic he was at talking about the topic at hand with her. "There were sparks. Bouncing off them back and forth."

Tsireya couldn't imagine her brother making 'heart eyes' - not because she believed her brother was incapable of 'love', but more so because her brother had always made fun of her whenever she gushed about how cute her friends or other couples were. Including when she gushed about how cute their parents, were.

She knew Loak was not one to lie, so, she had to see for herself. Just so she could tease her brother about it.

It was why, fueled with the spirit and motivation of 'wanting to spend time with Neteyam', she pushed herself to use an entire day to do what she usually did in two days, and managed to earn herself an entire free day.

The first thing she did after confirming with her father that she could 'have a beak for a day' was walk to the Sullys' marui, and 'booked' Neteyam for her free day.

She had noticed that the older navi was reluctant to have her 'accompanying' him because he didn't want to 'get in the way' or 'be a bother'; it was why she went ahead and made sure that her day was free to be spent with the omatikayan.

When the day came for them to spend time together, well, Tsireya had always been a pretty smart planner.

"I know a place where we can relax," she told the omatikayan, wading into the water while Neteyam curiously looked at her. "The water there is warm, and it's really nice to soak in. You will feel refreshed and rejuvenated after soaking for some time," she added, calling an ilu and petting the said ilu as she made tsaheylu.

Following after her, Neteyam also called for an ilu, and made tsaheylu, too.

"Is it far?" He asked, ears twitching as his nose scrunched in the way where he seemed to be thinking.

"Not too far with an ilu," she supplied, mounting her ilu. "Come. Follow me."

When they got to a large cove, Tsireya gestured for Neteyam to follow her, and she led him further into the cove.

It never failed to make her smile when she introduced new places to new people - especially when they would gasp and look around in amazement.

Deeper into the cave, there were layers of small ponds, most of them fit for at most five adult metkayinas, scattered all over the place. Some ponds were occupied by metkayinas, all of them either relaxing, chatting, or even nodding off and falling asleep because of how comfortable it was.

"I can't believe this is the first time you're telling me about this place!" Neteyam gushed in awe, his tail flicking around excitedly and his ears perking up.

Due to the darkness of the cove, most light they had was from the bioluminescent plants and spots around them. It only made the place prettier.

Without wasting any time, Tsireya led Neteyam to one of the ponds, and the two of them went and relaxed themselves in it, heaving out a relaxed sigh at the feel of being in warm water.

While Neteyam was content with soaking in the water, Tsireya kept on looking at the entrance of the cove. Patiently waiting.

Her brother was supposed to come by anytime soon. He usually visited the cove this time of the week with his friends and some hunters, discussing plans and defenses or simply chatting. It was something Aonung started going to so he could be in the know of what's going on in the village.

Although, her brother was running pretty late.

Focused as she was at the entrance, she was surprised when someone suddenly spoke up near her and Neteyam's pool.

"Can we join the two of you?"

Tsireya turned her attention to the newcomers, and felt a tiny bit anxious once she realised who had asked the question.

Awakxrr and Epxo.

They were twins: Awakxrr, the older sister, and Epxo, the younger brother.

Tsireya was 'anxious' merely because the twins had this habit where they liked to… fluster someone together.

It was harmless, sure, but Tsireya wasn't such a 'big fan' of people playing with someone's feelings.

Before Tsireya could reply, Neteyam tilted his head and gave the newcomers a friendly smile. "Sure," he answered, adjusting himself to not take too much space.

The twins went to sit on either side of the Neteyam - to which the omatikayan grew a little rigid, momentarily puzzled by how close the twins were sitting to him.

Still, Neteyam didn't tell the twins to move away. Afraid of being rude, perhaps.

Casually and easily, Awakxrr casually rested her arm at the edge of the pool behind Neteyam, leaning close and looking all too intrigued as she introduced herself: "I'm Awakxrr." Then, she gestured over her twin brother, "And he's my twin, Epxo."

Neteyam perked up at the word twin.

"Twins?" He asked, ears twitching.

Both twins tracked the movement.

"Yes," Awakxrr answered after a beat, smiling sweetly. Only after that did she turn to Tsireya with an all too amicable smile. "Good to see you relaxing for once, Tsireya."

Tsireya's gaze lingered on Epxo - who had been staring at Neteyam's omatikayan beads braided into his hair.

"…yes," Tsireya settled to say, smiling. "The two of you come here to relax, too?"

Epxo reached out, gently tracing the braid with the omatikayan beads while Neteyam turned to the metkayina boy, looking a little taken aback.

"We heard the omatikayan tsamsiyu has woken up last week," Epxo murmured, staring at the beads his tracing in wonder. "We've been wanting to talk to him ourselves, but we never really got to catch him and say 'hello'."

Epxo shifted his gaze to look at Neteyam.

"Glad to finally meet you, Neteyam."

Truthfully, Tsireya was growing a little - an understatement - worried.

She never saw Epxo look so… serious.

It wouldn't surprise her if anyone - Epxo included - were to fall for Neteyam. She knew how kind and reliable the omatikayan was. All the things anyone would've fallen for.

Just then, before anyone could say another word, someone grabbed Epxo's wrist before the metkayina boy could reach out a hand to tuck a braid behind Neteyam's ear.

All four in the pond looked to find that it was Aonung.

Of course it was Aonung.

"Don't play with his beads," Aonung gruffed, surprising Tsireya at the strain and barely hidden distaste in his voice.

Neteyam visibly relaxed.

"Coincidence seeing you here, Aonung," Neteyam greeted, grinning.

Aonung briefly glanced at Tsireya, who was trying really hard to suppress the knowing grin on her lips.

The metkayina turned to his omatikayan friend again. "…It's a coincidence, yes," he murmured his reply. Then, he let go of Epxo's wrist and addressed the metkayina with his lips pursed in a thin line, "Why are you sitting so close to him?"

Epxo didn't budge. Rather, he looked pretty amused in the face of Aonung's not-so-subtle glare.

"And why did it take you so long to join us?" Epxo drawled, grinning as he tilted his head defiantly. "You're worried you're gonna scare him off if you come across too bold?" the metkayina continued to say, sounding almost taunting before he added carelessly, "Not that you're doing that great in not coming across too bold."

Aonung barely managed to stop himself from hissing. Tsireya could see that her brother was trying really hard not to do so.

In that moment, Tsireya caught Neteyam using his hand to cover the lower half of his face, and she was surprised to see that the omatikayan was… stifling a smile. An awfully endeared smile.

She didn't get to ponder over it, because Neteyam schooled his expression into his typical kindly smiling one, and placed a hand on Epxo's shoulder before gently pushing the metkayina away, to which Epxo simply followed along.

"I didn't know you've been here for a while," Neteyam quipped, his voice conversational and gentle. "Would've saved you a spot here if I knew you were coming."

Awakxrr snorted, and everyone turned to look at her.

"I think Aonung would have other ponds to soak in regardless of whether you saved him a spot or not," she drawled to Neteyam, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "But I guess the other ponds won't have you in them, so…" she trailed off, grinning a little tauntingly.

Not even waiting for Aonung to say anything, she laughed heartily, and raised her hands in surrender as she scooted closer to Tsireya, leaving one of Neteyam's sides empty. "Oh, but, please, future oloeyktan, feel free to sit beside your eylan. We can still fit one more of us in here after all," she offered, smiling knowingly.

She made eye contact with Tsireya, and the tsahik couldn't help but mirror the metkayina girl's knowing grin.

Tsireya hadn't taken her brother as someone who'd get jealous easily.

Aonung didn't even argue.

He went into the pond, and sat so close to Neteyam that their sides were pressing against each other. In fact, as if that wasn't enough, he wrapped an arm around the omatikayan's shoulders, and left it to rest there.

…

"What was that about being too clos-?"

"When are you and your sister going to join us for the weekly discussions?" Aonung cut Epxo off with a deadpan, pointedly leaving his arm around Neteyam while being entirely obvious over how the omatikayan was suppressing a wide grin. He was probably also amused by his friend's 'weird' antics, too. Tsireya was having a pretty good time, if she was being honest.

Aonung leaned forward to make proper eye contact with Epxo, but, in doing that, he was just pressed closer to Neteyam's side.

Tsireya didn't recall her brother being so opportunistic.

"The two of you are older than I am anyway," Aonung added, glancing at Awakxrr before returning to look at Epxo again. "It's about time you start paying attention to what goes on in the village. Actually, on that note, I'm here because your dad asked me to tell you to join them."

Both of the twins pulled a face.

"No way dad said that," Awakxrr argued, remaining relaxed in the pond. "He would trust a baby ilu with his life before he trusts my brother and me."

"He's staring at you guys right now if you guys would just turn around," Aonung shrugged, his mood suddenly improving as the four navis in the pond turned to look.

Just as Aonung had said, the twins' father was looking at them from the other side of the cove, his hands on his hips as he looked at the twins disapprovingly.

Immediately, Awakxrr was scrambling out of the pond, squinting her eyes at Aonung as she hissed, "Why didn't you tell us earlier?!"

Aonung put on a triumphant smirk.

"I was too scared of coming across as too bold."

Both Tsireya and Neteyam snickered.

Hurriedly, the twins left - not before sending Aonung the stink eye, of course.

Once both of them were a distance away, Aonung finally looked relaxed.

"You're terrible," Neteyam was the first to speak, snickering as he leaned against the edge, and, of course, further onto Aonung's unmoving arm. "They were the few who voluntarily walked up to me to talk, you know? Then there you went, scaring them away," the omatikayan added, shaking his head from side to side.

Aonung rolled his eyes, absent-mindedly drumming his fingers on his friend's shoulder. "I'm better company anyway," he stated matter-of-factly, suppressing a what-seemed-to-be fond smile on his lips when Neteyam nudged his side with his elbow playfully.

"You're just so full of yourself."

"I'm just self-aware."

Loak wasn't joking when he said that their brothers could really be so in their own world that they forgot who's around.

Tsireya cleared her throat, and she was a little endeared at the way both boys looked at her at the same time. (She remembered Loak saying something about how Neteyam and Aonung were purposely ignoring him. Tsireya couldn't imagine it at first, but she believed she could - now that she had been there in his place.)

"You're not going to join the others today, brother?" she asked, her tone kept carefully clueless rather than teasing, lest her brother would react unexpectedly - like fleeing away from embarrassment at being too obvious. "I thought you said that those discussions are important just now," she added. Considerate.

Aonung didn't budge.

"I asked to skip today's discussion after I saw the two of you here," Aonung replied, only then squinting his eyes at his little sister. "Did you purposely ask Neteyam to come here today?" he asked, skeptical.

No point in lying - and maybe a little teasing.

"I just thought you wouldn't mind seeing Neteyam," she answered, smiling innocently and a little endeared when both boys barely noticeably froze for a split second. "I know you'd feel better after seeing him."

"Okay. So you're trying to sabotage me," Aonung quipped without missing a beat.

Tsireya grinned. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

Neteyam snorted, amused, before he turned to look at Aonung, his head tilted a little as he playfully joked, "What? Am I that huge of a distraction for you?"

There's something oddly gentle in her brother's eyes that Tsireya felt like she had never seen before. Tsireya decided that she liked the odd softness.

As a response, Aonung hummed and quietly returned Neteyam's gaze. Her brother's fingers stopped drumming on Neteyam's shoulder, then. Instead, he raised his hand, glancing at the omatikayan beads in the omatikayan's braid, and met Neteyam's gaze again.

Neteyam rolled his eyes fondly.

"You don't have to ask for permission," the omatikayan answered the unspoken question.

So Aonung traced over the beads in the omatikayan's braid, and silence settled over the three of them the way the night sky would blanket the village every end of the day: peacefully quiet.

Tsireya tried not to stare too hard and gave the older navis some 'privacy', but it was hard not to do so when it was such an… endearing and cute sight. She had never seen her brother so taken by someone.

Truthfully, she did notice her brother's silence when Neteyam had been unconscious. Her brother had been diligently training with weapons and just in general, and he was more… quiet. He kept to himself often, and he frequently visited the marui where Neteyam was 'sleeping' in. In fact, the only reason the Sullys dared to leave with the air traders was because Aonung and her promised to look after Neteyam.

She had thought that her brother's attentiveness to Neteyam was out of the ordinary, but it never really did dawn on her the possibility of something more brewing between the two 15-year-olds. Aonung had always spoken to and of Neteyam as a friend would, too; yet another reason why Tsireya never thought of them liking each other in a more… not-platonic sense.

It was sweet.

Really sweet.

"It isn't my first time holding these hair beads, you know?"

Aonung suddenly broke the silence, but Tsireya opted to only listen and enjoy the warmth of the water rather than join the conversation.

Neteyam pursed his lips in confusion before he asked, puzzled, "When did you first hold them? I don't remember you asking."

"When you were unconscious," Aonung answered simply.

Her brother tucked the braid behind Neteyam's ear, and the omatikayan quietly stared at the unreadable expression on his friend's face before he asked with an uncharacteristically soft and inquiring voice, "You took care of me?"

"Yes."

"It's hard to imagine that," Neteyam joked. "I can imagine your sister taking care of me," he added, grinning as if to brighten up the rather solemn mood.

"I did take care of you," Aonung chose to say instead.

He leaned away from the omatikayan, along with retracting his arm, and gave the omatikayan's braid a long look before he continued talking, "Loak taught me how to do and undo your hair, along with how you like the hair beads to be put on." His side was no longer pressing against Neteyam's, and he leaned against the edge of the pond comfortably while keeping eye contact with his friend before adding, "It was pretty frustrating to learn at first. Weaving is different than braiding - but I want to take care of you.

I'd say it was worth it."

There's a flush in Neteyam's face. (It was really endearing to see.)

"Then I owe you, Aonung," Neteyam replied, soft. "I owe you, Tsireya, and everyone many thanks."

"You don't need to thank me," Aonung quickly said, adding a second later, "You don't need to thank anyone."

"How am I supposed to repay all of you, then?"

Aonung quietly stared.

Then, when he found his voice, he answered: "Just don't give everyone a scare and leave again."

It was a rather tender moment.

(Tsireya felt like she was intruding.)

Neteyam huffed, averting his gaze.

"I'll try and do that," he answered, his tone a lot like he was joking.

"Don't 'try'," Aonung chastised, lightly shoving Neteyam by the shoulder. "You have to say it with more determination," the metkayina chided. "You have to promise us.

Promise me."

"But I have no say on when I'll suddenly leave," Neteyam argued, fighting off a too-affectionate smile on his lips. "It is the will of Eywa to give and take."

"Then you'll just have to convince her not to take you away if you find yourself in front of her again."

Aonung also broke into a smile when Neteyam snickered at the outrageous request.

"I can't just 'convince' the Great Mother the way my sister can," Neteyam retorted, further submerging himself into the water so that only his shoulders could be seen while the rest was soaked. "If it's time to return, then it is time to return."

The ends of Neteyam's hair grew wet - dipped in the water as they were.

"Then you shouldn't return alone," Aonung boldly said, surprising both Tsireya and Neteyam.

Neteyam looked at the metkayina boy in confusion, while Aonung returned the gaze, calm and collected.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Neteyam questioned when he decided that no amount of quiet staring of teal eyes would provide him with an answer.

Aonung dismissively shrugged.

"What do you think it means?" the metkayina boy questioned back.

Neteyam pursed his lips, thoughtful, before he shook his head from side to side and pinched Aonung on the thigh, prompting the metkayina to yelp and swat the omatikayan's hand away.

"I think you're being a skxawng," Neteyam gruffed, eyes narrowed at no one in particular. "You're being a skxawng for even thinking of coming with me when it's not your time yet," he elaborated, his voice still a tad offended and… sad.

"I'll go wherever you'll go," Aonung claimed.

That seemed to be Neteyam's limit, because the omatikayan scoffed, went back to sitting straight, and suddenly turned to Tsireya with a scowl on his lips. "Can you believe him, Tsireya?" he scoffed, pointing at Aonung while he kept on looking at the girl. "Strong words coming from your brother over here."

Tsireya refrained from smiling too hard at the way her brother stared at the purple blutches on the omatikayan, considering how they've been soaked in the pond for quite some time. She did, however, not refrain from speaking her truth.

"I'd do the same for Loak," she spoke, agreeing with her brother while Neteyam grew to look gobsmacked. Simply to emphasise her point, she continued, "Life is much more colourful and vibrant with him around. If it's possible and within my capability, I'll go wherever he goes, too. Just as my brother would with you."

Neteyam pursed his lips.

In the end, he settled on a disbelieving and touched scoff, shaking his head and slumping in resignation.

"The two of you need to have your priorities straightened."

For the rest of the time spent in the cove, the three of them didn't talk much. They enjoyed each other's company in peaceful silence. At some point, Neteyam ended up asleep on Aonung's shoulder, and, despite how hard he tried not to, Aonung also ended up falling asleep, resting his cheek on top of Neteyam's head.

The only reason Tsireya could find it in her to wake the two boys up was because she knew it wasn't a good idea to be asleep in the ponds. It was a shame; if only she had something that could capture the moment.

Aonung told Tsireya and Neteyam to leave first, so the metkayina girl obliged.

By the time Neteyam and her had gotten back to shore, stars could already be seen scattered in the night sky, and the two navis agreed to go their separate ways and returned to their respective maruis for the night.

Though Neteyam stopped Tsireya in the last minute to ask:

"Has your brother always been so… honest?"

Tsireya tilted her head.

"Any reason why you're asking?"

"Not anything in particular, no."

(Neteyam looked out of his element when he was bashful.)

So Tsireya answered with what she had seen with her own eyes.

"It seems to me that my brother has learnt to be honest - with you."

During dinner, Aonung asked her why she kept on staring at him like he was acting out of the ordinary. (Tsireya refrained from immediately exposing her brother in front of their father about his 'sizable crush' on Neteyam.

She repressed a fit of giggles at the thought of talking about crushes with her brother.)

***3***

Tuk wanted to explore the ocean with her oldest brother for the day.

When Neteyam had been sleeping for an entire month straight, swimming in the ocean had never felt quite the same. Whenever Tuk found something pretty and shiny, she would turn around, expecting to find her oldest brother and show him what she found, only for her smile to fall when she found that no one was there.

Every time that happened, Tuk would find herself swimming back to shore, walking into the village, passing metkayinas, and straight to the marui that her oldest brother slept in.

She would press her ear on Neteyam's chest, and listened to his weak heartbeat until she fell asleep.

Oftentimes, she would be lightly chided by the one who woke her up. Something about the weight of her head right on top of her brother's chest may cause difficulty for her brother to breathe.

Right until the end, she couldn't help but fall asleep to her brother's heartbeat.

Neteyam, when Tuk voiced out her 'request', he complied with a smile and a laugh, the sight and sound dearly missed by the youngest of the Sullys after having not heard it for so long. (An entire month felt both like a week and a second. So many things had happened, yet her oldest brother's absence was felt in every second that had passed.)

At hearing their planned 'adventure' in the sea, Spider immediately offered to be Neteyam's 'chaperone', excited to show off his ilu-riding skills. Although, Neteyam insisted that he didn't need a 'chaperone', and that he could ride an ilu just fine.

Spider looked devastated and betrayed when Neteyam casually told him that he had gone and ridden an ilu himself with Tsireya just some days ago.

So, to 'compensate', Neteyam offered Spider to go with him and Tuk to explore the ocean. Of course, the human boy was all too ecstatic to join the two omatikayans. Having listened to the conversation, Kiri said that she'd join the plan, too. Not that Tuk didn't see that coming, considering how she had always liked to be wherever Spider wanted to be. (They've become really close ever since Spider managed to breathe Pandora's air. Tuk wondered if that had anything to do with how they were always sneaking glances at each other and averting their gazes with shy smiles when they caught the other looking.)

Hence why the four of them were currently underwater, swimming around and pointing at anything that shone bright and vibrant.

After finding yet another pretty shell, Tuk excitedly turned around, and couldn't help the big smile that took over her lips when Neteyam was there. He noticed her searching for him instantly, and went to swim towards her, signing 'beautiful find, Tuk!' a moment later after noticing the shell in her hand.

She wanted to hear her brother's compliment out loud rather than just from signing. It was why she tugged at her brother's wrist, and pointed upwards so they could break the surface.

Understanding his sister, Neteyam took Tuk's hand, and helped her to swim towards the surface.

When they broke surface, Tuk eagerly met Neteyam's eyes, and the older omatikayan was already looking at her with an affectionate and proud smile on his lips. The look remained even when he accepted the shell eagerly offered by his younger sister, before he went and squeezed her cheek fondly.

"It's really a beautiful shell, Tuk," he complimented. "It'll be a nice addition to the piles of shells we have back in our marui, which, you might want to do something about if you don't want sa'nok to throw them away."

At the reminder, Tuk's ears drooped.

Neteyam was right; Neytiri had been pressing his little sister to not 'collect any more shells that only take up the space of their family's marui'.

Though Tuk didn't have the heart to throw away all the shells that she had been diligently collecting and carefully picked. It felt like a waste, and, to her, it was a waste.

She had to quickly think of something to do with the shells to make sure they weren't thrown away, so she had to make them into something useful. Or at least have some kind of 'purpose'.

Just then, an ilu surfaced from the water, and along with the ilu were her riders, Spider and Kiri. Spider was the one who had made the tsaheylu with the ilu, while Kiru hitched a ride with him.

"You guys are out of breath already?" Spider joked, looking between Neteyam and Tuk. "Do you need me to teach you how to breathe underwater longer, big bro? I don't mind lending a hand," Spider equipped after turning to Neteyam, snickering when his offer received a reply in the shape of a splash of water from the 15-year-old omatikayan.

"You need to stop treating me like I'll drop dead if I'm not under anyone's supervision," Neteyam retorted, rolling his eyes and grinning when his words made Spider launch into yet another of the human boy's 'but I owe you and Loak for saving my ass on that ship and you literally almost died!' speeches.

Kiri joined the conversation, then, saying how Spider pretty much owed every one of the Sullys if he wanted to go by that logic. Spider started wondering aloud what he could ever do to repay the family, and Neteyam lightly smacked the human's head before emphasising that 'we don't need you paying us anything, skxawng!'.

While the three of them were engaged in a conversation, Tuk was still thinking about her own dilemma on how she could make sure her carefully chosen shells wouldn't be thrown away any time soon.

She thought of what the metkayinas usually would do with pretty things they found in the sea, and realised that the solution was right there in front of her.

Pretty shells turned into pretty accessories. It was the perfect solution.

With that in mind, she was already making up a plan on stealing Tsireya for a day or two to ask her to teach her how to make accessories out of shells. She thought of making some for her friends and family, and she was just about to ask Neteyam if he would like to join her when she heard two voices nearby.

Turning to the source of the sound and squinting her eyes, she lit up once she realised she recognised one of the two metkayinas who were sitting at a rather large rock, seeming to be looking at something.

Eagerly, Tuk tugged on her brother's forearm, and Neteyam turned to her with a quizzical look.

"Tuk? What's-?"

"It's Aonung!" she exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the two metkayinas on the boulder as she called for an ilu. Busy as she was at soothing the ilu that immediately approached her, she almost missed the way her brother stiffened up for a moment or two.

Tuk looked at the way her brother's gaze lingered on Aonung curiously.

When he looked at her again, he went to the ilu Tuk had called, and started petting the ilu, too. Spider, on the other hand, was already making his way to Aonung with his ilu, Kiri's arm tight around his middle.

Neteyam wasn't looking at Tuk's eyes when he spoke up in the next second - which the omatikayan girl found odd, coming from her oldest brother.

"I don't think it's a… good idea to disturb them," Neteyam said, his nose scrunched as if hesitant.

"Why not?" Tuk countered. "I'm sure he won't mind."

"He will if we're disturbing his date," Neteyam replied, shaking his head from side to side, hair beads clicking against each other. "He'd usually be around a group of people when he's doing his duties and rounds. Seeing that he's… alone with that girl, it could definitely be a date."

Tuk squinted her eyes at her brother; trying her best to 'pick him apart'.

"But Spider and Kiri are already heading there," Tuk countered, her ears twitching minutely.

"Then the four of them can hang out together," Neteyam easily replied, mounting on the ilu Tuk had called before gesturing for his sister to settle behind him. "It'll be something like… two dates happening at the same time while they're hanging out. We'll just go do something else."

It was pretty odd how Neteyam seemed so adamant to leave, and how, after he had taken his eyes off Aonung, he never looked again. Tuk had been watching her oldest brother more closely, lately. If there was anything that had changed ever since her brother woke up, it would be how he was always trying to catch a glimpse of Aonung.

Tuk was sure it was an unconscious action from her oldest brother, so the fact that he wasn't doing it at the moment would mean he was actively choosing to not look, for some reason. At least that's what Tuk presumed.

Before Tuk could persuade her brother that they should join Aonung, though, they heard Spider calling for them from afar, his loud voice carried by the wind.

Tuk pursed her lips thoughtfully when she noticed Neteyam going a little rigid at being called.

"Neteyam! Tuk!" Spider called, already standing on the large stone that Aonung and the metkayina girl were on, as he waved at the mentioned omatikayans. "What's taking you so long? Come on!"

While Neteyam seemed to be deep in thought, eyes furrowed and lips pursed, Tuk took that as her chance to mount behind her brother. Then, before Neteyam could make any excuses, Tuk exclaimed loud enough so Spider and everyone else could hear her: "We're coming!"

Neteyam snapped out of his thoughts.

"Tuk!" Neteyam whispered-shouted, sounding unnecessarily panicked. "We're going to leave, remember?" he reminded, briefly glancing at the others before turning to Tuk again. "We should just leave the, uh. The- them alone, so they could. Yeah."

Tuk had no idea what her oldest brother was trying to say.

But he looked a little sour, and Tuk wouldn't have that.

So she clasped one of Neteyam's hands, and looked into his eyes determinedly.

"I don't know why you're so reluctant to hang out with Aonung and his friend, but I do know you're feeling a little awkward and stiff right now.

So hanging out with Aonung is exactly what you need, 'Teyam! You always look more relaxed with him around," Tuk claimed, watching in astonishment when her brother gaped and flushed.

It was almost instant; the way the purple blotches immediately coloured Neteyam's face as he stammered and stuttered something that was too quiet and too 'gibberish' for Tuk to catch and understand. She was pretty sure she heard him questioning 'have I been so obvious???' in what sounded like mortification, but she didn't get to ask when an ilu suddenly slid up to them.

Aonung.

The metkayina immediately noticed Neteyam's flushed state, and concern etched his face in a matter of seconds as he guided his ilu to scoot close to the omatikayans.

"What's wrong?" Aonung asked instantly, momentarily looking at Tuk and giving her a once-over before shifting his gaze back to Neteyam once he confirmed the younger omatikayan was unharmed. "You look-"

Aonung pursed his lips in worry as he cut himself off, opting to reach a hand out and cup a side of Neteyam's face instead, tilting it and presumably checking for any injuries. (Tuk quietly stared. She noted how the gentleness Aonung was using was almost similar to how her dad always treats her mom.)

When Aonung found nothing wrong, and Neteyam was deathly quiet, the metkayina's nose scrunched, worried teal eyes shifting to the scar on the omatikayan's chest before he placed his hand over it.

(Tuk was sure Aonung could also feel how fast Neteyam's heartbeat was.)

"Does your chest hurt?" Aonung asked, eyes as if permanently furrowed. "We can go see Tsireya. I can bring you back to the village. Tuk can come with - or she could stay with Kiri, Spider, and Nutrr while-"

When Neteyam spoke, it was as if he had snapped out of a trance.

Frantically, the omatikayan boy took Aonung's hand off and away from his chest, and the purple blotches on his face grew a shade darker as he blurted: "I'm so sorry if we accidentally ruined your date."

Both Tuk's and Aonung's eyes comically widened.

Tuk stared at the back of her brother's head, realising that, this entire time, her brother had been reluctant because he somehow thought Aonung was on a date with the metkayina girl Aonung was with - which was an outrageous assumption. After all, Tuk knew very well that Aonung already had eyes for someone els-

"What's a 'date'?" the metkayina asked, confused as he searched for Neteyam's gaze while the mentioned omatikayan was all too determined not to meet the other's gaze.

"It's-" Neteyam cleared his throat. "When two… people who like each other… spend time together…?"

Aonung stared.

"Like a 'hang out'?" the metkayina asked, still looking at Neteyam pretty intensely.

Tuk suppressed a giggle at how her oldest brother's tail was flicking around. (It was adorable.)

"No," Neteyam answered. Then he cleared his throat, and corrected, "When they like each other… 'romantically'."

"What's 'romantic'?"

Tuk wondered if she had ever seen anyone more 'purple' than her brother was.

When Neteyam looked close to combusting, Tuk joined the conversation with a quip:

"'Liking someone' basically means when someone decides they want to spend their life with someone forever."

Both Neteyam and Aonung turned to look at her. (Neteyam in a mixture of mortification and 'that's not really correct', whereas Aonung in surprise.)

Thinking Aonung needed some more elaboration, she added: "Like our sempul and sa'nok."

"What she meant to say," Neteyam hastily spoke up, freezing up when Aonung looked at him momentarily before he picked up from where he left off, "is that a date is between two people who love each other."

A pause.

"'Love' as in the way mates feel for each other," the omatikayan boy added, shrugging dismissively for no reason.

Then, as if he wanted to change the topic as soon as possible, he repeated, "Sorry again for getting in the way of your date."

Tuk noticed Neteyam wanting to get her attention, but he didn't get to do so when Aonung spoke up:

"I don't 'love' Nutrr."

Neteyam turned to look at his metkayina friend.

Tuk wondered how the ilus were so patient waiting for them to have this conversation. She was growing pretty bored and restless with staying still for so long.

Aonung maintained eye contact for a few moments before he added, "I'd say it'd make more sense if I were to call our 'hangouts' dates, then my hangouts with Nutrr. She and I were just talking about what she should give to someone I'm close with. A gift: a choker or something like that."

Tuk perked up at the mention of 'gifts'. (Completely not noticing the tension between her brother and Aonung.)

She placed her hands on her brother's shoulders, and batted her lashes at Aonung as she exclaimed excitedly, "Gifts?!"

Aonung shifted his attention to Tuk when Neteyam cleared his throat - sounding incredibly flustered.

"Yes. Gifts."

"Are you guys going to make them with shells?!"

"We can."

"Then we should totally join you and Big Sis Nutrr!" Tuk exclaimed again, squeezing Neteyam's shoulders. "Neteyam, come on, pleaseee? For me?"

Neteyam didn't even have to turn to know Tuk was making eyes at him.

"Okay, okay," Neteyam relented, patting Tuk's thighs to tell her to settle down. Then, with a quieter voice, he murmured, "We're not crashing on someone's date after all…"

Aonung heard Neteyam, apparently - because he slid closer, patted the omatikayan boy's thigh, and said: "You don't have to worry about seeing me on a 'date' with anyone else."

The metkayina didn't wait for a response; telling Neteyam to 'keep up' before he swam away.

It took Tuk pinching Neteyam's arm for her oldest brother to get moving.

Thankfully, it didn't take forever for them to get to where the others were. ('Forever' in the way her brother was gazing all stunned and silly into Aonung's eyes just some moments ago.)

Once they got to the others, Tuk settled beside Kiri, and she watched when Aonung grabbed Neteyam's wrist and nudged him to sit beside him.

It was a little funny to see Neteyam so 'not in his element'.

Tuk felt her arm being patted, and she turned to find both Kiri and Spider glancing rather conspirationally between Neteyam and Aonung before they properly turned to her.

Kiri, the one sitting beside Tuk and patted her arm, whispered a question with a grin, "Did you guys take so long because those two got lost in each other's eyes?"

Tuk shrugged.

While Kiri and Spider snickered to themselves, giggling as if they weren't making heart eyes at each other as often as they could, Tuk turned to Nutrr who was sitting across her.

Nutrr was looking at Aonung and Neteyam with a knowing and barely hidden grin.

Curious, Tuk stood up, and made a beeline to sit between the metkayina girl and Spider. She pouted a little when Neteyam didn't even notice her leaving. Then again; he was too busy 'making heart eyes' at Aonung.

Noticing the young omatikayan, Nutrr took her eyes off the boys, and gave Tuk a friendly smile. (Tuk squeezed herself between Spider and Nutrr, and only shrugged when the human boy raised a quizzical eyebrow, but nonetheless scooted to make space for the omatikayan.)

Tuk sat down beside the metkayina girl, and didn't beat around the bush.

"I need to make something that uses a lot of shells! "

A beat.

"My name is Tuk."

Nutrr smiled, amused. "And I'm Nutrr," she introduced herself, tilting her head. "You want to make something that uses a lot of shells?" she asked, curious.

Tuk nodded. "I managed to collect a lot of them, but I don't know what to do with them. I like looking at them, but my sa'nok said they're taking up too much space in our marui, and that if I'm not going to use them, then I have to throw them away," she explained, frowning again at the thought of throwing away her hard work.

The metkayina girl nodded in understanding, before she took out something that she had kept behind her.

It was a bracelet, and it was really beautiful.

"We can try making bracelets, if you like?" Nutrr suggested, glancing briefly at Aonung and Neteyam before leaning in close and whispering, "But you have to help me with something, in return."

"With what?" Tuk asked, ears perking up and tail flicking at the thought of being able to be of help.

Subtly pointing at the boys - who were still lost in their own world, chatting and everything - Nutrr whispered, "Help me help Aonung with something."

The omatikayan girl tilted her head, unsure what the older girl meant by her request.

Before Tuk could ask, though, Nutrr turned to look at everyone, with a less conspiratorial smile and a more amicable one, before she spoke up to grab everyone's attention, "Aonung and I were making bracelets. You guys want to join us in doing those, or you want to do something else?"

Nutrr glanced at Tuk.

This must be the part where Tuk insisted they do bracelets, then.

Thus, with excessive enthusiasm, Tuk raised a hand and exclaimed: "Let's do bracelets!"

Tuk turned to Nutrr, and couldn't help but grin wider when the metkayina girl nodded at her approvingly and winked.

Turning back to everyone else, Nutrr reached for a sizable pouch from behind her, and revealed its contents by dumping it all out, leaving the pouch empty.

Tuk couldn't help but gasp in awe at the beautiful shells and trinkets alike.

"We'll make bracelets, then," Nutrr decided, gesturing over the thin threads, shells, and trinkets as she continued, "Since we're learning how to make bracelets, I'll let you guys use what I have. If you want to make more bracelets next time, you'll have to find your own trinkets."

Everyone hummed their approval, but they didn't get started immediately.

Instead, Nutrr stood up, and turned to Tuk. "Tuk, I think it's easier if you switch places with me. Aonung can teach you and Neteyam, and I can teach Spider and Kiri. Of course, you can always ask me for help if Aonung is terrible at teaching," she explained, thanking the omatikayan girl when she complied with her request.

Tuk wasn't sure how she was 'helping Nutrr by helping Aonung', but the metkayina girl looked pleased.

Only after they'd switched seats did the group finally start making their bracelets.

Spider, just as he always was when it came to learning something new, was taking the impromptu lesson very seriously. His eyes were furrowed in concentration as he chose the shells and trinkets he wanted on the bracelet he was making. Kiri, on the other hand, had her progress going pretty slowly; too busy sneaking glances at Spider and smiling fondly at the human's antics.

Tuk prided herself on being quite the fast learner. So Aonung's instructions and Nutrr's suggestions were enough for the young omatikayan girl to be able to start working on her bracelet.

The thing about Tuk, was that she could get bored pretty easily when she was not talking or listening to something. Seeing that Nutrr was preoccupied with Spider's questions, Tuk couldn't exactly start a conversation with the kind metkayina girl.

So she opted to quietly listening to the conversation Aonung and Neteyam had beside her. She was much too concentrated on her bracelet to join the conversation anyway - not that she wanted to join the conversation. It would be pretty frustrating to try joining the conversation only to realise you're not even in 'their world'.

"It's like you're purposely messing up," Aonung was saying, his hands seeming to be busy adjusting Neteyam's hands. "Here, try using this knot rather than the one you were using earlier. We don't want to use large knots on bracelets."

Tuk sneaked a glance, and found herself stifling a giggle when she noticed Neteyam's bashful tick acting up. His ears would twitch every few seconds, and there's an almost permanent scrunch on his nose.

The omatikayan usually saw this tick of her brother's when he was complimented.

Once Aonung let go of Neteyam's hands, the omatikayan boy attempted the knot that was just taught to him, his nose scrunched further while his eyes furrowed in concentration, his hands a little clumsy, whereas his tail thumped in mild frustration behind him.

Tuk took note of Aonung quietly staring.

The silence that settled over the two boys was broken when Neteyam grunted, and Tuk glanced at her brother's handiwork.

... The knots really could use some work.

"Making braids is easier than making bracelets," Neteyam huffed, his ears drooped, and lips were in a dissatisfied scowl. "I don't think I'm very good at this," he added, sounding rather dejected.

Aonung clicked his tongue almost chidingly at his friend's words, before taking the finished bracelet and looking over it himself. He traced the shells and trinkets, his expression unreadable.

After a few beats, Aonung finally turned to look at Neteyam again.

"I think it has its own charm."

Neteyam rolled his eyes, and his tail loudly thumped behind him. "So you're telling me something you'd say to a child when their handiwork is clumsy."

The metkayina boy chuckled, and Tuk found herself smiling, too. Not at her brother's dissatisfaction, but at the fondness that leaked out from Aonung's chuckles.

At Neteyam's words, Aonung shook his head from side to side, his fond grin still on his lips. Misunderstanding the metkayina's show of 'amusement', Neteyam groaned, embarrassed, and tried to snatch his bracelet out of Aonung's hand.

Aonung, however, managed to move his hand away just in time.

Neteyam hissed, half-hearted and embarrassed, but Aonung merely grinned. "I mean it when I say it has its own charm," the metkayina presses, putting it away from his omatikayan friend's reach before he reached for something behind him.

In his hand, there was a bracelet, obviously made thoughtfully and with care.

Tuk could see where the conversation was going.

Handing the bracelet to Neteyam, Aonung added, "which is why we should exchange bracelets."

Neteyam gawked at the well-made bracelet.

Then, as if abruptly breaking out of his stupor, he tried reaching around Aonung for the bracelet he made, but didn't get to it when the metkayina stopped him by placing his hand on the omatikayan's shoulder.

"We are not exchanging bracelets," Neteyam blurted unprompted, frowning at his confused yet still amused friend. "My bracelet looks too ugly compared to yours," the omatikayan deadpanned, trying to swat Aonung's hand away.

As a result, Aonung shushed the omatikayan, before carefully pushing his friend away so the said friend would stop moving.

"It's not ugly, 'Teyam," Aonung corrected. "It can never be ugly - especially when you are the one who made it."

There went the blotches of purple on Neteyam's face, making their appearance again.

"I still think you deserve a better bracelet," Neteyam insisted.

Aonung took on a serious look.

"But I want you."

Tuk had to stop her hands to subtly stare.

...

"That's a weird way of saying you want my bracelet," Neteyam quipped. (His tail was flicking around, rather pleased.)

Aonung took that as the other agreeing to exchange bracelets, and didn't waste any time to take Neteyam's wrist and put on the bracelet he made for it. "I have to get it through your thick skull," he retorted, holding Neteyam's hand once he was done as he met the omatikayan's gaze, "Have to make sure you don't jump into ridiculous assumptions."

Tuk glanced at Nutrr when she heard her stifling a snort.

Apparently, the youngest omatikayan there wasn't the only one listening.

Neteyam's reaction was a little belated, gobsmacked as he was. He huffed, swatted Aonung's hand away, and gestured for the metkayina to hand him the bracelet he made; so he could 'return the favour' and put the bracelet on his friend.

Aonung happily handed the bracelet.

While Neteyam put it on the metkayina boy, he muttered, "It wasn't a 'ridiculous assumption'."

Aonung only hummed. Busy as he was staring at Neteyam.

Once the bracelet was put on, Neteyam stared at Aonung's wrist quietly.

...

"I'm leaving it to you to make bracelets and other accessories next time," the omatikayan said after some time had passed.

Tuk noted the subtle wag of Aonung's tail.

"What will you do, though?" the metkayina teasingly asked, grinning so wide that Tuk was sure his cheeks were hurting.

"I'll hunt for us," Neteyam drawled his answer, his tone an interesting combination of serious and joking.

Aonung argued that he could hunt and make accessories for both of them. Neteyam argued that he'd rather die than let the metkayina do all the work.

Both Kiri and Spider reprimanded Neteyam for joking about dying. (Tuk almost, sort of, burst into tears at the thought of losing his oldest brother again. It was very effective in making her brother remember he wasn't alone with his metkayina 'friend'.)

When they all returned to their respective maruis, Loak pointed out how Neteyam's bracelet looked most impressive.

"Aonung gave it to him," Tuk chirped, pretending to not notice Neteyam flushing.

Even better, Spider and Kiri joined in.

"Neteyam said he'd hunt for Aonung forever as long as Aonung kept on making him bracelets!"

"Brother, are you really planning out your future over a bracelet?"

It was a great day. (She was once again thankful her oldest brother hadn't left her behind.)

***4***

Neytiri had never been so lost when she thought she had lost her firstborn.

She was in disarray, her heart felt hollow, yet her blood was pumping through her veins as she took on each of those who were on the sinking ship. Those who were complicit in the death of her firstborn.

She prayed to Eywa every second of the day when she was told Neteyam somehow miraculously had his wound closed and had a weak heartbeat. Whether it was when she woke up, when she weaved, when she hunted, when she prepared meals, or before she slept, she'd always remember to pray to Eywa to return her son.

She would visit the marui where her son's unconscious body stayed, and would have Neteyam's songcord in her hand. She'd remained close to him as she would hum and softly sing his song, hoping her voice would be the light that would help guide her son back to her.

She found out quickly that she wasn't the only one who made time to visit her son often.

Almost every time she visited, someone was often already there. The late tsahik's son.

Sometimes he would be with his youngest sister, Pril - whom Neytiri often checked up on, as Ronal had requested that of her.

Neytiri would say that most of her time after what had transcended was spent making sure her family was recuperating well and ensuring Pril was growing well and healthier from the days before.

Tonowari, Aonung, and Tsireya were the ones mainly taking care of the youngest in their family, but Neytiri often saw the youngest one with Aonung.

Granted, Tonowari still had his responsibilities and duties to do as the oloeyktan, whereas Tsireya had even more on her shoulders as the newest tsahik, grappling to fill in the empty role her mother used to do. It was only natural that Aonung took on the main role of caretaking for Pril.

At some point, the sight of Aonung, holding his baby sister in his arms, while looking after Neteyam's unconscious body, was no longer unfamiliar to the omatikayan woman's eyes. Truthfully, she quite enjoyed the metkayina boy's company. Or, more specifically, his presence.

He didn't talk much, often preferring the silence and being deep in thought, talking only when he was talked to or when he wanted to keep his little sister entertained.

The only sounds that would usually fill in the silence were the crashing of waves on the shore, Neteyam's quiet and slow breathing, Pril's giggles and gurgles, and Neytiri's quiet hum of her first child's song.

Aonung had asked her something once after she had finished singing the song one day, the metkayina boy having listened to her sing the entire song far too many times already. He complimented her voice, and asked if Neteyam had a voice as beautiful as hers when it came to singing.

His question was uttered out of curiosity, and Neytiri had an inkling that the question was simply an offer from the boy for her to talk about her child.

Neytiri ended up talking about Neteyam the whole evening. Through it all, Aonung listened attentively. He'd hum to show he's listening, nod thoughtfully, and ask short questions or prompts when he wanted to encourage her to elaborate.

In other words, Neytiri had grown to be quite familiar with Aonung. Even more so when he asked her to teach him how to use a bow.

So when Neteyam had said in passing how Aonung was so 'different' and busy lately, as the metkayina boy had come up in a conversation among the Sullys, Neytiri convinced him that the two of them should go and see if Aonung needed help with anything - specifically regarding Pril.

As far as Neytiri knew, her son didn't get much opportunity to spend time with Pril. It would be the perfect time to let them be acquainted, considering Neytiri cared for Pril as if she were one of her own.

The day after the conversation, Neytiri was in the marui, quietly weaving a small box for Tuk so she could use it to store her shells and bracelets she was suddenly so fond of making, when Aonung and Neteyam entered the marui - with Pril asleep in the former's arms.

Neteyam's eyes immediately met his mother, and the omatikayan boy smiled warmly as he joined her, sitting down across her. "Mother," he greeted.

"I tried convincing Aonung that he could take a break for the day and let us take care of Pril, but he insisted that it's fine," he continued, glancing at Aonung, who took a seat beside him before adding in faux annoyance, "He's being difficult, if I'm being honest."

As a response, Aonung rolled his eyes, and cradled his little sister closer to his chest. "I'm not being difficult," he denied, squinting his eyes at Neteyam. "Pril is my little sister. She is my responsibility."

At the metkayina boy's words, Neytiri paused her hands' ministrations, slightly peeved that her efforts weren't bearing fruit, looking less and less like a small box the more she weaved. "Your mother asked me to protect your youngest sister, Aonung," she said, looking at the metkayina boy who returned her gaze. "It is as much your responsibility as it is mine."

Aonung's ears momentarily flicked.

The metkayina boy cast his gaze to his sleeping little sister, a thoughtful pinch between his eyes.

Assuming Aonung needed further convincing, Neteyam added on to his mother's words, clasping a hand on the metkayina boy's knee, "My mother's right. You wouldn't dare to speak against your mother, would you?"

Neytiri's gaze softened at the joking grin on her son's lips. (Her gaze lingered on Neteyam's unbudging hand from Aonung's knee. At the nicely-made bracelet around his wrist, gifted from the metkayina sitting beside him.

On the contrary, around Aonung's wrist was a bracelet that was clearly made by an amateur.

Neytiri repressed a soft smile on her lips at the thought of the metkayina boy wearing the bracelet daily; as if he was proud of it.)

Pursing his lips, Aonung averted his gaze from Neteyam's, and pondered for a moment or two before turning his attention to what's in Neytiri's hands.

"What are you weaving?" the metkayina boy asked, one of his hands idly patting his sister soothingly.

"A small box," she answered, looking at her unfinished handiwork with a disapproving pursed of her lips, ears drooped, and tail flicked, "But it is hard."

"Then let me do it for you," Aonung suddenly offered. "You can hold Pril and look after her, while I help finish the box."

Neteyam huffed, squeezing his friend's knee. "But we're offering to help look after Pril so you could have some free time. Not for you to find something else to do."

Neytiri quietly watched when Aonung used one of his hands to cover Neteyam's own that was on his knee, and she also quietly watched when her son looked taken aback at the contact, the lightest shade of purple dusting his cheeks while the metkayina boy reasoned, "I find weaving pretty relaxing. So that counts as 'resting' too."

Aonung took his hand off Neteyam's after giving it a squeeze.

Neteyam retracted his hand from his friend's knee hurriedly. (Still purple.)

"What do you think, Mom?" Neteyam redirected the focus, pointedly not glancing at Aonung while the metkayina boy stared at him with a subtle knowing grin.

She had thought that Aonung paid quite a lot of attention to her oldest son.

Settling on a decision, she gave her answer:

" Neteyam, you hold Pril. Aonung will teach me how to weave this box."q

So Aonung gently and carefully handed Pril to Neteyam, and Neytiri observed the nerves in her son as he held the small metkayina in his arms, looking a tad nervous yet in awe as he adjusted the child in his arms, some of his braids falling to cover his eyes when he ducked his face to see the child closely.

Smoothly, Aonung reached up a hand and tucked the braids blocking Neteyam's vision behind the omatikayan boy's ear.

Neytiri suppressed an endeared smile when her son grew flustered at the action.

Once they both made sure that both Neteyam and Pril were comfortable, Aonung got to teaching Neytiri how to weave, giving her tips and such.

Many times after that had Neytiri grown frustrated; her fingers weren't as nimble as the metkayinas' were. Aonung showed understanding in her frustration in the way that he patiently demonstrated and tried explaining certain tricks and suggestions in various ways, hoping that different ways of explaining would help her understand better.

Neytiri had never admitted it out loud, but she was indeed the least capable in the family when it came to 'learning the way of the water'. She could fend for herself just fine without needing to learn the new ways, but her 'shortcoming' simply made her appreciate her children's efforts more in adapting to their new life.

Neteyam, on the other hand, had been quietly watching as he patted the child in his arms soothingly, taking a couple of moments to check on the child sometimes and softly smiling when the child would gurgle in her sleep.

Neytiri noticed Aonung's gaze often drifting, of course, but she opted not to address it to not embarrass both boys.

Instead of directly addressing his 'staring', Neytiri spoke up when Aonung and she weren't talking. When both of them quietly watched as Neteyam looked at the metkayina child with awe and curiosity, having never held a metkayina child himself and so closely.

"Neteyam was very good with Tuk when she was born," Neytiri said to Aonung, her voice audible only for the metkayina boy who turned to look at her. "Most of the children back in the forest are fond of him. His presence is always welcomed and reassuring."

She watched Aonung's gaze drifting to Neteyam again, before he trailed off in a murmur, almost as if he was unconsciously speaking:

"He's respected by all. Admired by some."

It took a moment or two before Aonung seemed to snap out of his trance, his face subtly flushing as he forced his gaze away from his friend in favour of staring at what Neytiri was weaving intensely.

Neytiri kept smiling knowingly.

After some time, when the omatikayan woman's patience was running thin and her frustrated grunts had become too frequent, she decided that she needed a break.

"Neteyam," she called out to her son, holding out her hands once he turned to her, "I've had enough of weaving. Give me the child. You should continue from where I left off."

Like previously, Neteyam complied with her request.

Having the sweetly sleeping child in her arms did wonders to ease the frustrations that had been steadily building up in her heart.

"Still remember what I taught you about weaving?" Aonung asked Neteyam, causing Neytiri to turn her attention from the baby to the two boys.

Neteyam already had his hands on the unfinished bow when Aonung asked, eyes narrowed, nose scrunched, and lips pursed in mild concentration.

"I think I do," the omatikayan boy murmured. "I might need you to run it over by me again, though."

When Aonung didn't reply, Neteyam turned to look at the perplexed metkayina boy.

"What?"

"What do you mean by 'run over by you'? You want me to chase you?" Aonung asked, tilting his head a little. "Is this another sky people's… lingo?"

Neteyam blinked a couple of times, processing his friend's question before he ducked his head, his braids framing his face as one of his hands covered the lower half of his face.

Neytiri heard him barely able to stifle a fit of giggles, and she felt only affection at the sight of her firstborn being carelessly carefree around him; not his usual 'soldier farce' that he had always used. The affections grew even more when she noticed Aonung frowning, yet there was a glint in his eyes that told a whole other story, far from annoyance yet so close to fondness.

Before Aonung could retort, Neteyam lowered his hand, and the omatikayan boy directed a cheeky smile at the metkayina, the corners of his eyes crinkling from how hard he was smiling.

"It'll be nice to be chased around, but it doesn't mean that. It is the sky people's 'lingo', and it simply means that you might need to teach me again."

Neytiri directed a soft smile at Pril - whose eyes were slowly blinking and unblinking, rousing awake. (She was pretty sure she had been smiling the entire time she was in the company of the two boys. How could she not, when she sees them so happy together?)

Aonung scooted closer to the omatikayan, thighs brushing together, and Neytiri was reminded of the times when she had to teach her mate the ways of the forest.

She remembered sneaking in brief and not-so-subtle touches once she had realised she had somehow developed feelings for the dreamwalker.

It's a little amusing to see the 'tactic' with her own eyes.

Unnecessarily, Aonung wrapped one arm around his friend, so that he could brush his entire arm along Neteyam's own before he placed his hand over the omatikayan boy's that was holding Neytiri's unfinished handicraft. Just as with one of his hands, Aonung also used his other hand to guide Neteyam's other hand.

Sitting so close, Aonung wasn't really left much choice but to have his face practically on the omatikayan boy's shoulder so he could get a good look at what their hands were doing. He was trying to 'teach', after all - regardless of his other intentions.

The entire time Aonung adjusted himself, Neteyam's ears had been twitching, and his tail had been quietly flicking around in what Neytiri saw as muted giddiness.

It was uncharacteristic of her firstborn, and she was once again thankful for being able to see her son smiling and joking once again after one month of excruciating silence from his past unconscious self.

"We can chase each other around after this," Aonung murmured, his words sending visible shivers all over dark blue skin of the omatikayan boy where his breath had brushed. "But I'll 'run over' the basics first."

So he did.

Neytiri had started alternating between keeping the awakened Pril entertained, and watching her son's and Aonung's antics.

"You're too fast. Try demonstrating it slower, so I could keep up."

The metkayina pinched the skin of Neteyam's hand, and snickered at the omatikayan's barely audible yelp before keeping his hand over it again, smiling fondly the entire time.

"Or maybe you're just using this as an excuse to have me close," Aonung teased, chuckling when his words earned a roll of eyes from the omatikayan boy. (Neteyam was also fighting back a smile.)

"Or," Neteyam started to say, momentarily tilting his head to properly see Aonung's face, only to decide against it once he realised their proximity, clearing his throat as he continued, flustered, "Or I'm learning, and I'm thinking of making you something."

Aonung's ears perked up.

Pril giggled when she saw it, jovial and almost teasing, even though there were probably no thoughts in her mind. Though the metkayina boy didn't notice, so taken by Neteyam as he was.

"You want to make me something?"

"Is it that surprising?"

"I'm asking because you have a history of 'not being so good with handicrafts'."

Those words earned the metkayina boy a half-hearted elbow to his side - to which the boy snickered.

"I'm not so bad with omatikayan handicrafts. It just takes more time to get used to how metkayinas use their hands," Neteyam argued, his lips pursed into a scowl. "You have seen my bow, haven't you? And my dagger. They're made of the wood of my Hometree, and they're of high quality and look amazing."

Aonung nudged Neteyam's hands, and started demonstrating again. Slower than before.

"I've also seen your songcord. You have accomplished quite the milestones," the metkayinas boy quipped in a murmur, his hands not stopping even though Neteyam genuinely looked surprised, the omatikayan trying as best as he could to get a look at his friend's expression.

"The way you said it sounded like you've actually seen my songcord closely…?"

"Because I have," Aonung admitted, his hand movements still not ceasing. "Neytiri sang your song often when you were unconscious, and she showed me your songcord and let me hold it a couple of times."

As if reminded of Neytiri's presence, Aonung turned to the omatikayan woman and gave her a thankful smile. "Your sa'nok's voice is beautiful."

Neytiri couldn't help the pleased flicking of her tail.

"My son's voice is just as beautiful, ma itan," she claimed, opting to not react when Neteyam looked surprised at the term of endearment she had used for his friend. (Indeed, at some point, she had grown to consider the metkayina one of her already. Perhaps he would be - if his relationship with her firstborn was in the will of Eywa.)

Aonung tilted his face to meet Neteyam, but, unlike the omatikayan, he didn't shy away from their proximity.

"You should sing for us," Aonung suggested, his tail gently thumping in what seemed to be excitement. "Pril would like to listen to you sing."

Neteyam had the brightest shade of purple dusting his cheeks, but the softness of the look was significantly diminished by the embarrassed scowl on his lips at his friend's request.

"Don't bring your sister into this," the omatikayan boy quipped, his ears twitching as he looked like he was very close to fleeing away, judging from how flustered and anxious he looked. "Plus, the song of a songcord is usually sang when… mourning, 'Nung. And you just want to hear me sing."

"Maybe I do just want to listen to you sing," Aonung unabashedly admitted, the response unexpected by Neteyam. Not wasting another second, the metkayina boy added, "I've listened to Neytiri sing a lot of times already. If it makes you feel better, we can just sing together. I can at least hum.

... And we may not be mourning, thank Eywa, but I want to hear you sing it at least once."

(A song of a songcord is usually sung by only the owner of the songcord and their family members and loved ones.

Neytiri had no doubt that Aonung was considered as both of those things to her family. At least to her.)

That was how Neteyam ended up softly singing, and how he ended up complaining about how his friend was lying about 'singing with him'.

Aonung simply admitted that his voice would just ruin the melodic voice of the omatikayan boy - which earned himself a rather strong yet embarrassed smack to the back from Neteyam.

A few days after that, Neytiri caught her firstborn humming a tune quietly to himself, his hands busy with weaving something as he sat at the edge of the walkway of their marui, his feet dipped in water.

She joined to sit beside her son, and asked him what he was doing and what song was he humming.

Hands ceasing for a moment, Neteyam briefly ducked his face before he cleared his throat, seeming to make an attempt of maintaining a casual look when he gave his mother an answer:

"I'm weaving something for Aonung. And… he sang to me his song, reasoning that it was only right I know his song since he knows mine."

Neytiri was truly proud of her son. She made it clear when she stayed by his side the entire time until he finished his newest handicraft, and she made it clear when she encouraged him to give his gift as soon as possible.

What was a mother to do when she saw how good someone was for her son?

'Give a little push' - or at least that's what she thought as she watched her son's leaving back, his tail anxiously flicking around as he looked for his friend.

Neytiri wondered if conversations with Ronal would have been less tense and more pleasant if the metkayina woman had found out just how close their sons were.

***5***

Jake had been cutting Neteyam some slack.

How could he not? His son survived death itself; what else was he supposed to do except not to burden the kid with more responsibilities?

Neteyam had his moments of defying orders, sure, but most of them were made with prospects in mind. Prospects of safety, of support, of 'wanting to be of help and be useful', and of 'proving himself that he was a warrior'.

Jake was just coming to understand that, unlike Loak, whose curiosity often ended with him being at the end of Jake's reprimand, Neteyam's barely-there streak of defying orders rarely ever resulted in anything bad happening. Aside from a couple of injuries and the boy himself.

And always only on the boy alone.

Even if he defied orders with someone else, it was always only he who was injured. Jake knew it was because he had pretty much 'drilled' into his oldest son that he was the 'older brother', so he had to 'act like one'.

Jake Sully had made a lot of mistakes in his life. He would say the mistakes he made in parenting were the ones that would haunt him in guilt and shame the most.

His relationship with Loak, although it had gotten better, was still a tad strained, but he wasn't sure how to fix it.

He had confided in Neytiri, of course. Her only response was staring into his soul before giving him a vague answer and promptly leaving their marui, seeming to be in search of Tonowari's youngest child so she could check up on the baby. ("Ma Jake, only you know the answer to your question.")

Thus, the thought to confide in his oldest son ended up crossing his mind.

Neteyam had been diligently trying his best to keep his siblings in check, including Loak. Surely he knew a thing or two about how to mend a fractured relationship?

So, instead of checking in on his son through his throat comms like he usually would, Jake opted to search for his son on foot.

It took some time, but when he found his son, he wasn't alone.

His son was a distance away from the village, and he was alone with Aonung.

Tonowari's son.

Jake had talked to the metkayina a couple of times. The boy had helped with looking after Neteyam while Jake and his family went with the air traders to 'get Spider somewhere safe' before the series of events that followed. He had also talked to the kid when the said kid joined discussions about the village.

Jake was Toruk Makto; Tonowari let him in with discussions about the village's affairs because he was a renowned warrior.

Regardless.

Neteyam was alone with Aonung, and they were sitting on a tiny woven mat that had the two of them sitting with their sides flush together to fit on the mat, and Jake observed.

He observed the way his son's tail flicked along with Aonung's, and he wondered if this was what he thought it was.

(A date?)

Curiosity getting the best of him, Jake stealthily hid behind a tree, and kept a close eye on the boys as he eavesdropped on whatever conversation was going on between them. (Yes, he's invading his son's privacy, but he was, unfortunately, a busybody when it came to his children - especially potential heartbreaks.

Can't a dad be worried about their children having their hearts broken?)

"Glad to prove that I was right about the mat being too small," Aonung was saying, his tail thumping on the mat as he leisurely sat on the mat, eyes already on Neteyam.

Neteyam seemed to have expected those words, smiling cheekily and tilting his head as he replied, "And, like I told you, it was intentional."

"Because that's your way of telling me that you'll grow taller than me?"

"Because," Neteyam didn't miss a beat, comfortably hugging his legs to his chest and resting his cheek on his knees to look at his friend, "a small mat means we can sit like this."

Jake gawked.

Aonung also looked surprised, his eyes blinking and widening as he stared at his friend in disbelief. Though it didn't last long, as the metkayina boy ended up snorting, amused.

"You want to be that close to me?"

"You've had an entire month to be close to me, 'Nung," Neteyam rolled his eyes, still hugging his legs. "Sorry if I want to get on your level of being familiar with you the way you are familiar with me."

"We didn't 'sit on a small mat to the point of our sides pressing flush against each other' in that one month," Aonung pointed out. Not necessarily denying Neteyam's words or arguing the truth in them.

"We didn't, sure. But, you know the small scars I have scattered on me from 'swinging through trees'," the omatikayan boy easily quipped, lifting his face in favour of looking at his legs while Aonung quietly listened. "You have also seen the signs of my hard work. On my hands and fingers from the many times I've drawn my bow string, on my feet from the times I've been flying on an ikran, and my skin would often rub against my ikran's skin, and on my forearms and calves from always wearing my arm guards and leg guards so often since I joined raids often with my parents.

All those without taking into account the tiny marks on me that were the result of my siblings' squabbling, and me needing to step in to break them apart. Or when I am the one who's squabbling.

So, yes. You are familiar with me, and I am not."

Aonung pondered, his lips pursed as his gaze drifted to Neteyam's legs quietly. Maybe to see if the scars he saw on the omatikayan boy from taking care of the said boy were still there.

The only sign that Neteyam was a little shy of the stare was the flick of his tail behind him. (And the purple Jake could see subtly dusting his son's shoulders.)

…Jake should really leave them be, shouldn't he?

They clearly had… something going on, and this was an invasion of privacy…

"Then I'll tell you about some scars of my own."

Aonung's words caught both Neteyam and Jake by surprise.

Without a word, Aonung offered a hand.

Neteyam stared at it quizically.

"I have seen your hands before."

"But you have never held them."

"I have a couple-"

"Not the way I have held yours when you were 'asleep'," the metkayina softly interjected, his eyes staring at Neteyam's hands while the omatikayan boy stopped in his words.

Then, reaching out, Aonung took one of Neteyam's hands, and seemed to be carefully tracing something on the omatikayan boy's palm.

"I've held your hands and traced your palms when the quiet of the marui got too much. When the silence only further made your weak heartbeat loud, and the thought of your breathing burning out flickering like fire, I would hold your hands.

Traced them, held them close, put my fingers over your pulse on your wrist to feel and listen."

As Aonung talked, his fingers moved to feel the pulse, and once he seemed to have found it, he shifted his gaze to meet Neteyam's. "You've never held my hands like that, have you?"

Jake could see his son trembling a little, followed by a shaky sigh that sounded a lot like 'no'.

So Aonung retracted his hands, and once again offered one of them, looking at Neteyam expectantly.

The omatikayan boy complied.

He held Aonung's hand and traced it the way the metkayina did, and Jake watched as his son's eyes widened in surprise before turning to look at his friend.

"How did you get this one?" his son asked his friend, expectant.

Aonung seemed to have expected the question, snickering as if he was recalling a memory.

"When Tsireya and I were younger, she had this… tendency to bite-"

"She bit you?!"

Aonung laughed, shoulders shaking from the gobsmacked look on Neteyam's face and the disbelieving voice of his friend.

"It was ages ago, 'Teyam," the metkayina said between laughter, smoothly adjusting his hand so he was holding Neteyam's hand instead of having the omatikayan boy just tracing it.

Jake gotta hand it to Tonowari's son; he knew what he was doing pretty well.

Also, was that a sign for Jake to start talking about 'falling in love' with his children? Then again, he felt that his children were too young to even be thinking about such things. It'd be too sad to see his children grow up so quickly…

When Jake looked again, his eyes felt like they were almost bulging out when Aonung was pointing at something near his loincloth.

Panicking the fuck out, Jake practically jumped out of his hiding place, and loudly exclaimed:

"Neteyam!"

Both Neteyam and Aonung turned to look at him in surprise. (They were still very close to each other, and it took a lot of willpower from Jake not to send Aonung a suspicious and warning look.)

Once Jake got to the two boys, though, he came to realise that he had misunderstood.

On Aonung's inner thigh, was a thin scar - which was probably what the metkayina boy wanted to show Neteyam.

So Toruk Makto ended up… awkwardly standing in front of the two boys. Internally embarrassed at himself for spectacularly misunderstanding what was going on. He totally owed Aonung an apology.

Presumably worried why the oldest omatikayan present suddenly gone quiet, both boys stood up, Neteyam taking a step closer and searching for his father's gaze while Aonung quietly looked at the exchange.

"What's wrong, dad?" Neteyam asked, reaching out a hand to give a reassuring squeeze on his father's bicep.

In true 'everything is okay, and I totally didn't wrongly assume your friend is trying to do something scandalous' fashion, Jake cleared his throat.

"It's-" Jake cut himself off, blurting out the first thing that came to mind, "It's about your brother."

Both Aonung and Neteyam looks morphed into quiet befuddlement.

"Loak?" Neteyam asked, briefly exchanging glances with Aonung before turning to his father again, "What about him?"

Jake quietly noted the way his son exchanged glances with Aonung. (Something about how his son decided to exchange glances with Aonung when it came to 'serious matters' - even though the metkayina boy was just a friend and not family.)

Before Jake could start blurting words again, Aonung asked, polite and understanding, "Should I leave?"

Jake thought of the way his son trusted the boy. He thought of how his children trusted the boy. He thought of how Neytiri herself had grown a sense of liking for the boy and his family ever since the fight that had cost the villagers so many lives and cost even more sacrifices.

He thought of Aonung looking after Neteyam the entire time his son was unconscious.

"You can stay," Jake decided, pretending not to notice the matching surprised expressions on his son's and Aonung's faces.

The three of them awkwardly stood there before Aonung nodded slowly, and gestured at the woven mat that Neteyam and he had been comfortably sitting on before Jake had frantically crashed into their date with his incorrect and panicked assumption.

"You can sit on the mat, sir," Aonung offered. Or, well, more so decided for him when Neteyam and he moved in sync and made space for the older omsatikayan to take a seat on the mat. Both boys ended up crouching beside each other, and expectantly stared at Jake, who awkwardly stared right back.

A few moments of silence passed before Jake finally settled on the woven mat.

…

Jake wasn't sure where to start and how he should proceed, if he was being honest.

He quietly noted how his son and Aonung exchanged glances for the second time, their tails flicking behind them and brushing each other once or twice. Then, as if they had agreed on something, they turned to look at Jake again before Neteyam spoke up with a question, "What about Loak that you want to talk about?"

Jake shifted a little.

He thought of how his relationship with his second son had gotten better, yet there was still a strain to it that he wasn't sure how he should deal with.

Neteyam took Jake's silence as hesitation, and slowly started to speak, "…if you're worried about how there's still something unsaid between you and Loak, then… then the solution is pretty simple."

Was Jake just that easy to read, or was Neteyam just that good at reading people?

Before Jake could reply, Aonung, surprisingly, added.

"I've talked to Loak about a lot of stuff, sir. He admires you, and is always trying his best to get your recognition, the way you recognised Neteyam."

The omatikayan boy turned to look at his friend, but, for once, Aonung was not returning his look, opting to hold eye contact with Jake instead. "I have a sister who is more capable than me. More responsible than I, at least. She was appointed tsakarem when I had not even started my training as an oloeyktan-in-training. To… further put things into perspective, she's younger than I am.

So I do know a thing or two about being 'outshone' by a sibling.

I also know that being left in the dark would lead to a lot of… unchecked thought process. I… did make the idiotic decision of leaving Loak stranded in the middle of nowhere.

When Loak took the blame for me, it was a… 'wake up' call for me to get my shit together."

Jake listened, despite his initial surprise. He listened so attentively, that his thoughts, for a moment, drifted to wonder how frequently the metkayina boy spent time with his children, so that he seemed to be able to use certain humans' phrases fittingly. Of course, Aonung had no idea Jake was thinking such - especially when the metkayina boy suddenly turned to look at Neteyam.

"Neteyam is a great role model to learn from," the metkayina boy said, his voice laced with respect and something that Jake could only describe as fondness. "He has taught me and shown me a lot of things he had learnt to shoulder as the oldest brother, responsibilities that weren't 'drilled into me' the way you had done for him, sir.

Truthfully, I probably wouldn't have been able to get a grip this past month if it wasn't for him."

Neteyam reached out a hand to squeeze Aonung's knee.

As a muted response, Aonung gave the omatikayan's forearm a squeeze in return.

Neither of them made a move to retract their hands.

"Unlike me, however, Loak may have found it hard to learn from his brother. There could have been unchecked and subconscious jealousy that stopped him from reaching out to Neteyam, especially when," he pursed his lips, pausing before he continued as politely and as respectfully as he could, "no offense, sir, but especially when you keep on excluding him from patrols where you let Neteyam join."

Automatically, Jake gave his reasoning: "But Neteyam has passed his iknimaya, and he's a warrior. I'm doing this for Loak's own good." The oldest navi there furrowed his eyes, considering Aonung's words. "And he's still not as mature as Neteyam, and I don't want to put him in danger by letting him do things that he isn't ready for."

It must be odd to see: Toruk Makto confiding in 15-year-olds.

This time around, Neteyam was the one who spoke up to reply:

"How would you know that he's not ready if you've never tried to give him a chance to prove himself?"

Jake remained quiet. A silence that his son understood as permission to continue talking.

"Loak never really talks to me about these kinds of things. We argued a couple of times, and he would always call me a 'perfect little soldier'; it's one of the reasons why he doesn't feel comfortable talking to me, I think.

It's because you've never even given him the chance to prove himself that he ends up disobeying orders. He's stubborn and is never one to easily give up. So he finds his own ways to try and prove to you that you can rely on him, too."

His son paused, his fingers on Aonung's knee drawing patterns absent-mindedly before he continued speaking, his voice understanding and grateful, "Acknowledging his request to fly and be beside you properly should be the right action to take. Then, maybe, you can continue with asking him to join patrols with us."

"But he makes these small mistakes that can become a huge problem, Neteyam," Jake honestly admitted another one of his worries.

Unlike Neteyam, who often remembered what to do and not to do, Loak also had this tendency to act on his instincts rather than regroup and think of the best solution. It was this impulse of his second son that scared Jake the most. One wrong decision, and he could lose him.

It was a little comical and funny when Aonung was the one to speak up. Actually, this entire conversation was a little hilarious and eye-opening, because why were these 15-year-olds talking so wisely, and Jake was the one asking for advice? It almost felt like a counselling session - except his counsellors were these 15-year-olds who acted a lot like parents with how easily they completed each other's sentences and thoughts, and they were giving him advice on how to treat his son.

Scratch that. Maybe Jake also needed a 'wake-up' call.

(How often did the two of them talk about this for them to be so in synce when talking about it to someone else about it? Do they talk about everything with each other? Confide in each other to the point of knowing each other like the back of their hands?

Distantly, a passing thought of how the two boys communicated as if they'd known each other for so long, the way only couples and mates could after living with each other for years, crossed Jake's mind.)

"That's the guidance he needs, sir. "

Jake turned to look at the metkayina.

"You can correct him if he made those mistakes under your guidance," Aonung added, finally retracting his hand from Neteyam's arm while the omatikayan did the same, retracting his hand from the metkayina's knee. "My sister has managed to form a strong connection between her and Loak. I'd say that one of the reasons why they are good for each other is because Tsireya has all the patience in the world, and she provides constant support to Loak. It's what Loak needs: acknowledgement and solid support."

…

Their words made… a lot of sense.

Huh.

Unable to stop himself, Jake chuckled, and admitted when both boys wore matching confused expressions at the sudden show of amusement:

"Sorry. I just find it a little funny that I need two teenagers telling me something so simple and obvious just so I could fix my relationship with my 14-year-old son."

Then, as an afterthought, he added, "And it's a little funny to see you guys talk like you're advising your child. I mean, I'm a grown ass man and everything."

See, Jake only realised the implication of his words after he saw the matching gobsmacked - and really embarrassed - faces on the two boys' faces.

It took a lot out of Jake not to snicker and laugh at the way the two boys cleared their throats, pointedly shifting a little to create some distance between them. As if their tails weren't a dead giveaway that Jake's comment didn't make them feel all 'butterflies' and whatever.

Man. Young love, really.

Before any of the boys could say a word, Jake stood up, and gestured at the mat.

"Thanks for the mat, Aonung."

Coolly, so unlike how he had barged into the boys' date, he turned on his heels and leisurely walked away.

Only when he was a few feet away did he turn, hoping that his grin was enough of a sign to show his support.

"Thank you for both of your inputs. I'll take them into consideration.

Also, sorry for crashing your date. You can continue on."

Jake felt pretty proud of himself when Neteyam looked mortified. In fact, he was a little proud of how Aonung merely grinned back. (It crossed Jake's mind that it had been a while since he had seen his oldest son so expressive, and he decided then that maybe he should do something to change the fact that he barely saw his oldest son express anything but seriousness and calmness.)

When he got to his family's marui, Neytiri was there with Tuk sleeping in her lap.

Recalling how his son had been so in synce with his friend, Jake thought of how his beautiful mate was always there to support him, and, suddenly, he was overcome with the urge to hold her close - to which he immediately acted on.

Neytiri didn't question it when Jake sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he pressed an affectionate kiss to her cheek.

"You are in a good mood, Ma Jake," she whispered, her fingers carding through Tuk's hair lovingly.

Jake squeezed his mate's waist with a smile.

"It's because I think I have the answer to my question."

Neytiri's tail flicked, pleased as it brushed against Jake's tail momentarily.

"What have you understood?" she asked, curious as she nuzzled into the crook of her mate's shoulder lovingly.

"That our oldest son and Tonowari's son can give pretty good advice."

A pause.

"…and that they're maybe a little too close and in sync to be just 'friends'."

"Partners, then?" Neytiri asked, not sounding surprised, and making Jake wonder how long his mate had noticed the budding relationship between their oldest son and the metkayina boy who was going to be the future oloeyktan of the metkayina clan. (He would know; Tonowari had mentioned in passing about his plans for the future to Toruk Makto, after all.)

"Maybe a little more than that," he settled to say, content with Neytiri so close to him.

Later, when he could, he would talk to Loak. Properly.

He wouldn't want to waste all the efforts the 15-year-olds had made, after all.

***+1***

Aonung tried not to make it too obvious, but he couldn't help it.

Couldn't help the way his eyes would always linger on the scar on Neteyam's chest.

He could stare at the ethereal way the sunlight and moonlight would illuminate his friend's face as much as he wanted, he could appreciate the beautiful smile his friend would send his way as much as he wanted, he could tuck the braids behind his friend's ear and let his fingers grazed on the pretty omatikayan hair beads as much as he wanted, and he could fluster his friend and make his heart race loud enough that he could hear it, but he would never forget how he had almost lost him.

He could've lost the chance of ever seeing Neteyam bathed in moonlight and sunlight alike.

He could've lost the chance to stare at Neteyam smiling at him because of a joke or an outrageous statement.

He could've lost the chance of tenderly tucking Neteyam's braid away from his face and seeing the breathtaking way purple would blotch his friend's cheeks, uncharacteristically bashful and unlike how the omatikayan would usually carry himself.

He could've lost Neteyam.

Even at the moment, as he watched Neteyam conversing with a metkayina girl their age, the fear of losing him kept him staring, afraid of ever taking his eyes off the omatikayan. In fact, the way a lot of the metkayinas, prior to the metkayina girl talking to Neteyam at the moment, flocked to his friend alone was enough reason for Aonung to stare in itself.

It was night, and there was a celebration going on.

Yet the darkness was not an obstacle for Aonung's gaze to latch onto the scar on his friend's chest, let alone the way the metkayina girl that had been hogging Neteyam's attention the past 10 minutes, clearly interested in not just the conversation they were having.

Aonung wished he could tackle her to the ground. Maybe told her that she should back off, and that she should stop letting her touch linger on Neteyam's arms and giggling in that way that made Aonung's skin have goosebumps all over in a rather nauseating way.

Did she not see Aonung's bracelet around Neteyam's wrist?

The metkayina boy didn't know what was worse: the fact that Neteyam seemed absolutely clueless about the girl who so obviously was interested in him, or the fact that the girl seemed to misunderstand Neteyam's eagerness to talk about his home back at the forest as him reciprocating her interest in him.

After a few more seconds of staring, though, Aonung easily decided that the latter was definitely worse.

Aonung left to see his sempul for only a few minutes, and there were already others who attempted to 'steal' Neteyam away from him.

'Stealing' was not the right term for it. After all, Neteyam wasn't his.

But Aonung knew he was bound to be; just as the metkayina boy was bound to be Neteyam's.

He wasn't an idiot. He had noticed Neteyam poking and prodding, trying to see if he was interested in him. How could he not notice when he had been watching and observing the other this entire time, from the moment when the Sullys first set foot on their shores?

Before Neteyam almost lost his life, before things had gone south, Aonung thought what he wanted from the omatikayan was simply friendship and respect. He was being honest when he said the omatikayan was a great role model. It became obvious to him once he had started to spend more time with the other 15-year-old.

He did find his gaze lingering, but he never gave it a second thought.

He noticed his heart skipping a beat here and there at something as simple as their skins brushing, just as he noticed the tingles that would be left on his skin when they would do something as simple as helping each other out in things like riding an ilu or climbing trees and high terrains.

It was only when he saw Neteyam, eyes closed and heartbeat weaker than the lightest drop of a leaf on the sand, was he able to put a name to those things he had experienced.

He had fallen, and he had fallen hard.

He looked after Neteyam, unconscious and weakly breathing, and started revisiting their memories almost obsessively ever since.

He noticed. Noticed the little things.

It only further made him more desperate to see his friend up and about again once he realised that his feelings may be reciprocated after all.

The pleasant feeling in his chest once he confirmed that his feelings were reciprocated could never be properly described with words, he believed. Or maybe Aonung's vocabulary was just too limited.

Neteyam still treated him the same as before he was almost taken away. He still trusted Aonung enough to shed the act of a 'big brother' and a 'warrior', and, to the metkayina's boy delight, it seemed to him that the omatikayan somehow trusted him even more than he had before everything had almost gone south.

Their banters took on a different tone. A shift. Subtle, yet Aonung felt the difference all the same.

It's like the tide; an incessant push and pull.

He feared that he may have grown a little too keen on this tide he had between him and the oldest son of the Sully.

Truthfully, Aonung wouldn't mind living in this tide and rhythm they have found forever. It was exhilarating to be able to push, knowing he would be pulled, just as it was pleasing to be able to pull and know his efforts would be rewarded with the shyest of smiles and with the smartest and borderline flirtatious quips.

Although, if the ambiguity meant others would carelessly overlook the tide, then Aonung had no choice but to thread through calm water.

So that it could be seen what lurked inside it.

Aonung walked to where Neteyam was and, wordlessly, went to stand beside the one who had his heart in his hands.

As casually as he could muster, he wrapped an arm around Neteyam's waist, and pretended not to have noticed the girl Neteyam was talking to in favour of pressing a brief kiss to his friend's temple.

They had never done such things before.

The metkayina boy wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but the noises and laughter around them momentarily grew a tad lower in volume.

Before he could continue pondering, though, he felt a hand over his that was on Neteyam's waist, and Aonung turned his attention to his friend's face and immediately decided that he couldn't care less about whether the sudden decrease of loudness around him was because of his bold show of affection or not. How could he even dare think about anything else when he had Neteyam grinning at him, the familiar lightest shade of purple dusting the omatikayan's cheeks?

"Did your talk with your sempul go well?" Neteyam asked, not removing Aonung's hand that was on his waist, and simply leaving his hand over Aonung's.

Aonung couldn't even find it in him to be embarrassed by how he could feel his tail wagging subtly behind him.

"Very well," he answered, indulging himself with staring for a few more moments before he pretended to ony have just noticed the girl in front of them, still gawking and gobsmacked.

Mustering up his most surprised voice, he claimed: "Nesa! Didn't see you there."

(He ignored Neteyam's suppressed laughter. He probably knew Aonung knew exactly what he was doing.)

Nesa hesitantly nodded.

…

The metkayina boy decided that it was his cue to break the silence when it stretched for far too long - lest Neteyam would burst into laughter first, while Nesa would disappear from sheer confusion and awkwardness.

Making a point, Aonung used his other hand to grab Neteyam's free one, and pointedly looked at his bracelet on the omatikayan's wrist. He thought of the sky people movies that Neteyam had told him about, of a funny accent that the rich sky people would have, and decided to run with it.

"It still baffles me how good the bracelet I made for you looks on you," the metkayina boy drawled, unable to stop himself from smiling affectionately at the way his friend scoffed, the smile on the omatikayan's lips too wide for him to be able to sell his act of being offended.

"You're one to talk," Neteyam said, using the same awful accent Aonung had used, almost reprimanding as he used his free hand to point at the cutely and charmingly made bracelet around Aonung's wrist, "What baffles me the most is definitely how you still managed to make the excuse-of-a-bracelet I made look like it's made by someone with actual handicraft skills!"

No way Aonung would be able to suppress his laughter.

So he did.

He laughed, his heart beating too fast as if it was going to leap out of his chest and soar, while he could feel Neteyam chiding him for being rude for absolutely no reason.

Neteyam excused Aonung and himself, saying something about how they needed to make 'diamond rings for each other' to Nesa before he intertwined his fingers with the metkayina boy, tugging him away from the boisterous and loud celebration.

By the time Aonung had managed to gather himself, they were far from any prying eyes, and Neteyam, at some point, had joined him, laughing to the point of getting teary-eyed.

The omatikayan laughed heartily, lightly smacking Aonung's back as he walked, leaving Aonung to stand as the metkayina boy took his fill and stared at how alive his friend was.

"The sky people are outrageous," Neteyam snickered, tilting his head to briefly meet Aonung's eyes before he turned and started walking backward, hands gesturing all over the place. "They have unnecessary clothes, weird accents, an outrageous and unfair society, and they attack each other! Plus, they're greedy, yet they're also wasteful. It's no wonder why their planet is dying," the omatikayan continued to drawl, scoffing in distaste as he thought about the ones who had caused Pandora only harm, with the few exceptions of Spider and a few others.

When Aonung didn't say a word after a moment or two, Neteyam turned to his friend, concern suddenly etched on his face as he returned to the metkayina's side. Casually, like it was second nature, Neteyam reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"You're quiet," he asked, his voice soft and such a contrast to the way he mocked the sky people just a few moments ago. "What's wrong?"

'I could've lost you.'

Aonung swallowed those words.

The metkayina boy raised his hand and cupped the side of Neteyam's face, tracing everything he could see with his eyes before settling with an answer, "Nothing's wrong."

Neteyam didn't look convinced.

So Aonung relented.

"I'm sorry for suddenly kissing you without saying anything," he apologised. It was partly the truth; the fact that he was actually nervous of crossing their comfortable boundary, and how he could have 'scared' his friend away.

Thankfully, the omatikayan relaxed, and he tugged on Aonung's hand so they could walk instead of standing still, the metkayina's hand automatically returning to his side in the process.

Aonung refrained from adjusting his hand so he could hold his friend's hand while feeling the omatikayan's pulse. (Sometimes, he regretted telling that detail to Neteyam. It's hard to initiate contact to feel the omatikayan's pulse while being discreet about it when he had gone and told Neteyam that he did that whenever he felt 'scared'.)

"It was bound to happen, 'Nung," Neteyam dismissed, momentarily squeezing Aonung's hand before grinning knowingly. "You do have a jealous streak."

"Takes one to know one," Aonung quipped, eyes never tired from staring at the way his friend's sanhi that were scattered all over his dark blue skin, shining and glinting. "I'm not the one who immediately assumed that I was on a date with someone just because I happened to be alone with her."

Neteyam gasped, offended - and a tad embarrassed, Aonung would guess.

"I wasn't sure that you returned my feelings, then!" Neteyam argued, attempting to pull his hand out of Aonung's half-heartedly and giving up when his efforts yielded no results. Granted, he wasn't even trying anyway.

"You just said I got a 'jealous streak'."

"It could've been platonic!"

"You're unbelievable."

"And you," Neteyam huffed, taken to pinching Aonung's palm since the metkayina boy was so adamant about not letting go, "are a skxawng."

Both of them trailed off into snickers after that.

Eventually, they stopped walking once they got to a boulder, and Aonung simply complied with Neteyam's wordless request when they went to sit on it.

Their hands were still intertwined, and Aonung's heart kept on fluttering like there's no tomorrow.

The silence was nice - but Aonung had a question.

"What's a 'diamond ring'?"

Neteyam hummed, dismissive and thoughtful at the same time.

"A sky people's jewellery," the omatikayan eventually answered. "It's… like a bracelet, except it's smaller, and worn on the finger and tight so that it wouldn't slip. They usually wear rings once they're engaged or married."

"What's 'engaged or married'?"

Neteyam shrugged, his tail flicking behind him in almost boredom.

"Something like being mated, I guess. But we probably need to confirm with my dad; we all know this stuff about the sky people mostly because of him, anyway. And the movies we watched that dad's friends have."

Aonung stared at Neteyam's finger for a moment or two, absent-mindedly rubbing the omatikayan's knuckles as he imagined this jewellery called a 'diamond ring'.

"Do you want a 'diamond ring', Ma 'Teyam?"

(Neteyam shivered. Aonung could feel it from the omatikayan's hand alone.)

"It's not needed."

"Do I have to make a ring for each finger?"

"Only one!" Neteyam hastily corrected, looking at Aonung in an incredulous manner, an endearing from on his lips and a cute furrow in his eyes. "Have you seen how small they were? How could they even wear rings on each finger?"

"…by wearing small rings…?"

The omatikayan paused.

"…I guess you are right."

Aonung liked it when they were sitting and standing close to each other. He liked to be reminded of the fact that Neteyam was here with him.

He thought of a 'diamond ring'.

"Ma 'Teyam."

"Hm?"

"I'm going to make you a 'diamond ring'."

Somehow, one way or another, the two of them ended up in a challenge to see who could make a more impressive 'diamond ring'.

Surprisingly, Neteyam's ring, which was for Aonung, actually turned out better than Aonung's ring, which was for the omatikayan.

By the time he returned from their 'date' - he's pretty sure he had used the word correctly - it was nearing dawn. It was why he was surprised that he found both Tonowari and Tsireya awake - with Pril in the tsahik's arms, her eyes round and beady as they stared expectantly at Aonung the way the metkayina's father and sister were staring at him.

Upon noticing Aonung's presence, Tonowari cast a curious look at the 'diamond ring' on Aonung's finger before he asked:

"Do you have something to tell us, son?"

Aonung thought of finally making sure that no one would bother his friend with any more intentions and such.

"It might be too early to decide, but, sempul, if there was one thing that I'm sure of, it is this:

I've chosen to have Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan as my mate. Just as he has chosen me."

He couldn't wait to flaunt his 'diamond ring'.

***END***