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Aonung never considered himself jealous. He didn't get attached to those he slept with or simply relieved his tension. He wasn't in the habit of getting angry or showing his displeasure when he saw someone he had slept with sleeping with someone else. He didn't care.
But everything changed when, one sunny day, Aonung decided to join his sister and Lo'ak on the beach. He really didn't want to be there, but he certainly wasn't going to leave Tsireya alone with that skxawng. After a while, Kiri and Rotxo joined them as well. Aonung was undoubtedly glad about that, because seeing this Na'vi-like creature trying to flirt with his sister using the most ridiculous pick-up lines was awful, and he was afraid he would throw up.
"Hey, Lo'ak, where'd you lose your brother? Or is he stuck on a tree?" Aonung asked jokingly.
"Shut up, fish lips, Neteyam is busy. He is on a date," Lo'ak replied proudly.
"Lo'ak! Neteyam might not want everyone to know about it." Kiri swam closer to them and hissed at her brother. Rotxo was hanging around the girl, trying to get her attention, which looked just as pathetic to Aonung as the skxawnga's flirting with his sister. It annoyed him that in an instant, everyone around him had become love-struck couples, their brains fried with love.
He wasn't like that and never would be.
But he couldn't help himself and asked Lo'ak what was bothering him so much.
"And who are these unfortunate souls who had to suffer the company of your brother, hm?" Aonung tried to sound as uninterested as possible. After all, it was none of his business that Sully's eldest son had taken an interest in someone for the first time in so long that he had even invited them on a date.
"I don't know her name, but she's damn hot." For that remark, he received a blow to the back of the head from Tsireya and immediately added, "But of course, my beautiful, most gorgeous girlfriend is much hotter."
And of course, then they started whispering and giggling about something. Lo'ak whispered something in his sister's ear, and when she smiled and nodded at him, he turned to them and said, "Sorry, guys, we have urgent business to attend to. We have to... we have to go help weave nets."
Without waiting for a response, they walked arm in arm to the shore, where they disappeared and ran toward the forest. Of course, everyone understood that they definitely weren't going to weave nets, but no one dared to accuse them of lying because they were so in love with each other that there was no point in holding them back. They wanted to be alone together, which was normal for couples like them.
"Don't listen to him, Aonung. Lo'ak doesn't know what he's talking about, you have to take his words with a grain of salt, or better yet, don't listen to him at all." Kiri came closer to him in the water and looked at him intently, as if studying him.
"What are you talking about?"
"Never mind, forget it. You fools don't understand anything anyway. And I have things to do too, so I'm leaving. Have fun here without me." Kiri rolled her eyes and also began to get out of the water, leaving the two guys alone. Rotxo immediately rushed after her, trying to offer his help. The girl just sighed, but still allowed him to follow her to the marui where the Sully family lived.
So Aonung was left alone in the water, surrounded only by the scorching sun and the smell of salt water. He felt anger spreading through his veins, though he didn't even understand why. This made him even angrier.
In the end, Metkaine decided to swim beyond the reef to relieve some of the tension.
It was normal for him to take a break from his family and friends and be alone with his thoughts. But when he was already far out at sea, he couldn't relax at all. There were so many thoughts in his head that wouldn't leave him alone, and his fists clenched reflexively from the tension.
The forest boy. Neteyam. The eldest son of Turuk Makto. Skxawng. Themosthandsomeboyintheworld.
That was who occupied all of Aonung's thoughts.
He was angry at the thought that he had found himself a girlfriend and gone on a date with her. The boy imagined them laughing together, just like Tsireya and Lo'ak had done earlier that day. He imagined Neteyam's face breaking into a gentle smile, causing almost invisible wrinkles to appear on his face.
Of course, any girl with whom the forest Na'vi was spending time right now laughed at his silly jokes and blushed at every piercing glance he gave her. Aonung knew this for sure, because he often noticed his own cheeks burning when Neteyam’s gaze lingered on him a little longer.
This is stupid.
It was very stupid, and he had to stop being angry and finally calm down.
Aonung grabbed his Ilu more tightly and swam on, exploring the depths of the sea, allowing the water to take away all his pain and anxiety.
He swam like this for several hours, the sun was already setting, and the sky was a soft pink hue. His muscles ached a little from spending so much time in the water, but the thoughts still haunted his poor head.
Stepping onto the sand at a remote part of the beach, he finally exhaled deeply and allowed himself to fall right there. His back touched the warm, sun-heated sand, and his legs rested from the heavy load. There was no one else around, which made Metkayina incredibly happy, because it meant that no one was looking for him and he had the opportunity to be alone for a little while longer.
Literally a few minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching him. The Na'vi's gait was light and soft, almost silent. He would recognize those footsteps anywhere. Neteyam.
"Where have you been?" His voice sounded strangely hoarse and anxious.
He remained silent. The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk to him.
"Aonung, don't pretend I'm not here." Neteyam sat down next to Aonung, who was lying down. He felt his thigh next to his shoulder.
"What do you want from me?" muttered the water Na'vi.
"You were gone for a long time, I thought something had happened to you."
"I'm fine. Are you satisfied? Now you can leave and leave me alone." Aonung closed his eyes to show that he didn't want to continue the conversation, but apparently the guy had other plans.
"I want to sit with you, it's so quiet and peaceful here."
"Find yourself another place. I don't want you here, Skxawng." He immediately regretted saying it so harshly, and when he opened his eyes, he no longer saw the beautiful amber eyes. Now the Omatikaya's gaze was fixed on the water.
"What's wrong, Aonung? You can share everything with me, I'll listen to you." That was exactly what Matkayina could never understand. How could he be so calm when he had just sent him away? Sully’s eldest son was so kind that he seemed almost unreal for this world.
His girlfriend certainly didn't deserve him. No one deserved him. Not his family, who were too strict with him, nor himself. Of course, Aonung certainly wasn't worthy of even thinking that Neteyam would ever look at him the way he looked at forest boy. This thought made him even angrier, and he clenched his teeth to keep from saying anything else hurtful.
Then the warm fingers of the forest Na'vi gently touched his forehead, removing a short strand of hair that must have stuck to his skin when he dove. Amber eyes met his gaze again, studying his face. Aonung felt his cheeks flush from the intense attention of the guy sitting so close to him that he could feel the warmth of his skin. Now that he was in a sitting position, his water-soaked thigh touched the thigh of the dark blue Na'vi.
How could he show such tenderness toward him after his harsh words? After all the horror he had put him and his siblings through? He had been so unfairly cruel to him, even though they had done nothing wrong. Sully's family had fled the war, and as Olo’eyktan's son, he was obliged to help them adapt and teach them everything he knew, not humiliate and mock them, and even fight them. Of course, after all this, Aonung definitely didn't stand a chance, and that made it even more painful.
There was a soft smile on Neteyam's face, he was sitting relaxed next to him, and the reef Na’ve understood that he had probably had a great time on his date. It was unbearable. He couldn't take it anymore.
"How was your date?"
The Omatikaya looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he was being asked. The question probably shocked him.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Your siblings let it slip."
"And you're talking about that..." Neteyam turned away from him in embarrassment, which made Aonung even more furious, because he didn't deny that he was dating some girl. That it was true.
"Well, why are you silent? Or was it so good that you lost your voice?" Metkayina snorted irritably and also turned away to face the sea so he wouldn't have to see that beautiful face.
"On the opposite, actually." Neteyam said quietly, and Aonung immediately turned back to him. He certainly hadn't expected that answer, and he immediately began to wonder what that girl could have done that he didn't like.
"It... it wasn't a date. Kanari came to see me this morning. We had already talked a few days ago, and she asked for my help with a piece of jewelry she was making. She's very sweet, and of course I couldn't refuse her, so I went with her to her marui. I guess that's when my siblings saw me leaving our marui with her. When we were done, she gave me the necklace and confessed her feelings. It was so awkward, Kanari is very nice and I really didn't want to hurt her or say the wrong thing. I apologized to her and said I couldn't respond to her feelings because... "
He fell silent abruptly without finishing his sentence, turning back to the sea and bending his knees to his chest. Silence hung between them.
"Because what?" the water Na'vi asked cautiously, his anger gone as soon as the boy decided to tell the whole truth, now he was only angry at himself for getting worked up.
"Because I already have someone I love, Aonung." Neteyam looked at him and gently touched his cheek with her fingertips.
"What?" Metkayina asked blankly, completely confused about what was going on and, more importantly, who this lucky guy was who had managed to win the heart of Sully's eldest son.
"You're so silly." Neteyam whispered before covering his lips with his own. His lips were so soft and warm, he kissed so inexperienced, but it was even more perfect. The forest boy was kissing him. And nothing else mattered.
When they broke the kiss, Neteyam was running out of air in his lungs and would have fallen unconscious in another minute, which Aonung certainly did not want.
The dark blue Na'vi's hands caressed his cheeks, while the other embraced him by the waist and pulled him closer. Now they sat face to face, their breathing slightly uneven and their lips swollen.
"Are you... is this real?" Aonung asked quietly.
"I love you, Aonung. My feelings for you... are impossible to describe in words. You are so kind, brave, funny, and..." Neteyam didn't have time to finish, because his lips were captured in another long and tender kiss.
"I think I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you, Ma'Teyam."
Aonung wrapped his arms around Na’vi’s waist and pulled him close, and they fell together onto the sand. Now Neteyam was lying on top of him, and he carefully tucked a braid behind his ear, then pulled him closer by the neck with the same hand and whispered before kissing him again.
"I was jealous of you."
To which Neteyam smiled and replied quietly.
"I know."
"I don't want to watch this, can we go now?" Lo'ak whined.
"Shut up, Lo'ak, you're annoying,'' Kirie hissed, sitting right next to him.
"Be quiet, they can hear us." Tsireya was on the other side of Lo'ak, pressed against his side.
"Trust me, they're definitely not paying attention to us right now." Rotxo whispered, for which he received a kick from Kiri.
"And why have we been hiding in the bushes for an hour?" Everyone kicked Lo'ak.