Archive of Our Own

***

Aonung was 15 when his world no longer consisted of only the sea, the reef, and the freedom that came with being not at war and the freedom that came with being the son of two most respectable figures, the oloeyktan and the tsahik, in Awa'atlu.

He was 15 when a family of forest people landed on his shores.

He was 15 when he crossed paths with Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan.

He was 15 when he first met the 15-year-old warrior, the forest boy having an entirely different composure compared to Aonung despite being of the same age and of similar circumstances. The oldest son of two respectable figures: Toruk Makto himself and the fearsome and skilled Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite. One boy with expectations and responsibilities heavy on his shoulders, and the other still with the luxury of carefree and jokes - mean or not.

He was 15 when gold met teal, and he was 15 when he went through a series of emotions - including denial, heartache, and acceptance.

A series of emotions when his heart stuttered in its beat from meeting eyes with the other boy alone. A series of emotions when he tried his best to act 'normal'; be cool. Used the 'first time seeing the forest people' as an excuse to stare. To look and look because it was the only time staring was somewhat acceptable and understandable.

A series of emotions when his father asked him to guide the Sullys along with his oh-so-capable and reliable younger sister. A series of emotions, torn between exasperation and 'something he used to be so adamant about not naming' once he realised there was no getting out of 'spending time' with the Sullys. (With Neteyam.)

A series of emotions whenever Neteyam was near. During lessons, during coincidental bump-ins while wandering around the village or by the shore, during dinners, during celebrations, and during festivals.

Denial when the mere sight of a small smile from Neteyam had him feeling as if he was floating and falling at once. Denial when the tiniest bit of attention from the omatikayan, regardless out of curiosity or out of frustration, had his veins thrumming and had him perking up. Denial, when, in the quiet of the night, as they somehow coincidentally bumped into each other again for the nth night in a row, Aonung felt as if his breath was taken away when Neteyam admitted that 'you can be easy on the eyes and a great company when you keep your mouth shut'.

The omatikayan had said those words with - uncharacteristically - the shyest smile Aonung had ever seen, and he remembered not ever feeling so in denial of something that he knew had always been so apparent. Apparent to his brain, and even more apparent in his heart.

The moment he caught Neteyam's gaze that day on the shore, there was no turning back.

His foot had gotten caught by the 'net', and he had long sunk further deeper into the sea to be able to swim back to the surface.

He didn't want to ever see the surface again. Not when the promise of something in the sea was a thousands time much yearned for by Aonung's heart compared to the feel of the warm sunlight on his skin after a cold swim.

Yet, stubborn as he was, he clung to that denial of his.

He denied ever feeling by picking on Kiri and Loak. He denied ever feeling when he left Loak stranded in waters unknown to the omatikayan - if only to prove to himself that he did not 'care'.

He did not care enough to look after the brother precious to the boy who had haunted him, both in the corners of his eyes and fleeting dreams he forgot the moment he roused awake.

Yet his own method betrayed him when it all came down to it.

The large pile of denials was all swept away like the leaves in the lightest of breeze the moment he saw the disappointment in Neteyam's eyes when he heard of what Aonung had done.

Heartache was all he felt when Neteyam looked at him as if he were a stranger, and asked, almost pleading: "You're joking, right?"

Heartache when realisation and understanding settled in the omatikayan's eyes when the said omatikayan realised that his friend wasn't joking. Heartache when Neteyam tugged on his kuru and dragged him to the Sullys' marui, the usual gentleness in his smile and in his gait absent as he asked Aonung to tell Jake Sully of what he had done to Loak. Heartache when, after the irritation of being dragged around had subsided, Aonung couldn't even bring it in him to apologise to Neteyam.

Heartache when Neteyam started to keep their interactions to a bare minimum. Avoiding him.

Neteyam was very good at steering clear of his path. It made Aonung wonder if their coincidental meetings over the past months hadn't been a coincidence after all.

Aonung took on watching the omatikayan from afar. Too much of a coward to properly apologise, and even more of a coward to even admit to himself why it hurt so much to be ignored by the other boy.

He watched and watched. Enough to then notice some of the omatikayan's telltales that he had been subconsciously taking notes of.

The subtly clenched jaw when he's annoyed. The sharp flick of his tail and the way it went rigid when he's offended or upset. The corners of his eyes twitching when he's trying not to let emotions be shown in his eyes. The ears pinned to his head when he's confronting someone rude.

The roll of his eyes and the variations of the action: annoyance, mirth, sarcasm, and exasperation. The twitch in his nose when he's suppressing laughter. The crinkles in the corners of his eyes a dead giveaway to feeling happy or excited. The corners of his lips twitching instantaneously at the sight of something that lifted his mood.

Aonung watched and watched, until it wasn't enough.

He taunted Neteyam to a chase when the tulkuns returned, and Eywa was generous. Generous to make Neteyam be in a good enough of a mood to chase after Aonung and play along with the metkayina's taunts.

When they ended up by themselves, on a small island after bickering over who had won the race, adrenaline slowly leaving their system, Aonung felt acceptance.

He admitted that he accepted his 'defeat'.

Neteyam misunderstood, thinking the metkayina admitted to losing their race. So, almost childishly, the omatikayan cheered and whooped, making things easier for Aonung when he loudly exclaimed, "I'm dedicating my win to you being a sore loser when you left Loak stranded just because he bloodied you up a little!"

It was an odd way of declaring a truce. Extending an 'I forgive you'. Especially when, a moment after he exclaimed such things, the omatikayan had grabbed his hand, and started prattling about how he found a spot that he thought Aonung would like. ("It's a little challenging to get there for me, if I'm being honest. I have to hold my breath for a really long time. You'd better be grateful to me for even sharing this spot with you!")

In reality, what Aonung meant by 'accepting defeat', was that there was never a possibility for him to win anyway.

He accepted that his feelings for the other boy were true and genuine, and it was idiotic of him to push those feelings away just because he's freaked out over 'catching feelings'.

Not once in his 15 years had he ever felt 'anything' for anyone in Awa'atlu. In fact, he used to take pride in it. His peers called him 'immovable' - or something of those lines.

Well, they were wrong.

Aonung was not immovable. He just hadn't met someone who could move him - until Neteyam came from the sky, on his ikran and skills and experience on his shoulders, obvious in every sense except in appearance.

No regular 15-year-olds should have the skills and experience Neteyam had.

Ever since then, acceptance was all Aonung felt.

Acceptance when he scooted closer to Neteyam whenever he noticed the droop in the omatikayan's ears, a giveaway to him feeling a little homesick or somewhat solemn. Acceptance when he stepped in and pointedly reprimanded a rude metkayina when Neteyam's ears pinned to his head and his tail grew rigid. Acceptance when he leaned close just to see the other boy's soft smile better the moment he noticed the corners of the said boy's eyes crinkling.

It was simultaneously terrible and wonderful to accept his feelings.

Terrible in the way that it had become more difficult for him to focus on what's around him when all his senses were telling him to do was to read what Neteyam was feeling from his telltales.

Wonderful in the way that he no longer 'brood', as Tsireya and Rotxo tried to call it, and instead could feel better and fulfilled every time he managed to read his friend correctly.

Being in denial was a constant internal struggle. Acceptance was the absence of that push and pull, and instead simply basking in the water around him rather than fighting the current.

He accepted his feelings, and accepted that perhaps he wouldn't mind being dragged by the current with no destination in mind. He thought he was content to just let himself yearn from afar or closely.

Aonung was 15 when he felt desperation that was thick enough to clog his throat and burst his heart at the seams. Desperation that pushed tears to the brim. Desperation that had his entire body trembling and frantic. Doing everything he could to help his mother and sister treat the gunshot wound on Neteyam's chest.

It wasn't enough.

Deep inside, he had always known it wasn't enough.

It took almost losing Neteyam for him to finally get over one last thing that he had been lying to himself about. The last thing he had been denying to himself even after accepting his feelings for the omatikayan.

He wants Neteyam.

He wants everything the other boy could offer: his wisdom, his knowledge, his skills, his smiles, his laughter, his jokes, his affections, his kindness, his generosity, his thoughtfulness, his attention, his time, his consideration.

His heart.

Accepting his feelings alone wasn't sufficient.

He wants Neteyam to know. Know how much losing the omatikayan would break him.

So he remained by Neteyam's side, helping the Sullys and his mother to keep an eye on the omatikayan who had lost consciousness ever since before the boy had even been transported back to the village for treatment.

He longed to see the twitch of Neteyam's nose, the snap of the warrior's tail, the twitch of the omatikayan's ears, and the twitch in the corners of the boy's lips.

He longed and yearned. He imagined and he dreamed.

Peace was a shaky thing. The Sullys were tremendously affected by Neteyam's condition: breathing, yet unmoving.

Loak blamed himself. Aonung did what he knew Neteyam would be proud of: be there for the younger omatikayan.

Aonung and Loak grew somewhat close after the mentioned omatikayan had visited Neteyam often enough. After all, whenever the omatikayan visited, most of the time Aonung was already there. Whether to lend and ear, to provide company, or to be some kind of muted support, Aonung was always there.

Outside of looking after Neteyam, Aonung had taken a 'page' out of the omatikayan's 'book' - or however the saying of the sky people went.

He helped around his village, recalling the way Neteyam always acted and trying to mimic it. Aonung had seen Neteyam's charisma; he was simply inspired by it.

Tonowari noticed, eventually. The oloeyktan brought up into a conversation during a small family dinner how his warriors had informed him that his used to be unruly son had been incredibly helpful around the village, lately.

Aonung couldn't help but reply, "Neteyam is the firstborn of Toruk Makto. He has been a good influence on me."

He didn't mean to sound too fond, but, that night, there was a quiet shift of some kind in the family. An acknowledgement.

The 15-year-old metkayina was sure that his father was the last of the family to find out about his 'future intention' for the omatikayan mentioned. (Ronal had been the first to notice, of course. It wasn't hard for her to figure out when her usually easily bored and distracted son kept on visiting his friend without skipping.

Tsireya was an odd case. Aonung couldn't exactly pinpoint when she 'found out', but he knew she had. She was his sister, after all.)

The tranquility lasted right until the Sullys returned after the sky person by the name 'Spider' suddenly could breathe Pandora's air. Not that Aonung couldn't find it in him to care too much about; he had his hands full with trying to balance the time for his suddenly many duties encouraged by his father, and for visiting the unconscious Neteyam.

When Tsireya told Aonung that Loak wanted to search for Payakan, the metkayina boy didn't hesitate to join his sister in 'retrieving' the mentioned omatikayan and bringing him back home.

Neteyam would have wanted him to be there for Loak when the boy was in trouble. So that was exactly what Aonung would do.

Plus, he knew his mother would look after Neteyam. It may only be a guess, but Aonung had an inkling that his mother had grown a somewhat soft spot for Neteyam ever since the conversation they had over dinner.

The one where Aonung had stated pretty plainly that Neteyam was good for him.

When the time for battle came, Ronal had instructed the metkayinas that did not join the battle to look after Neteyam. Once again, despite feeling a little more reluctant, Aonung joined his fellow metkayinas and Na'vi in battle despite wishing he could be by Neteyam's side instead.

Na'vi came out victorious, and Aonung returned to the village to find that his youngest sister, who was named Pril, was born.

Both Ronal and Rotxo suffered from injuries due to the sky people's metal. Aonung was told of it by Koro, a particularly loudmouth of a friend of his. Concerned, the oloeyktan's son asked to be immediately guided to them.

He had been too worried to notice the suppressed smile on Koro's lips.

Upon entering the marui where he was told his mother and best friend were in, he found himself freezing in place to find Tsireya and Neteyam up and about, treating Ronal's and Rotxo's injuries.

He felt as if mesmerised.

He had seen his father and the Sullys walking around to check on everyone. Did they know Neteyam had awakened?

The bandages around Neteyam's chest looked new, and his hair that had been out of its typical braids was longer, reaching to the middle of his back. The omatikayan kept on tucking his hair behind his ear, and he seemed to be grumbling complaints about his stubborn hair. When he's not grumbling, he's asking Tsireya what he should do, while the tsakarem gave him easy instructions on what he could do.

Aonung had no idea how long he stood standing at the entrance of the marui before Neteyam finally noticed him.

When their gazes met, it was only after Tsireya had deemed that Ronal's and Rotxo's conditions were stabilised. The only reason Neteyam took so long to finally notice, was because he had been diligently focused on Ronal and Rotxo alone.

The thought made Aonung's heart race.

The thought made Aonung further fell.

"Aonung!" Neteyam had greeted, his smile a little crooked while Tsireya turned to look at the call of her brother's name.

The metkayina boy was walking as Neteyam continued to speak.

"Sorry I didn't immediately look for you, but I really did just wake up an hour or so ago. I saw Tsireya entering this marui with a panicked look, so I thought I should help her with whatever she-"

Without a word, Aonung pulled the boy into a hug.

Neteyam made a confused noise in the back of his throat, and it took him a couple of seconds before he was returning the hug he was enveloped in by wrapping his arms around Aonung, too.

The omatikayan snickered, cheeky and happy.

"It's really good to be back."

Aonung felt like he was going to meet Eywa from how hard his heart was racing at finally seeing his friend up and about again.

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

Their hug didn't last long, because, a second later, Tuk spotted them, and in a second, all of the Sully family was there fussing over Neteyam.

Aonung didn't mind. Not at all.

He'll have all the time in the world to spend with the omatikayan boy. As long as Neteyam chose him.

The metkayina would make sure of it.

He told himself:

'It's time to act on his feelings.'

***1***

Aonung was 16 when courting started to become a common conversation between his peers.

Two years before most Na'vi usually mate. A mate to share their life with.

Being the oloeyktan's and tsahik's son, it was no wonder that his peers had been incessantly asking if anyone had caught his interest.

Still, he argued that he's more interested in who Neteyam had in mind to choose as his mate.

So while the group of friends - Aonung, Rotxo, Loak, and Neteyam - were resting after their weekly patrols, being on the lookout for any kind of sky people's schemes and stray devices, Aonung plucked up the courage he had been mustering ever since waking up that morning. (He had a dream of him and Neteyam walking along the shore and chatting in whispers. He remembered being utterly envious of his dream self, who always managed to make the omatikayan crack a smile and turn a subtle shade of purple once in a while.

He wished it could be his reality one day. Soon, if he was allowed to be greedy.)

"So you guys have anyone in mind that would make a good companion?"

When Aonung had brought up the question, Loak and Rotxo were crouched in the shallow water, fascinated by something shiny they found in the sand. Neteyam and Aonung, on the other hand, had been quietly watching the antics of the younger boys, seated with crossed legs by the shore with their knees pressed against each other.

All three heads swiveled in Aonung's direction at the metkayina's question.

Aonung had tried to be the tiniest bit subtle by using the word 'companion' instead of 'mate', but judging from the matching and increasingly playful and teasing grins on both Loak's and Rotxo's faces, his subtlety had clearly failed.

As for Neteyam, Aonung didn't get to know what the omatikayan's reaction was - except that the boy was definitely looking at him.

"Bro!" Loak exclaimed, all too easily leaving behind whatever that had fascinated him to join his older brother and the metkayina on the sand. "I thought you didn't have anyone in mind yet! You've been dodging the topic and giving annoyingly vague answers whenever anyone asked you about mates!" he added, sitting across Aonung with mischief in his eyes.

Rotxo was quick to join by sitting beside Loak, crashing into the omatikayan's side from his haste as he gushed enthusiastically, ignoring Loak's groan of complaint, "Loak's right! I thought you said that you 'want to focus on polishing your skills and leadership' first. That's what you've been telling everyone!"

Aonung felt himself growing a little more nervous for every moment that passed with Neteyam remaining quiet.

"Well, while it is true that I still have a lot to learn," Aonung said, refraining from looking away from his two younger friends, lest it would be too obvious that he was growing suspiciously nervous, "I think it won't do anyone harm if we start thinking about it…"

Loak snorted in response, rolling his eyes as he quipped, "Me, personally, I want to hold off mating for as long as I can." He looked around, at the three people with him, before shrugging and admitting, sincerity lacing his words, "I mean, after what had happened the last two or so years, I think I deserve a break. And a whole lot of freedom and time for me to not think about…" he blanched, shuddering as if in disdain, "… responsibilities…"

His words earned a snicker from Rotxo, and an understanding shrug from Aonung.

Neteyam, however, had more to say - which was great. Finally, the right time to look at him.

When Aonung turned to look, the first thing he noticed was Neteyam's tail; thumping a slow and inaudible rhythm on the sand.

It was a little offbeat, too. Aonung knew what that telltale meant - it only made him even more nervous.

Shy.

Neteyam was feeling bashful.

A contrast to the emotion expressed by his tail, the omatikayan snickered, grabbing a hold of everyone's attention before he teasingly picked on his younger brother, "And you just have so many responsibilities on your shoulders, haven't you?"

In response, Loak grumbled and half-heartedly threw a handful of sand in Neteyam's way - which barely hit the older omatikayan.

Rotxo chose that moment to give his answer to Aonung's question, his voice a little sheepish and resigned, "I think I'm with Loak in this one. I mean, I'm sort of still getting over my crush on Kiri-"

"Aww, do you want a consoling kiss for your broken heart-?"

"Shut it, Loak," Rotxo scowled, pushing away the mentioned omatikayan's puckered lips as a tint of purple coloured his cheeks. Loak snickered heartily, and Aonung, for his best friend's sake, suppressed his own string of snickers at the younger metkayina's scowl. "As I was saying, I'm still trying to get over her, and I'm 14. I'm not in much of a rush to think about mates."

It was an entirely valid answer.

It was great that Loak and Rotxo made it pretty easy for Aonung by actually taking his question seriously.

So. The moment of truth.

When Aonung met Neteyam's gaze, he somehow found himself noting the fact that their knees were still pressed against each other. It probably had no meaning behind it - but he hoped.

"How about you, tsamsiyu?" Aonung asked, exaggerating his teasing tone in hopes that it hid the nerves he was feeling. "You're my age. And you're as much of a catch as I am. You have anyone asking you about mates?"

The rhythm of Neteyam's tail momentarily stuttered at the question.

Aonung paid all of his attention to the omatikayan.

When Neteyam pursed his lips and ducked his face, staring at his lap as purple blossomed in his face, Loak and Rotxo were quick to coo and tease.

On the other hand, Aonung felt like his heart was about to launch out of the water the way a tsurak would in battle.

Excited to the point of sputtering gibberish, Loak reached out and playfully shoved Neteyam, a curious and ecstatic smile on his lips as he exclaimed, "Bro! You never told me anything!"

Neteyam cleared his throat and weakly swatted his younger brother, meeting Loak's gaze in an uncharacteristically flustered manner before he cleared his throat again and spoke as if he didn't want to talk, "It's just… it was embarrassing…"

On the outside, Aonung probably looked exactly like Rotxo and Loak: excited and awfully curious.

Internally?

Internally, he was losing it.

Unable to stop himself, Aonung reached out and placed his hand on Neteyam's bicep, intentionally leaving it there as he exaggerated his disbelief, "You mean someone actually did ask if you're interested, and you didn't bother to tell me?"

Loak, in the background, complained about how Neteyam should be telling things like 'these' to him first before speaking to 'fish lips', but neither Aonung nor Neteyam paid the younger one any mind.

Instead, Neteyam pursed his lips, golden eyes blinking in Aonung's way in a manner that the metkayina couldn't seem to understand. After another beat, Neteyam muttered, not making any move to swat Aonung's hand away, "Well, I tried telling you, but I didn't even get halfway into the story before you started dumping all those… questions on me. We got sidetracked, and we ended up wrestling that day."

Aonung furrowed his eyes.

Both Rotxo and Loak looked expectantly at Aonung; the latter doing so only after he voiced out how unfair it was that Neteyam tried telling 'fish lips' and not him.

The metkayina dug into his memory, a little embarrassed when he realised the number of times he dragged Neteyam into a 'friendly wrestling competition' just because he wanted the other boy close. Although, one specific memory came to mind, and Aonung instantly blurted out loud and in offense:

"You mean Nashvi was the one who asked you if you're interested?!"

It was a little 'comical' over how both Rotxo and Loak took a second before their reactions were exactly as Aonung's was.

Neteyam was turning purple again, but he looked more mortified than pleased.

Thank Eywa.

Aonung wouldn't have known what to do with himself if he lost Neteyam to Nashvi of all people. Not that Nashvi was a terrible guy. He's a bit of a troublemaker, so was Aonung back then, but. Nashvi and Neteyam? Just.

Not on Aonung's watch. Really.

Loak and Rotxo were speaking over each other - "Wasn't he the guy that you beat up black and blue?!" "So he likes it rough?" "Rotxo, that is not the point???" - until Neteyam, funnily enough, flicked both of their foreheads.

Both Na'vi quieted down with a pout, and only then did Neteyam rub a palm down his face before he murmured in disdain, "This is why I didn't tell any of you."

Aonung's mouth acted before the metkayina could think through his words again when he blurted, "But my questions were probably valid? I don't even remember what I asked."

So here's the interesting part.

Neteyam flushed.

All three pairs of eyes stared. Waiting and prompting.

Despite looking like he would rather be anywhere but here with his three nosy friends, Neteyam relented, and talked.

"You didn't remember because of how absurd your questions and remarks were."

Rotxo helpfully pointed out, "You didn't say anything about 'remarks'."

Neteyam looked like he wanted this conversation to be over already.

Abruptly, Neteyam stood, and Aonung stumbled when the omatikayan heaved him up to stand by his arm, before the said omatikayan declared, "That's it. No more questions.

We should head back to the village. I need to talk with Aonung alone."

Compared to Loak and Rotxo, who started to immediately complain about being kept in the dark, Aonung was more than happy to let himself be dragged around to be alone with the 'love of his life'.

Only when they were actually alone, did they stop walking, before Neteyam turned around all too suddenly and blurted.

"You didn't remember because you weren't sober."

Aonung processed his friend's words.

"Neteyam," he started to say, "We can't be 'drinking' yet-"

"Remember those berries I found that I crushed and made into a drink?" Neteyam interjected.

It took Aonung a while, but he actually did remember doing something like that.

Something about how Aonung was bragging about how he's one of the best cooks among his peers - which, was something he said only because he knew Neteyam would feel the need to prove that he's better than Aonung. Then they decided on a 'making some food or drink' competition, and they will taste each other's results and decide who's the 'best'.

Aonung had grabbed some fruits and cut and arranged them so they looked appetising. He did not bother to give it his all. He just wanted an excuse to spend more time with Neteyam, really.

On the other hand, Neteyam had caught a fish and cooked it, and managed to find some pretty-looking berries and-

...

Realisation must have dawned on Aonung's face, because Neteyam stiffly nodded as he rubbed his nape, sheepish and looking a tad guilty.

"I didn't know it would have that kind of effect, but you pretty much drank it all up and ate the rest of them. I only realised you weren't sober after I told you that Nashvi had approached me some days ago - before the whole 'cooking competition' thing - to ask if I'm… attracted to him. You were... asking questions that didn't really make sense. Mostly because your words were slurring and partially because... I was just confused, I guess... By your questions.

Truthfully, I was somewhat 'relieved' that you didn't seem to remember, but that's not for me to decide, so…

Sorry. For keeping that away from you.

I just thought that the matter of 'who's interested in me' is not something you want to know a-"

"That is definitely something I want to know about!" Aonung interjected. Blurting again.

Neteyam looked at Aonung in befuddlement.

Aonung wondered how he should get out of the mess he had put himself in.

"Why would you want to know that?" Neteyam questioned, tucking a braid behind his ear and his gaze momentarily shifting to the sand beneath them.

(Bashful.) 

The 15-year-old omatikayan never failed to make Aonung want to reach and touch whenever the said omatikayan acted like this.

'Because the only one that's supposed to be asking you to be their mate is me, duh!'

"Because I'm a very great judge of character," was what Aonung ended up saying instead.

Neteyam looked.

It sort of felt like Aonung was being picked apart from that look alone, but the metkayina wasn't allowed the time to die from anxiousness of internally panicking and overthinking every detail when the omatikayan rolled his eyes, playful, before he said:

"I mean, I guess you do know your people well. I thought you were going to say something along the lines of 'you're the one for me' or something."

Aonung choked on air.

He choked so hard, he ended up coughing for a minute or two straight while Neteyam worriedly patted his back, asking aloud what was wrong with the metkayina.

See, if Aonung had been any weaker, he probably would have shrivelled and died from being 'figured out' so easily.

However, thankfully, Aonung te Tsika'u Tonowari'itan was no weak warrior.

He's pretty strong. Strong enough that, despite being at the brink of death from choking on nothing but emotions, he noticed.

He noticed the almost ecstatic way Neteyam's tail flicked. Similar to the way it would when the omatikayan managed to get something he wanted. Similar to the way it would when the omatikayan achieved what he had set out to do - be it to hunt a fish or to finish weaving a basket in record time.

Concern wasn't the only thing in Neteyam's mind at the moment.

He was pleased.

Why?

The hand on Aonung's back lingered despite the coughing having been drastically less recurring, so the metkayina found himself blurting again:

"Did you get something you want?"

Neteyam's tail stuttered in its flicking.

Unlike his tail, Neteyam snorted, cool and collected.

"I've never even been thinking about getting a mate anyway," the omatikayan dismissed, placing his hand on the middle of Aonung's back before saying how the two of them should really return to the village.

On their way back to the village, Aonung found himself wondering if he was actually 'figured out'.

He wasn't sure what would be better: being figured out or not.

***2***

Aonung was 17 when he started to think about the most subtle courting gift he could make and give that would complement Neteyam's good looks.

It was well-known that Neteyam, despite having managed to successfully mastered all the skills required to live by the reef, still preferred accessories and clothing from the forest.

He preferred a cummerbund over a chest guard. He preferred a fabric loosely draped over his shoulders to fabric that clung to the skin tightly. He preferred feathers and dried leaves as decorations on his person to shells and shining pearls.

Aonung wanted to make something that Neteyam would wear.

"And you think asking me would be your best bet?" Kiri asked for the nth time since Aonung had found her and Spider hanging out by themselves on a quite large rock.

The metkayina had asked the omatikayan girl what Neteyam would like as a gift. He left out the 'courting' part, of course; he was pretty sure his affections for Neteyam were kept subtle enough that no one had figured him out yet.

No one except Neteyam.

Maybe.

The omatikayan had acted as he usually would after their conversation when they were 16. Sure, Aonung felt like the other boy had been actively seeking him out more often and actively taking initiatives regarding physical touch and hanging out together - but that could just be his imagination.

He's a boy in love. In fact, maybe he had been imagining all those secret smiles Neteyam had been sending his way lately-

"Kiri, I think Aonung got lost in daydreaming."

Spider's words, along with Kiri's amused 'no shit', successfully snapped the metkayina out of his trance.

Aonung blinked a couple of times. Reorienting himself.

"… so can you help me or not?" the metkayina repeated his request.

Both Kiri and Spider exchanged looks before they turned to Aonung again. For some reason, it was Spider who answered:

"Does helping you with your courting gift mean we're giving you our blessing?"

Aonung's brain went quiet in an instant.

He took some time to 'think' before he could answer, voice a little croaky and some more nervous, "Can you- uh. Can you repeat that?"

In uncanny sync, both Spider and Kiri sat straighter. This time around, Kiri was the one who spoke, looking like she was already thinking of ways to help Aonung while the metkayina was still stuck on the fact that he was, contrary to what he had believed, obviously not subtle enough.

"A choker or an armband would be great options," Kiri advised, fingers on her chin thoughtfully. "Metkayinas are used to weaving and making accessories and clothing that are tight around the Weare since they go underwater often. I think it'll be easy for you to combine Metkayina and Omatikaya techniques to make either one of those two. I can teach you the Omatikaya technique, and you'll just have to get creative about making the gift for my oldest brother." She paused, slowly nodding before turning to Spider. "You got any ideas?"

Spider didn't even get to say another word before Aonung interjected, urgent and a tad bit panicked, "How did you two figure me out again? Does anyone else know?"

The 18-year-old sky teen opened his mouth, closed his mouth, turned to look at Kiri, before turning to look at Aonung again and answering, "Kiri has really sharp eyes, and I have too much free time on my hands enough to be able to have the time to stare at everyone. Including you and Neteyam." A moment, before he added chirpily, "As far as we know, no one else knows."

Panic instantly left Aonung's system.

Though, before Aonung could entirely be relieved, Kiri chose to unhelpfully quip, "At least no one told us that they know anything."

There went the panic back into the system.

This time around, when Aonung was about to start prattling on about his 'concerns', Kiri cut him off.

"Aonung. Stop worrying about the little things. Do you want our help or not?"

Funnily enough, those words and that question were exactly what Aonung needed to finally focus.

The entire day, Aonung spent it with Kiri and Spider, finding the way the omatikayans made their accessories a little tricky and difficult. Then again, perhaps it was because the forest clan preferred accessories that were flowy and loose. Aonung couldn't deny the charm of that. After all, whenever Neteyam wore those earrings with some kind of feathers attached to them, Aonung had always thought the omatikayan looked absolutely breathtaking.

By the time Aonung was back in his family marui, all his other family members were already present.

They all gathered to eat dinner, and not even a second into the dinner was Aonung spared a moment of peace, as Ronal was quick to prod.

"Your sempul told me that you took the day off from any tasks. Does it have something to do with that armband I saw you brought with you?"

Both Tonowari and Tsireya stared at Aonung rather intensely.

Aonung would've laughed at how similarly they looked, had he not been so nervous.

The metkayina cleared his throat, slowly munching on what was left in his mouth. He took his sweet time, before he answered his sa'nok.

"… yes."

He sort of forgot that Tsireya, technically, was aware of his intentions for Neteyam. (Being aware was completely different than seeing it with his own eyes...)

On cue, Tsireya cleared her throat, presumably to suppress a squeal, as she asked, polite yet eager, "Can I finally tell Loak about your intentions for his brother?!"

The answer was immediate this time around.

"No," Aonung deadpanned. "Nope. Absolutely not. Not yet."

Tsireya visibly wilted.

"But Aonung," she pleaded, making her eyes round and wide the way she usually would when she wanted something, "I've kept your secret for two years! With all the gushing and talk of courting, I can't promise not to slip up!

You know that it is better for me to tell Loak than accidentally tell Loak, don't you?"

Aonung scrunched his nose.

... There was some truth to her words.

Instead of responding to her words, Aonung only then noticed the absence of their newest family.

"Where's Pril?" he asked.

Tsireya pouted and huffed, sulking by eating her portion of dinner. It was Tonowari who answered, "With Toruk Makto's mate. Pril has been asking for her the entire evening. Your mother has relented and passed her to the woman."

Ronal pinched her mate's arm, and scrunched her nose in disapproval once Tonowari was looking at her.

"I did not relent," she corrected. "I am understanding of my youngest child's wishes, is all."

Tonowari grinned in the face of his mate's 'disdain'.

"It was you who asked Neytiri to protect our youngest daughter," the oloeyktan said, his tone kind yet teasing. "Perhaps both our youngest and your friend have taken your words far too seriously."

The tsahik huffed.

Then, perhaps because she couldn't deny the truth of her husband's words, she changed the topic.

Seeing that Aonung's portion was finished, Ronal reached out a hand to grasp her son's hand, before she encouragingly suggested, "Why don't you fetch Pril and bring her home, Aonung?"

Paired with a knowing look and a supportive smile, she added, "The scenery overlooking our village at this time is beautiful. It would be a shame for the two of you to miss it."

Aonung ignored his sister's suppressed giggles at the implication of their mother's words.

Flustered, Aonung cleared his throat, and scrambled to stand, murmuring something along the lines of 'I'll go get Pril'. He was just about to leave when Tsireya called out to him, making him turn. Though he looked at her in a 'seriously?' look when he saw what was in her hand after she had scurried to his corner of the marui and reached him.

"What?" he asked.

Tsireya rolled her eyes.

"You forgot this!"

"I'm not giving that to him."

"Why not?"

"Because it's obviously not good enough for him."

The 15-year-old metkayina pursed her lips, looked at the finished armband in her hands, weaved and decorated in both the Omatikaya and Metkayina way.

It was so clearly made by an amateur. Especially in regards to the Omatikaya details.

However, Tsireya must be seeing something different in the armband - because there's still that twinkle in her eyes as she said, "I think Neteyam would find the effort charming."

The words were out of Aonung's mouth before he could stop himself.

"I want to make and give something that is worthy of him."

He was merely stating a fact.

A courting gift was meant to be something thoughtful. Something made with the one to receive the gift in mind.

He just hadn't realised how big a deal and sentimental it would be out loud.

Ronal was saying something along the lines of 'I am proud of you, ma itan' while Tonowari was nodding in approval and agreement. Of course, there was no other choice for Aonung to grumble in mild embarrassment and snatch the armband he made out of Tsireya's hands before practically fleeing from his family's marui.

Despite the common 'belief' that Tonowari and Ronal were a strict and intimidating pair, Aonung would argue that they could make quite the insufferable duo. At least when it came to teaming up and flustering their children.

Before Aonung knew it, he was already near the Sullys' marui.

The omatikayan's marui was still lit, and Aonung could make out Pril's giggles and the Sullys' conversations - at least pieces of them.

He hovered somewhere near the entrance, suddenly all too aware of the armband in his hands.

He wasn't sure whether Neteyam would like the armband. On one hand, Tsireya may be right. Perhaps Neteyam would find the clumsiness behind the making of the armband charming and endearing enough.

On the other hand, however, Neteyam had always been self-conscious - especially when it came to appearance. Despite being considered Metkayina, the omatikayan always wore Omatikaya accessories and such. He wanted to represent both clans that he had grown up in. It felt a little far-fetched for the omatikayan to wear something so… lacking among his other accessories.

His train of thoughts were interrupted when he heard approaching footsteps from inside the marui, and the only warning he got was Loak's sheepish yet ecstatic 'tell Tsireya 'hi' for me!' and other inaudible words from different voices before two figures stepped out of the marui.

There Pril was, standing and looking up at Aonung with round eyes, while the young metkayina was holding tightly onto one of Neteyam's hands.

Neteyam's and Aonung's gazes met.

"Aonung!" Neteyam greeted, sounding pleasantly surprised at the same time Pril cheered an adorable ''Nung!' as she let go of Neteyam's hand in favour of clinging onto her older brother's leg.

There was a collective of gasps and 'oh's from inside the marui, before Neytiri and Loak peered from inside the marui.

Loak grinned and waved, said something about 'tell Tsireya 'hi' for me too, fish lips!', before he happily skipped back into the marui. Aonung could hear the omatikayan snickering all too giddily when Jake Sully said something along the lines of 'that girl has you wrapped around her fingers, hasn't she?'.

Neytiri, on the other hand, stepped out of the marui, and somehow, by some miracle, her eyes immediately zeroed in on the tight grip of one of Aonung's hands.

The one gripping onto the armband he made.

Mothers are truly scarily intuitive.

The woman's ears flicked, and despite the knowing short look she sent Aonung's way, she asked, "Did your mother send you here?"

Aonung nodded. "Yes."

"Is it to fetch Pril only?"

Despite the seemingly 'bad blood' between Ronal and Neytiri, the two of them somehow always seemed to have quite a good understanding of each other. Then again, Aonung had always known that the 'tensed' relationship between the two women had never been one of hatred; no matter how 'hostile' they acted towards each other.

The metkayina boy glanced at Neteyam, but quickly met Neytiri's gaze again when he found that the omatikayan boy was already looking at him. (Aonung hoped it was dark enough out for Neteyam to not have noticed the way purple quickly coloured his face at a mere 'eye contact'.)

"I'm-" Aonung gripped the armband in his hand a little tighter, "I'm also here for Neteyam."

The small, subtle, and proud smile on Neytiri's lips was hard to miss. Not when Aonung felt like he was awfully and acutely aware of everything at the moment.

Neteyam tilted his head, his ears perking up the way they usually would when his interest was piqued as he prompted, "For me?"

Aonung's heart raced.

"Yeah," he said, quietly watching as Neteyam slowly nodded before telling Neytiri that he'd be back soon.

After that, Neteyam joined Aonung's side, and the metkayina found himself staring at his friend's appearance.

His memory was right. Neteyam always managed to look so tidy and proper.

"'Nung! Pick me up!"

He also sort of forgot that his baby sister was clinging to his leg.

Instinctively and rather distractedly, Aonung asked Neteyam to hold his armband. Obviously, Aonung needed to free his hands so he could pick up his all too spoiled youngest sister.

Neteyam accepted the armband given to him without any comment.

"Sa'nok!" Pril chirped as she was carried, her legs wrapped around Aonung with her arms looped around Aonung's neck while the older metkayina used his arm as a makeshift 'seat' for his little sister to sit on. "Drop me off first, and then you can hang out with 'Teyam!" she quipped, legs kicking and hands already pulling at strands of Aonung's hair that she could reach.

Helpless to his sister's 'abuse', Aonung turned to make eye contact with Neteyam, and found that the omatikayan was already looking at him.

"Sure," Neteyam said. "I'll accompany you to your marui."

So that, they did.

When they got to Aonung's family marui, all three of the metkayina present were awake.

They were also painfully obvious in checking Neteyam's arm. Probably looking for the armband they had seen just some minutes ago.

Comically, they all sent a disapproving look in Aonung's way when he found that the armband the metkayina made was decidedly not on the omatikayan.

"I'm heading out with Neteyam," Aonung said, eventually. After Pril was taken by their mother and after the youngest metkayina had said her goodbyes to Neteyam.

Tsireya suppressed a squeal. Aonung didn't hear it, but he didn't have to hear it to believe it.

"Have fun, you two," Tonowari said. Perhaps a little ominous in the way that the wish sort of came out of nowhere. After all, it wasn't every day that the oloeyktan told them to 'have fun'.

If Neteyam found it odd, he didn't comment on it out loud.

The two of them set off to make their way out of the village, and…

... And Aonung had absolutely no idea what he should be doing.

It's hard for him to think when he's just all too aware that his family was waiting back in their cozy marui for him to return after successfully giving Neteyam a courting gift. But he had nothing planned, aside from the fact that he knew a place they could go to see Awa'atlu bathed in captivating light, and the fact that he had made the courting gift.

Instinctively, he clenched his fist for the nth time that evening.

Then it dawned on him.

He turned to his friend, was about to apologise for making the said friend hold the armband for so long, when he found that Neteyam seemed to be deep in thought, and was idly tracing the pattern of the armband.

They were still walking. Side by side that their shoulders occasionally brushed.

Aonung swallowed a lump of nerves down his throat.

"What are you thinking about?" the metkayina forced himself to break the silence, resisting the urge to fiddle with his hands.

Neteyam paused his motions on the armband, and turned to look at Aonung.

The omatikayan looked as if he was glowing. (It was definitely the work of the backdrop being illuminated by the eclipse. Though Aonung was inclined to believe that his friend could absolutely glow if he wanted to.)

"About where you're taking me," the omatikayan answered, before he glanced at the armband in his hand and looked at Aonung again to add, "… and about who this armband is for."

Aonung's heart couldn't stop threatening to burst from beating so fast.

The metkayina cleared his throat, gently taking the armband out of Neteyam's hand while the omatikayan let his friend take it.

"What makes you think that it's for someone?"

Unexpectedly, Neteyam carefully grabbed Aonung's forearm.

Both of them stopped walking.

The two of them stood facing each other, and Neteyam tentatively reached for Aonung's hand that was holding the armband, ears flicking in the direction of their hands.

Aonung knew that the telltale meant that his friend was concentrated on something. Determined and curious.

There was both confidence and hesitation when he pointed at the small pearl, its colour white with a soft shade of gold, neatly tucked amongst the other decorations that Aonung had painstakingly looked for and chosen to be woven into the armband.

The pearl was barely noticeable. You have to look hard to see it. It was an intentional choice, on Aonung's part.

A 'just in case Neteyam didn't 'want' him'.

"Because there's a pearl on it," Neteyam pointed out, his voice quiet and soft - as if he was afraid of spooking the metkayina.

After observing out loud, Neteyam looked at Aonung, ears somewhat pinned to his head, nervous and anticipating.

"I know that courting gifts have to have a pearl in them," the omatikayan said, still looking intrigued.

When Aonung met his eyes, Neteyam momentarily looked away, ears drooped in the way they usually would when he wanted to know something but also was hesitant to get a confirmation, before he met his friend's gaze again to say, "You never told me you have someone in mind."

Aonung couldn't even be mad that his words came out a little awkward and much too anxious: "I didn't?"

Neteyam gave him an unimpressed look.

"You didn't," he affirmed. "The last time we talked about 'courting' and such was when we were 16. It's not my fault that I'm surprised that you suddenly have made a courting gift; one befitting for an omatikayan, too."

Definitely clueless about the heart attack he almost gave Aonung at his words, Neteyam continued to state, "So you like someone from my family."

It was not a question. He stated it as a fact.

The metkayina prayed to Eywa to give him courage and strength. Neteyam was much too observant for Aonung's heart.

Aonung's grip on the armband became slightly loose as he asked the obvious: "What makes you say that?"

"It's hard to miss the attempt at Omatikaya's weaving technique," Neteyam supplied, an awfully endeared and charmed grin on his lips. The grin somehow managed to grow fonder as seconds passed as he added, eyes twinkling with something nostalgic and decidedly gut-wrenching in the way that Aonung felt like he was punched in the stomach at the sight of them, "I wasn't born with skilled fingers, you know? I recognised effort anywhere."

His grin turned a touch softer.

"It's not for Kiri, is it?" Neteyam suddenly inquired.

Aonung's grip on the armband grew a little tighter.

"No!" He rushed to exclaim, embarrassed when even Neteyam looked surprised by his hastiness to correct the omatikayan.

So the metkayina cleared his throat, momentarily looking away if only to collect himself, before turning to look at Neteyam again. "I'm not blind. I know Kiri and Spider have eyes only for each other."

Neteyam's grin turned into an amused smile.

"Then you should know that Loak and Tsireya also only have eyes for each other," he remarked, ears perked up and tail flicking almost ecstatically behind him.

Aonung nodded. Stiff.

"There's… your answer," the metkayina muttered, palms sweating as he started to arrange his words in his head. Anything to say before his world would either topple down to crash and burn, or - hopefully - his world would be that of the boy in front of him.

"I'm… you have always…" Aonung paused, trying to find his words. "You have always been… different. Different in the way that there's hardly anyone I can name that can ever replace you in- in my life.

I made… it without asking you first, and I guess that's pretty stupid of me, since, for all I know, you could have not returned my…. feelings.

My family knows of my intentions. I just- I just wished that I could have given you a better-looking armband, but my mother can be very persuasive, and so can my family, so-"

"Are you sure?"

Neteyam's question stopped Aonung in his words.

The metkayina pursed his lips, still holding onto the armband in his hand like his life depended on it. "What do you mean?"

"Are you sure about choosing me?" Neteyam rephrased his question. "I'll never be able to relate to you the way a true Metkayina can. I can't relate to you whenever you complain about your tail or your strakes."

Aonung scrunched his nose.

"Why would I complain about something as trivial as that?" He confidently questioned, nerves leaving his system at being asked such an odd question. "It doesn't matter that we are different. What matters is that it is you I want to have in my life and forever."

When Neteyam looked taken aback by Aonung's words, the metkayina added on after taking a brave step forward, clasping a hand on the omatikayan's elbow.

"Our differences only fascinate me further, 'Teyam."

Almost unnoticeably, Neteyam's skin took a shade of purple.

A few moments of silence passed, before Neteyam inhaled sharply.

Then, he said:

"Help me put the armband on?"

Aonung almost whooped and cheered then and there.

Fortunately, he didn't, and he carefully put the armband on his friend's arm. Once that was done, both of them stared at the armband in something akin to wonder and disbelief.

At some point, Aonung's gaze trailed to Neteyam's face instead.

At some point, Neteyam finally stopped marvelling at the armband, and caught Aonung staring.

Despite being 17-year-olds, Aonung felt a lot younger when both of them abruptly looked away at the same time; matching colours on their faces just as their hearts beat as one, quick and skipping.

"I guess that settles it," Neteyam broke the silence, tucking a braid behind his ear and pretending that he wasn't flushed.

"Yes," Aonung agreed, a little speechless at the sight of the omatikayan being so… sweet.

"By custom, I should make something for you, too," Neteyam murmured. Though Aonung had a feeling that the omatikayan did not mean to say it out loud; just that he was feeling a little awkward, perhaps.

He was just saying whatever came to mind to 'keep himself grounded'.

When Neteyam looked at Aonung, the omatikayan opened his mouth, closed it, before he opened it again to say, "Should I make you something that stands out?" A beat later, he explained hastily, "Only because I'm sure seeing you wear a courting gift would spare you the questions from, well, almost everyone."

Neteyam's courting gift was meant to be subtle. Not because Aonung was ashamed of wanting him to be his mate, but rather because the metkayina wanted the omatikayan to be comfortable wearing it.

However, if it was his choice; a courting gift for him…

"Sure," Aonung easily affirmed - couldn't help the giddy grin on his lips as he quipped, "Feel free to stake your claim."

The omatikayan rolled his eyes. (The smile on his lips was something Aonung wished he could tattoo to the back of his eyelids so he could see it every time he blinks.)

"I will, then."

Just when Aonung thought things couldn't get any better, Neteyam suddenly cupped a side of his jaw, and placed a very, very brief peck to the corner of the metkayina's lips.

When Neteyam stepped away, he grabbed Aonung's hand, intertwined their hands together, and said something about how the two of them should return home before leading the way.

How kind of him to lead the way. Aonung was much too busy trying to remember the feel of Neteyam's lips on the corner of his lips to even think about the way home.

By the time they got to Aonung's marui, Neteyam bid the family a short goodbye, before leaving to return to his own marui.

Either Neteyam was very good at acting, or he was just absolutely oblivious to the way Aonung's entire family - minus Pril, asleep as she was - lit up at the sight of the armband around the omatikayan's arm.

Needless to say, a couple of days later, when Aonung was given a choker with a white pearl and teal hue as a courting gift from Neteyam, also made with a combination of the Omatikaya and Metkayina way, he immediately wore it whenever he could (read: all the time). 

As expected, most of his friends asked who the lucky 'girl' was, but his answer remained the same, no matter how much he was pressured.

An all too jovial and somewhat crooked and proud grin, and a short, "To the love of my life, duh."

(He found it especially endearing whenever Neteyam would cover his fond smile behind his hand when he heard the metkayina ‘boast’, faking a cough or a yawn to cover his smile.)

***3***

Aonung was 18 when he almost lost Neteyam again.

They were still courting each other, content with what they had with each other for now. Not many knew who Aonung's chosen mate was, just as not many knew that Neteyam was being courted.

When he was asked about it, though, Neteyam would always just show his armband, the intentionally subtle pearl embedded on it, and his suitors would apologise and leave him alone.

Whenever they 'hang out', they leave out some truths here and there, make up some excuses to their family, just so they can spend more time together. Although, Aonung got an inkling that Loak and Rotxo were very close to figuring them out. (Tsireya, ever the romantic, decided to keep on keeping what Neteyam and Aonung had going on a secret when her brother told her of the mutual agreement between the two boys to 'keep a low profile'. She claimed that it was cute that they wanted privacy to themselves - or at least some kind of variation of that…)

In other words, by 'almost losing Neteyam', Aonung did not mean that he almost lost the omatikayan to someone else.

He almost lost Neteyam to the sky people again.

The two of them were in charge of patrolling an island a little further than Awa'atlu, having received a report of a sighting of sky people and their corrupting activities.

Having recently been acknowledged as a great 'duo' among the warriors, Tonowari and those around them had taken to sending them together on patrols and scouts. A very welcome change. More time to be spent with his lover.

On this particular patrol to this particular island, however, Aonung found himself wishing that they weren't alone.

There was an abandoned research facility, and Aonung should have known that the fact alone was odd. After all, in the past years, not once had anyone reported seeing a sky person wandering around in their waters. Why would there be a research facility if there were no one running it?

Still, both of them had informed Tonowari and Jake Sully about what they discovered, and, despite having been told to return to the village and not engage, Aonung argued that they needed to immediately check the facility.

"What if someone ended up bumping into this place?" he reasoned through his throat comms, gaze locked on Neteyam who returned his gaze, lips pursed thoughtfully and unsure. "There could be traps. Neteyam and I can at least make sure that all possible threats are taken care of."

With a heavy heart, Jake Sully 'gave them the green light'; after 'commanding' Aonung to 'watch his son's back'. Serious with no room for negotiations.

It wasn't like Jake needed to say something so obvious in the first place. Aonung would always look after Neteyam.

Upon venturing further into the research facility, they found that there was an exit that was ajar right into the water, and Neteyam was quick to suggest they take a swim.

Aonung wasn't really down for the idea.

"But Ma 'Nung," Neteyam coaxed, using that pet name because he knew how effective it was in getting his way. "The exit here is opened. For all we know, someone could have accidentally fallen in and needed someone to save them."

"We don't know what's down there," Aonung tried.

Neteyam rolled his eyes, but not out of annoyance as he quipped smartly, "When do we ever know what's lurking under the ocean?"

Helpless to his lover's request, Aonung complied.

The two of them went into the water, and Aonung felt a little at ease when Neteyam made it a point not to swim and stray away from him; keeping close.

It was unnaturally dark under the research facility. Unlike Aonung, whose vision was adapted to water as he was a Metkayina, he could only wonder how much harder it was for Neteyam to see.

It was when that thought hit him that they felt something shifting in the current.

Something large. Something fast.

It was enough of a sign for them to leave.

He tapped Neteyam's shoulder, signing that it was too dark for them to see, and that there was no sign of anything else with them. In response, the omatikayan had told him to head to the surface first.

'Do you not hear that?' Neteyam signed. When Aonung merely looked at him in confusion, the omatikayan's lips pressed into a hesitant thin line before he signed, 'The cries of a child'.

Aonung pretended he didn't feel goosebumps.

'I don't,' the metkayina signed in return, eyes flicking around as a foreboding feeling crept into him. 'How can a child cry underwater?'

'It is faint,' Neteyam replied. 'It is faint, but it is there. I have to find it.

Head to the surface, first, and look for anything that can be a clue.'

Reluctant, Aonung was about to start signing again to show his disapproval, but Neteyam grabbed both of his hands, and shook his head from side to side.

His lips tugged into a reassuring smile, and Aonung knew all there was about the omatikayan's smiles and lips. There was still much to learn, considering the last time they came close to kissing was a year ago - but Aonung was well-acquainted with the smile his lover would sport when he was somewhat pleading.

In response and resignation, Aonung cupped Neteyam's jaw, before he shared his remaining breath with the omatikayan. Pressing their mouths together and providing as much air as he could.

When they parted, Aonung's heartbeat stuttered at the flustered pursed of Neteyam's lips - along with the omatikayan's generally taken aback and rather bashful complexion.

'Don't take too long,' Aonung signed one last time, before heading for the surface.

If he could hear 'the cries of a child' that Neteyam spoke of, he would've happily traded tasks with the omatikayan. The unease in his heart was still present, despite the reassurance he was given by his lover.

Upon getting to the research facility again, Aonung started searching for some kind of switches that would be able to help shed light in the water. He knew he wasn't mistaken that they weren't alone, considering something big and fast had swam past them at some point in their swimming. While turning on the lights may aggravate whatever this thing was, at least they would be able to locate where it was.

Plus, maybe then they would be able to pinpoint where this child Neteyam spoke of was.

Aonung knew little of the sky people's machines, but he knew of 'switches'. Most of the sky people's creations had switches, whether it was to make the machine come to life, or the other way around.

When he found some switches that looked promising enough, he murmured a prayer to Eywa, hoping that it was the correct switch, before flipping it.

Surely enough, light filtered through the water from the bottom of the ocean.

A box-shaped machine with a screen near Aonung flickered to life, and Aonung immediately looked at it, only to be surprised at seeing Neteyam there at the bottom of the ocean. Long, light blue bioluminescent seaweed-like plants covered the bottom of the ocean, and, in Neteyam's arms, was an infant. A Metkayina.

The metkayina had heard of the sky people's creation that allowed them to see from a far distance. He could only assume that the 'moving pictures' he was seeing were what was happening down below.

Still, it was much too dark to Aonung's liking.

So he flipped on another switch.

It was a mistake.

A lone tulkun was in the water with Neteyam. Yet it was unlike any tulkun Aonung had seen before.

It behaved nothing like a tulkun should.

Alarmed by the sudden presence of light, Neteyam managed to strap the infant to his chest before he turned to find the tulkun swimming straight for him. Its mouth wide open as if to eat.

The tulkun was making a pained and aggravating sound, and, upon closer look, Aonung realised with horror at the signs of sky people's doings littered all over the tulkun.

'Experimented'. The Metkayina had heard tales of the sky people experimenting on creatures of Pandora, altering their biology and behaviour.

From the hostile way the tulkun behaved, Aonung scrambled to dive into the water, panic thick in his throat and in his heart. Deathly afraid.

Afraid that his gut-feeling was right, and the sky people had idiotically thought of making a tulkun behave like an akula was a great idea.

Everything happened in a blur.

Assuming it had been a long time since the experimented tulkun had eaten, his speed was significantly slower than a tulkun could be, but his ferociousness was terrifying.

Neteyam barely managed to reach the surface, his tail almost having been bitten off.

The impact of the collision between the tulkun against the research facility was strong enough to cause the building's light to flicker and for the building to shake, and both of them barely managed to escape before the entire facility crumbled.

The sight of Neteyam barely escaping the experimented tulkun's jaw repeated itself in Aonung's mind. Over and over again.

The moment they were no longer in danger, Aonung pulled Neteyam into a tight embrace.

He really could've lost him.

Despite having barely escaped death, a laugh escaped past Neteyam's lips at the metkayina's sudden 'sentimentality'.

It deeply irked Aonung that Neteyam seemed not to have taken their experience seriously.

Though such a feeling didn't linger. Not when he could see for himself what Neteyam was truly feeling when they broke apart. Not when he could see the barely noticeable wobble in Neteyam's smirk, the omatikayan attempting to appear smug despite how he, too, was relieved to have escaped something that could've been his end.

"I was right about the child, wasn't I?"

At the time, Aonung had scoffed, amused and fond.

When everything had passed, when they've returned to Awa'atlu and reported what had happened, when Jake Sully had attempted to reprimand Neteyam for risking his life for something 'unconfirmed' only to stop halfway and simply pulled his firstborn into a tight hug while muttering gratitude to Eywa, when Ronal gingerly took the baby they had found to check for the child's health, only then did everything sink in.

He pulled Neteyam to the side, making a barely believable excuse to whisk the mentioned omatikayan away from their friends and family.

Loak and Tuk complained how Aonung should at least let Neteyam finish his retelling of what had happened, but their complaints fell on deaf ears as the metkayina kept a secure hold on his friend's wrist.

(Rotxo was squinting his eyes at the contact. Perhaps slowly figuring out what had been left unsaid for a solid year.

Aonung would've snickered to himself at how long it took his best friend to realise he was 'taken' if it wasn't for the strong feeling that occupied his heart at the moment.)

Once the two of them were alone, they were at one of those secluded places they liked to frequent whenever they wanted time and privacy to themselves.

The metkayina didn't waste any time gathering both of Neteyam's hands in his before saying:

"We should make our bond true."

The amused smile that had been playing on Neteyam's lips at his younger siblings' antics faltered. Not out of dread.

Neteyam's hands noticeably grew sweaty just as he asked, voice so palpably nervous, "You mean-?"

"I want us to be mates," Aonung said it plainly, if only to show how serious he was. "What happened today- Had anything happened to you, my biggest regret would have been that there was nothing that kept us forever intertwined - saved for the courting gifts we've given each other."

Squeezing Neteyam's hands, Aonung said, "Please be my mate, Ma 'Teyam."

Neteyam stared.

The omatikayan stared at him, mouth a little ajar.

It was endearing, just as the silence was nerve-racking.

"I know I said that 18 is a little too early to be mates, but- but I don't think I'll be able to sleep peacefully knowing that every moment I spend not mated to you is a risk to never being able to be with you-"

His words were cut off when hands cupped his jaw, and he was dragged into a kiss.

A decidedly proper one.

A kiss that had him weak in the knees. A kiss that took all the breath out of his lungs, only to fill them with nothing but the person in front of him. A kiss that left his lips swollen and slick. A kiss that had him embarrassingly gasping; so easily stunned out of breath despite how he was supposed to be able to hold his breath long and well.

A kiss that had him instinctively leaning closer to chase after his lover's lips when they broke apart.

Before their lips could meet again, however, Neteyam covered Aonung's lips with his palm, and the omatikayan's lips stretched into a sheepish yet sure grin.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Aonung was starting to see a pattern, really.

"You ask me that all the time," the metkayina huffed, refraining from staring at Neteyam's somewhat bitten and slicked lips for too long.

"Because I want to make sure that you won't regret it," the omatikayan replied. As if it were an acceptable answer.

It was not.

"There are a lot of things that I find myself regretting sometimes," Aonung grumbled, couldn't help but pull the omatikayan close by wrapping his arm around the said omatikayan's waist before continuing to say, "but you are the one thing I'll never find myself regretting."

Neteyam leaned into the touch, pressing his face in the crook of Aonung's neck before distractedly humming, "Hm."

Aonung pinched Neteyam's waist. "I'm serious."

"Okay."

"You sound like you're not taking me seriously."

"I am taking you seriously."

"I can feel you smiling against my neck like you find this whole thing hilarious."

Aonung was about to say something else, but then he felt Neteyam pressing a kiss to his neck, and his brain instantly gave up on him while the omatikayan teasingly went, "So you can feel that?"

How insufferable.

Neteyam was already laughing by the time Aonung - reluctantly - grabbed the omatikayan by the shoulders to create some distance between them. Speaking up before he could be distracted by the probably dazzling smile on his lover's lips, Aonung blurted, "Seriously, what's so funny?"

The omatikayan shook his head, seeming to be awfully endeared as he placed his hands on Aonung's hip and drawled, teasing and playful, "I just think it's hilarious that we've kept our courting a secret, and you just suddenly decided to bring up being mates out of nowhere.

It's like you're trying to give Loak a heart attack."

Aonung opened his mouth.

...

Aonung closed his mouth.

"You mean only Loak doesn't have us figured out yet?" the metkayina asked for confirmation, before belatedly asking, "Even Tuk has noticed something?"

Neteyam nodded.

"She does have nothing much to do except to be nosy," the omatikayan supplied, tilting his head so he could get a good look at Aonung. "Did you know that there's a rumour going around?"

"What?" Aonung questioned, before joking, "That we're gay for each other?"

Expectedly, Neteyam snorted.

It was unbelievably cute, Aonung thought he was going to die from cuteness aggression.

"That wouldn't exactly be a rumour," the omatikayan corrected. "By rumour, I meant someone has been ‘preaching’ that we should start doing night patrols more often, because they keep on hearing someone cheering and screaming from the sky, and the sound of something fast flying around.

Does that sound familiar to you?"

...

"... No…"

"There's also this rumour about how they're hearing giggles and hushed whispers when they ventured further into the middle of the island at night," Neteyam added, looking at Aonung expectantly, "Does that ring any 'bell'?"

Aonung obviously knew what Neteyam was implying.

They totally were not being subtle. It was no wonder that even Tuk managed to figure them out. (For one, Neteyam absolutely adored flying. It was only right that Aonung accompanied the omatikayan during his night flights. It just so happened that the metkayina had a somewhat love-hate relationship with heights; feel the wind in your face and see for yourself how unreal your lover looks while they’re flying, or fall to your death in a blink.

For two, the further they were into the island, the more privacy they had. And since they're oftentimes going on 'dates' at night, obviously they had to keep their voices hushed. Whispering and such.)

It was a miracle that Loak missed all the hints and rumours.

"What do you have in mind, then?" the metkayina questioned. "We should tell everyone that we've been courting each other for the past year, and then we can become mates?"

The smile on Neteyam's lips was a rather tricky one.

At a glance, it could be interpreted as his usual kind smile.

Aonung knew better.

"That's a little boring, don't you think?" the omatikayan replied, mischievous and scheming. "How about this?

We'll become mates only when Loak figures us out."

The metkayina scowled.

"We'll never be mated, then!" he argued, nose scrunching, a little upset. "Rotxo is just figuring us out. We'll be past our prime before Loak would figure us out!"

"'Past our prime' for what, Ma 'Nung?"

It was safe to say that Aonung's entire body locked up.

Neteyam's gaze on him turned calculating, and Aonung started to sweatdrop profusely. "It was just a… figure of speech."

The omatikayan so clearly suppressed a string of snickers.

Fortunately and surprisingly, Neteyam dropped the topic there.

By the end of the night, Aonung relented and agreed with Neteyam's plan.

Although, before they parted ways as the omatikayan had walked Aonung to the said metkayina’s marui, Neteyam took a sudden risk by pressing a brief peck to a corner of one of Aonung's eyes, before playfully joking:

"I'll be happy to carry your child even if we're 'past our prime'."

The omatikayan left without another word, and Aonung kept his eyes on his lover right up until he realised Loak had been watching them.

Loak was squinting his eyes at Aonung, and the metkayina found himself waiting with bated breath.

He saw the two brothers exchanging a couple of words once Neteyam got to the younger omatikayan, Loak looking back and forth between his older brother and Aonung, still with that skeptical look in his eyes, before the two brothers started walking away - presumably to head to their marui.

While Loak looked like he was prattling off about something, Neteyam took that chance to subtly sign to Aonung:

'Too bad. He thought I was helping you check your eyes.

Better luck next time, maybe."

When Aonung headed to bed that night, he contemplated whether he should just ask Tsireya to tell Loak the truth.

He contemplated really hard and for a really long time. (It seemed that he wasn’t the only impatient one after all.

Good.)

***4***

Aonung was 19 when he and Neteyam somehow managed to become a good enough 'parent' together - 'co-parenting' or something - before they were mates.

After Ronal had checked the child they saved over roughly a year ago, she had called for both Neteyam and Aonung and told them:

"This child will be under your care. The both of you."

Initially, Aonung thought his mother was joking.

She was not.

"She has called for you, Neteyam," Ronal had explained, hands on her lap as she watched the easy way Neteyam held the child in his arms. "It was you who heard her cries. You were meant to meet her, and it is you who will care for her."

The words of the tsahik were absolute - and that's how Aonung, Neteyam, and the baby got a marui to themselves.

They named the baby Stxeli.

'Gift'.

Funnily enough, the only one who complained about the two of them getting a marui to themselves while they were so young was Loak, whom had said: "No way! It's like you guys are newly-mates or something!"

By some miracle, Loak entirely missed everyone's exasperated looks at his obliviousness.

That night, when Aonung completely walked past his 'designated' hammock in favour of joining Neteyam and pulling the omatikayan closed to his chest, lied down on Neteyam's hammock, the metkayina asked in mild exasperation, "Does what Loak say hours ago not count as him figuring us out? When he called us 'newly-mates'? "

Neteyam murmured a string of incomprehensible words, his words already slurring with sleep. Adamant to have his question answered, he maneuvered Neteyam carefully and quietly so that the omatikayan was facing him instead.

Under the moonlight that seeped into the marui, Aonung took a quiet moment to study Neteyam's face. The two of them had never slept together inside a marui, after all. When they did sleep together during their 'date nights', usually they would sleep outside; on the grass or a makeshift bed of flowers and leaves.

Never this comfortable.

He wondered if he would even be able to wake up with how deep of a sleep he would be getting. Having Neteyam so close and everything.

He pinched Neteyam's nose once he had taken his fill, and the metkayina refrained from distractedly pressing a kiss to the omatikayan's nose affectionately when the said omatikayan reluctantly opened his eyes to weakly and somewhat sleepily glare.

"Sleep, Aonung," Neteyam grumbled - before comfortably wrapping an arm around the metkayina and sleeping close, cheek pressed on Aonung's chest.

"Not until you tell me why Loak calling us 'newly-mates' doesn't count as him figuring it out," Aonung insisted.

With a resigned sigh, Neteyam merely closed his eyes and pressed his cheek further onto the metkayina's chest.

"Loak was just 'complaining'. Figure of speech. Joking.

He's not sure about it, so it doesn't count.

Now sleep."

Ever since then, Aonung had tried his hardest to be very obvious with being affectionate with Neteyam. In hopes that it would get through Loak's thick head.

It didn't.

It's been a year, and Aonung was starting to wonder if Loak was blind from how he's always missing every hint.

"You should stop hogging my brother, fish lips."

Loak, Rotxo, and Aonung were patrolling together.

It's like Loak was trying to ragebait Aonung, really.

"I'm not hogging your brother," Aonung sighed, missing Neteyam even more now that Loak had brought the omatikayan up.

Rotxo snickered, but Aonung got the feeling that he was snickering at the metkayina's 'hopeless' mate situation rather than at Aonung's exasperated delivery of his words.

Aonung had, indeed, confided in Rotxo about his 'situation' the moment the younger metkayina confronted him about 'something's going on between you and Neteuam, isn't it?'

Like Aonung, Rotxo, too, said his condolences when he heard that Neteyam and Aonung would only mate once Loak figured out the whole situation himself.

"Yeah you are, bro!" Loak argued, kicking the sand in the ground and frowning rather seriously. "I mean, Stxeli is cute and all, but I miss waking up to push Neteyam off his bed."

What a moron.

"You're a menace," Aonung shook his head, looking up and awfully relieved that the eclipse was approaching.

It meant that it was time to go back. It meant that it was time for Aonung to see Neteyam again.

"We should head back," the metkayina seamlessly changed the topic, already heading for the water to call for an ilu.

Jokingly, Rotxo teased, "What? Missing your beloved already?"

Aonung thought that was a pretty good assist to help Loak figure it out, considering how they were just talking about Neteyam. 

Unfortunately, things had never been so easy with Loak te Suli Tsyeyk'itan.

"Right!" Loak exclaimed, catching up to Aonung and starting to walk backward in front of the metkayina before asking rather accusingly, "What does the girl you're courting think about you and my brother raising a child together?"

Eywa, open this skxawng's eyes…

17-year-old Rotxo was barely able to stop himself from breaking into a fit of laughter, while Aonung prayed to Eywa to grant him strength to deal with the idiot who was the brother of the love of his life.

In response, Aonung flicked Loak's forehead, and deadpanned:

"Yeah, baby bro. Don't think about that too hard."

Aonung left while ignoring Loak's immediate complaints to the metkayina's vague reply.

By the time they got to the village, eclipse had passed, and Awa'atlu was bathed in shades of orange, pink, and purple.

To make things even better, the first person he saw was none other than Neteyam.

The omatikayan wasn't alone. He's carrying Stxeli in one of his arms while the child has her arms around the omatikayan's neck, clinging tightly. Spider and Tuk were also there, and Aonung could only assume Kiri and Tsireya weren't present because they were with Ronal. (Ronal had taken quite a liking to Kiri. She claimed that the 18-year-old omatikayan had a lot of potential, and that despite Tsireya already having been appointed as tsakarem, she insisted that Kiri should be taught a thing or two, too.)

11-year-old Tuk spotted the approaching warriors first, waving and exclaiming their names.

As soon as Aonung got to shore and got off his ilu, he made a beeline for his beloved.

While Neteyam momentarily stiffened before pretty much melting into the hug when Aonung pulled him into one, Stxeli giggled, giddy and happy, before she excitedly exclaimed:

"Ma 'Nung!"

Everyone froze.

Neteyam, in particular, froze as if breathing would mean dropping dead.

The thing about 1-year-olds, was that they tended to repeat words that they hear often.

So.

'Ma' Nung.'

The person who spends the most time with Stxeli, aside from Aonung himself, is Neteyam.

There. That should get it through Loak's thick skull. 

Aonung wasn't sure if it was the same case for everyone, but, in that moment, a lot of thoughts were running through the metkayina's mind. Like what should Neteyam and he do to celebrate. Or where they would spend their first week together as mates - preferably in one of the islands nearby, so they have some privacy for themselves. He also thought of making Loak take care of Stxeli, since Loak was the reason Neteyam and Aonung took so long to become mates.

On top of it all, though, Aonung was looking forward to 'studying' and getting to know a side of Neteyam that he had never had the pleasure of meeting-

Loak breaking Aonung and Neteyam apart cut the metkayina's line of thought.

Offended at having his moment with his beloved family interrupted, Aonung scowled, was about to give his brother-in-law a piece of his mind, when Loak asked Stxeli specifically:

"You know who's the poor girl who's going to be fish lips' mate?!"

Eywa…

Tuk and Rotxo full-on started laughing their asses off, while Spider just looked awfully embarrassed on his oblivious friend's behalf.

On the other hand, Neteyam just looked genuinely at a loss as he gently placed a hand on the back of Stxeli's head, pulling her close so she's not looking at Loak. "Baby brother," he sighed, looking severely exasperated, "You're really dense."

Aonung stared at Neteyam's hands; patting Stxeli's head affectionately.

Though the metkayina knew Neteyam well enough to understand that the subtle impatience in his hand movements was just the omatikayan feeling a little… frustrated.

Funny. Considering how their 'situation' was brought to him by none other than himself.

"Where did that even come from?" Loak huffed. "It's your fault that I'm probably the last person who'll find out who fish lips is courting. In fact, you still didn't tell me who you are courting!"

In the background, Aonung could make out Spider's mixed exasperated and amused 'Loak, you dumbass…'.

Then, as if 'deja vu', Neteyam quipped:

"Yeah. Don't think about that too hard."

Loak paused. Visibly enough that Neteyam noticed.

In sync, both Neteyam and Aonung looked at each other, and when they turned to look at Loak, the omatikayan was already looking at them with a really 'I'm thinking very hard' look.

Perhaps.

Maybe.

Hopefully-

"Aonung! You're back!"

Along with Pril's voice, Neytiri and Jake Sully came to view.

(Fuuuuuuuck.

Just when he thought the wait would be over...) 

Aonung patted his youngest sister's head - he's totally cool about having the 'epiphany' interrupted, absolutely chill about it - when she collided into his leg and hugged him. "I am," he replied, cool and unbothered at all. 

The metkayina turned to the pair that had just arrived, and nodded in their direction as a kind of acknowledgement - to which earned him a reply from Jake, "Coast clear?"

It was Loak who answered, eager and dutifully, "Yes, sir."

Jake's serious expression took a softer touch at his youngest son's words.

"That's good," Jake supplied.

In the meantime, Neytiri turned to her firstborn and the child in the said firstborn's arm, and lovingly pinched Stxeli's cheek. "How is my adorable grandchild doing?" she asked, a rather serene smile on her lips morphing into one even more contented when the addressed grandchild happily chanted 'Tiri! Tiri!'.

It was a really heart-touching sight.

Drawn by the sight, Jake, too, went to check on his son and his grandchild. In the meantime, Aonung crouched down to meet his youngest sister's eyes.

"Where's sempul?" he asked, watching in amusement when Pril's eyes twinkled in admiration.

"He's overseeing the warriors," she excitedly told him. "You should see him! Really charismatic and cool. So unlike how he's always acting childish around sa'nok for her attention."

Aonung wanted to say that he was well-acquainted with their father's antics, but he chose not to say that, in the end.

Instead, he chuckled and agreed, "That's our father for you."

Pril snorted, shaking her head from side to side.

Though she was quick to change the topic when she seemed to have remembered something.

"Actually, Neytiri and I thought we should give you a hand," she suddenly claimed, successfully grabbing Neteyam's and Neytiri's attention. (Jake had gotten Rotxo and Loak to give a more detailed report of their patrol - not that there was much to report about. Spider joined the conversation, for some reason. Probably was just curious.)

Before Aonung could ask, Neteyam beat him to it, "You want to give us a hand?"

Pril turned to the omatikayan, enthusiastically nodding. "Yeah," she affirmed. "We'll look after Stxeli for tonight. You and Aonung should take a break. Have more time for yourselves, or so what Neytiri said."

Both Aonung and Neteyam looked at each other.

Then, they turned to look at Pril once again.

"That sounds nice," Neteyam said, thanking the considerate girl.

A few minutes after that, everyone saved for Aonung and Neteyam left to go to the village for dinner.

They asked if Aonung and Neteyam would join them for dinner, but the metkayina told them that they would 'hunt for their own dinner' for the night. As a way to spend time together, of course.

On cue, Loak drawled, "You guys are more nauseating than mom and dad, seriously.

Have fun going on your date or whatever."

While Loak walked ahead of everyone, mumbling something about how he wanted to look for Tsireya, everyone else took a moment to simply stare at the back of his in genuine wonder at the omatikayan's obliviousness before following after him.

Stxeli waved at Aonung and Neteyam, and the pair remained waving at her and stopped only after she was no longer in their sight.

Once they were entirely alone, Neteyam was quick to press his side to Aonung's, the metkayina naturally wrapping an arm around his lover's waist to steady him.

"You are taking care of Stxeli for the next entire week," Neteyam sighed, a little in exhaustion and a little in longing. "You have no idea how much I miss using my bow. And there's only so many times I can convince our mothers to take our child flying." A pause, before he wistfully added, "I missed flying, too."

Smoothly, Aonung pressed a peck to his lover's temple.

"I'll look after her," the metkayina promised - before he picked Neteyam up without warning.

The omatikayan scrambled to wrap his arms around Aonung's neck, and he locked his legs around the metkayina when the said metkayina kept a secure hold on his thighs.

Nuzzling their noses together, Aonung muttered another promise, "And, if you'll let me, I'll spoil you tonight, too."

Neteyam sounded breathless when he made a sound akin to a sigh and a fond chuckle.

"You'll spoil me?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I'll probably start by catching us dinner," Aonung answered, already starting to walk in the opposite direction from the village. "Then I'll make us dinner, and once we're full, I'll help you wash your hair, and, maybe, give you a massage."

Neteyam hummed, the sound pleased and awfully 'into the idea'. (The sound would mess with Aonung's head for some time, yes.)

"That does sound wonderful," Neteyam admitted, resting his chin on Aonung's shoulder while his hands went and started twirling the metkayina's curls around - presumably absent-mindedly.

It was one of Neteyam's habits. One he tended to do when he's feeling content and unbothered.

"And it can be a reality if you'll agree to it, ma yawntu," Aonung quipped, smiling a little too wide when he felt Neteyam's hands ministrations on his curls momentarily paused at the term of endearment.

It was something new. Aonung was glad Neteyam seemed to like it, judging from the swish of his tail.

"Guess I'll have no choice but to let you blow my mind," Neteyam settled to murmur, pressing a short peck to the metkayina's pulse on his neck.

Aonung was all too happy to oblige.

In the middle of washing Neteyam's hair, having painstakingly unmade the omatikayan's braids, the omatikayan suddenly sighed.

"How come my brother is so dense?"

Aonung glanced at Neteyam's hands on his lap: fiddling with nothing else to do.

Yet another telltale of him feeling impatient.

"He'll figure it out," Aonung supplied, amused and happy to be the one who's not impatient for once. (Both of them have been impatient for what felt like a pretty long time, really.)

Neteyam didn't seem appeased by the metkayina's reassurance. "Maybe we'll just have to give him a more 'on the nose' hint," he said, thoughtfully.

Aonung played along. "Like what?"

"I don't know," Neteyam shrugged. In return, the metkayina was just about to quip something smart before the omatikayan continued, "Maybe we should just make out in front of him."

There was no force in Pandora that could stop Aonung from laughing.

Only when his laughter died down, did he press an apologetic kiss to Neteyam's hand as the metkayina cheekily admitted to his unamused and scowling lover:

"I'm just happy that you are as desperate as I am."

Neteyam called him a 'skxawng' for stating the obvious.

They ended up falling asleep outside, that night.

Giving someone a massage could be pretty tiring. Even more so when he kept on purposely zoning out to not let his thoughts 'run a mile per minute' at every pleased and contented sound his lover made.

Loak, please get a fucking grip and notice already.

***5***

Aonung was 20 when the miracle happened.

It was a little jarring - how Loak finally connected the dots, the metkayina meant. In fact, it was in a totally unexpected way that Loak figured them out.

Their small group of friends had been sitting around a campfire when it happened. It was one of their leisure nights, as there was a festival going on for the metkayinas who had just passed their iknimayas.

5-year-old Pril had taken it upon herself to take 2-year-old Stxeli around the festival, and Tonowari and Jake Sully had taken it upon themselves to look after the kids as Ronal and Neytiri were busy making sure the events going on in the festival were running smoothly.

Loak and Tsireya had officially begun courting each other, Rotxo claimed that 'no one had caught his eye', and Spider and Kiri were, well, Spider and Kiri.

12-year-old Tuk had run off just minutes ago, claiming how she needed to catch up with a few friends back at the festival and also that she wanted to look for Pril and Stxeli. Plus, she complained that it sucked being around 'adults'; everyone at the campfire except her was a little tipsy, so Aonung couldn't exactly blame her for getting bored with their slurred responses.

Tsireya was seated beside Loak, comfortably leaning against the omatikayan as their tails were loosely coiled around each other. Rotxo was nodding off beside Kiri, while the 19-year-old omatikayan was busy styling Spider's hair, who was seated in front of her, halfway into her lap.

Seated opposite of Loak and Tsireya, Aonung and Neteyam were in the middle of passionately 'bickering'; drawing scores on the sand with sticks.

"No," Neteyam denied, shaking his head from side to side, adorably tipsy as he wiped away a score from Aonung's name. "I'm obviously the better dad. I mean, name two times you woke up in the middle of the night because you heard our ite crying," he challenged, looking at Aonung in challenge.

Truthfully, the metkayina couldn't take his lover seriously. Not when Neteyam looked all too cute drunk.

Tsireya chose to ask, then, "Why 'two times' specifically?"

Neteyam, almost sluggishly compared to the usual mindful way he was, turned to her before answering, "Because your brother sleeps like the dead, and he has woken up exactly once to poor Stxeli's cries."

Eager to have Neteyam's attention back on him, Aonung gingerly tilted the omatikayan's chin so the man looked at him instead of his sister.

"But," the metkayina murmured, searching for Neteyam's gaze and holding onto it when it met his, "She could say my name first before she could say yours. So she clearly loves me more than you. Just by a tiny bit more."

Neteyam's nose scrunched. The way it usually would when he's offended.

The omatikayan's nose, too, could be quite expressive. Yet another thing Aonung has come to learn about in the past years.

"You speak of love, Ma 'Nung?" Neteyam huffed, his tail flicking sharply once before he lightly pushed away Aonung's hand to say, "Fine. Something new to argue about, then: between the two of us, who loves the other more?"

Loak snorted. "There you guys go, talking like you're mates again," he snickered, arguably the most drunk one there.

Then again, it wasn't like he would miraculously 'connect the dots' if he were sober in this moment. Heck, the omatikayan didn't even seem to notice the nickname his older brother had called Aonung.

So the 19-year-old omatikayan was ignored.

"Alright, then," Aonung entertained his lover's suggestion. "I'll start."

"Sure."

Aonung glanced at everyone else around them.

Spider and Kiri were just watching Aonung and Neteyam in intrigue, Rotxo so clearly had fallen asleep sitting, Tsireya was staring at Aonung and Neteyam in anticipation and somewhat awe, and Loak was… dozing off. Somewhat. His eyes were barely open, but from the way his ears were still twitching at every sound, it was safe to say that he was somewhat listening.

Not like Aonung cared, really.

So the metkayina started. Drawing scores on the sand as he went.

"I gave you a courting gift first."

(Loak didn't react.)

"I kissed you first," Neteyam almost nonchalantly said. Sounding almost bored as he kept a steady eye contact with Aonung.

(Loak still didn't react.)

"I asked you out on a 'date' first."

Neteyam's nose twitched. "I'm definitely a better 'date' planner."

The metkayina forgoed paying attention to Loak's reactions in favour of looking at his lover seriously and in offense. "I plan great dates," he defended his honour.

The omatikayan snorted, softly shaking his head from side to side, drawing Aonung's attention to the said omatikayan's braids.

They looked like they were in need of brushing.

Maybe Aonung should offer his help. The two of them had gotten used to helping each other with their hair, anyway.

"You can, sure. But I am better at it."

"Gimme some examples."

"Okay," Neteyam went along, looking proud when he said, "You like flying. You said you didn't dare when I first suggested we go on flights at night, but I know that you'd like it - at least if it's with me." (The two of them pretended not to notice Tsireya's 'aww' and Spider and Kiri exchanging amused looks.) "There's also that date we had somewhere higher up. I found us that spot, remember? You wouldn't stop gushing about how you've been missing out on such a nice view."

"Counter argument," Aonung quipped, feeling his tail wagging a little behind him as he had a slightly crooked grin on his lips, "I love you more because I give better compliments - like in that date you spoke of, I'd say I was pretty smooth the entire time. Actually- I'm smooth all the time.

Minus the totally few times words gave up on me, of course."

Neteyam opened his mouth to speak, pausing, before he clicked his tongue, nose scrunching in mild defeat this time around.

However, Aonung didn't get to celebrate his triumph, as Neteyam seemed to have remembered something before he said, "Well, I fell for you first. So, technically, I've loved you longer than you have loved me."

It was Aonung's turn to scrunch his nose. "How are you so sure about that?" he questioned, lips pursed and unwilling to lose in this specific 'argument', "I've liked you since- well, not sure, but, our first ilu lesson? Eywa- since the first time I saw you smile!" 

"You have?!"

It was Tsireya who had exclaimed so loudly. Loud enough that Rotxo and Loak snapped somewhat awake.

Her eyes were sparkling as she looked back and forth between the two 20-year-olds, and Aonung was suddenly acutely aware of every pair of eyes that were on him in that very moment - expectant and anticipating.

Aonung cleared his throat and was about to answer his sister when Neteyam spoke up, looking up to the side:

"Well, I liked you since the moment my family got here."

Pretty much everyone except Loak grew significantly sober and wide awake at Neteyam's words.

Tsireya, in particular, sat straighter, and Loak's complaint about her suddenly 'being too far' fell on deaf ears as she exclaimed, "Really?!"

At the attention, Neteyam cleared his throat, looking increasingly embarrassed the more seconds passed by. "Well, it's a little… embarrassing to admit, but I just thought he's, well, good-looking the first time I saw him.

Of course, when he turned out to be a skxawng at that time, I tried to keep quiet about my crush and reasoned that I just.. liked his face-"

"That can't count," Aonung interjected, suddenly really adamant about winning.

Neteyam's nose twitched before it scrunched as he questioned, "Why can't that count?"

"Because I liked you the moment I saw you, too. I was just- I was just in denial about it. For a really long amount of time," the metkayina admitted, ignoring the way their friends' jaws - minus Loak, of course - dropped at the heartfelt admission.

"Well, that can't count," Neteyam argued, also taking their 'argument' pretty seriously. "Because you were in denial, but I accepted my feelings. Just that I was toning them down to 'falling for your good looks'."

Hm.

Aonung really didn't want to lose to Neteyam in this particular 'argument'…

In an attempt to put a momentary stop to their argument, Aonung took that as his cue to offer, "How about this?

I'll help brush your hair, braid it again, and then we'll pick up from where we left off."

As a response, the omatikayan gave him a deadpanned look.

"You're just trying to get out of finishing this argument," Neteyam stated matter-of-factly. (Both of them ignored Kiri's sarcastic and a touch teasing 'they're calling this an 'argument'?'. They also ignored Tsireya's almost inaudible disappointed sigh at having the argument put to a halt, and ignored Rotxo's and Spider's snickers in response to Kiri's words.)

"Yes," Aonung shamelessly admitted. "Now, can I do the honours?"

Despite rolling his eyes, Aonung could make out the suppressed endeared and amused smile on Neteyam's lips.

So Aonung was quick to casually pull Neteyam in his lap, and the metkayina immediately got to work.

Silence enveloped the group again.

At some point, Neteyam had fallen asleep against Aonung's chest. Kiri, Spider, and Rotxo were talking about something that Aonung had tuned out at some point into brushing Neteyam's hair, and Tsireya was back to falling asleep leaning against an equally sleepy Loak.

It was when Aonung was putting the Omatikaya beads in Neteyam's hair while braiding it, did the prolonged silence was abruptly interrupted by a loud:

"Holy shit!"

Everyone immediately looked at a gobsmacked-looking Loak.

Loak, who was looking at Aonung's hands, braiding Neteyam's hair.

"It's you?!" Loak continued to loudly exclaim, looking at his brother and his brother's lover in genuine shock. "It has been you this entire time?!"

And that was how Aonung found out that, apparently, the only reason Loak managed to put two and two together was because Neteyam had off-handedly told the younger omatikayan back when they were younger that the only person Neteyam would ever let near his braid - especially the ones with the omatikaya beads - was his mate.

Aonung had never kissed Neteyam so hard the very moment after that. (Loak, the hater he was, instantly started making gagging noises, but the metkayina really couldn't find it in him to give a shit about the fact that he was practically making out with his yet-to-be-mate in front of their friends.)

That was a couple of days ago.

On that same night, Aonung had told everyone that Neteyam was to be his mate as he was to be Neteyam's. It was a little embarrassing that most of his clan members' reactions were just a variation of 'finally' and 'took them long enough'. Though Loak's shock at everyone figuring it out before him made that embarrassment feel almost non-existent, as Aonung felt more at ease at feeling second-hand embarrassment for the 19-year-old omatikayan.

Now?

Now he got what he wanted. First night together with Neteyam as his very-soon-mates-to-be, alone on one of the islands near Awa'atlu.

To say he was scared was an understatement.

He wasn't 'scared' in the way he would feel if he were to face a ferocious akula. He wasn't 'scared' as he was when he first flew on an ikran with Neteyam. He wasn't 'scared' in the way he was when he thought he would lose Neteyam forever.

It was nerves.

He was so fucking nervous.

Neteyam had told him to wait for him outside the marui on the island, claiming that he had a surprise for his 'beloved mate'.

Aonung felt like the suspense would kill him first before he could finally intertwine his life with Neteyam.

"It took me way longer to do my hair than I expected."

Spoken too soon, apparently.

The metkayina immediately turned to look at his lover, but all words died in his throat when he saw the man who held his heart.

His braids were nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was styled in the way metkayinas would style their hair: a little wavy and curled. Aonung was pretty sure he had never seen Neteyam wearing that shade of blue as his tewng. The metkayina sort of felt like combusting when he realised the other man was holding something in his hands.

Under Aonung's gaze, Neteyam tried to feign casualness, but his every telltale sign when it came to feeling nervous was acting up in that moment. "I asked your mother's and sister's help on how to do the hair," he supplied unprompted, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear before meeting Aonung's eyes, "I have this... top with me. The one I'm holding in my hand. But... I don't know. I never really tried to put it on before, and I'm not sure if I'd look pretty in it.

My mother said the colour of this tewng complemented my skin, so…

I just want to look good for you, that's all.

It is the night the two of us have been waiting for, after all."

Aonung felt very close to crying at feeling severely underperforming.

Rather than saying that, though, Aonung was quick to close the distance between them, and take a really, really close and appreciative look at his to-be-mate.

Neteyam was so beautiful it hurt. (Aonung probably would have died on the spot had Neteyam put on the top.)

"Raincheck," Aonung blurted, wasn't even sure where to look before he settled on cupping his lover's face with his hands rather reverently so he could get a good look at all the emotions swirling in Neteyam's golden eyes. "I don't think I can do this," he rambled, acutely aware of how his tail was definitely wagging.

In return, the omatikayan merely gave the metkayina a fond eye roll. "There is absolutely no going back, ma yawntu."

"But I'm so underdressed," Aonung half-heartedly argued, knowing fully well that no amount of force would be able to force him to move away from Neteyam. "You look- you look so- so out of this world, and I'm- I barely have done anything-"

"I told you I'm the better planner, remember?" Neteyam interjected, cupping a side of Aonung's jaw with a hand before tilting the metkayina's head so he could brush his nose along the said metkayina's jaw; content and all too pleasant. "Plus, there's always tomorrow for you to blow my mind," he added, brushing his thumb along Aonung's cheekbone.

Neteyam was right. He always was.

Before Aonung could say anything, Neteyam pressed a short peck on Aonung's lips, and attempted to step away from the metkayina.

He failed in that regard; Aonung immediately placed his hands on the omatikayan's waist to hold him close.

Neteyam snickered, heck, maybe giggled was the better word for it, because the endearing sound felt like it had shaken Aonung's entire core, before the omatikayan's teasingly asked, "So. What should we do for tonight?"

What a good question.

The omatikayan followed up his question by tracing along Aonung's jaw with a hand, before he tugged on the courting gift he had given to the metkayina around the said metkayina's neck, knowing yet innocent golden eyes meeting Aonung's teal ones. "Should we do what we always do, go on a date and explore the island, or….

…or should we just go back to our marui?"

Out of nerves, Aonung went with the former option. Judging from Neteyam's amused reaction to the metkayina's answer, he probably had expected the choice and found Aonung's 'nerves' 'cute'.

They didn't get to return to the marui that night, having fallen asleep out among the trees and bioluminiscent plants instead.

Aonung found out that night that Neteyam could absolutely rock the top he had brought.

(Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan was finally his.)

***+1***

Stxeli was 5-years-old when she was asked if she wanted a younger sibling.

"Of course I want a younger sibling if I can have one!" she exclaimed loudly when her father asked, eyes sparkling enthusiastically, while the said father grew the tiniest shade of purple at his daughter's loud voice. (Some people who passed by their marui cooed and giggled at Stxeli's words, but she was much too ecstatic at the thought of getting a younger sibling to notice.)

The two of them were at their 'small family of three' marui, Stxeli having had her hair brushed by her father for some minutes already.

23-year-old Neteyam pursed his lips, considering his daughter's words before he said, voice hushed and somewhat conspirational as if he wanted to tell his daughter to keep her voice down, too, "Then go tell your dad that you want one."

"Really?!" Stxeli asked, her voice less loud, matching her father's volume. "He'll really give me a younger sibling?!"

"Not instantly," Neteyam answered. "You'll have to… wait a couple of months. But your dad needs some more convincing, I think."

Stxeli tilted her head, curiously trying to look at her father and wiggling around while Neteyam gently chided her to 'stop moving around so much'. So she relented and crossed her arms over her chest, sitting still in her father's lap and refraining from tapping her tail on her father. "Why does he need convincing?" she grumbled, pouting. "Uncle Loak said I should be looking forward to a younger sibling with how you and dad keep on making 'heart eyes' for each other, but it's been three years since he said that!" she added, couldn't help but pout further.

She really wanted a younger sibling.

The metkayina girl couldn't exactly see what expression her father was making. So when the silence stretched for a little too long, and the ministrations on her hair stopped, Stxeli tilted her head backward so that she could get a good look at whatever expression was on her father's face.

Neteyam looked… contemplating.

Concerned, Stxeli asked, "What's wrong?"

The omatikayan snapped out of his trance.

He shook his head softly, beads quietly clicking against each other from the action. "Nothing's wrong, ma ite. It's just…

Your dad thinks he hides it well, but he's hesitant."

"Hesitant? About what?"

"About…" Neteyam pursed his lips, seeming to be carefully searching for words to say his thoughts out loud. (Stxeli had long learnt that her father was one to think things thoroughly before acting on them or saying something. While the waiting made her feel suspense sometimes, she had always admired how level-headed her father could be. Definitely more level-headed than her dad.)

A few thoughtful moments later, Neteyam picked up from where he had trailed off, "About accidentally 'hurting' me."

Instantly, Stxeli stood straighter in alarm before she turned so that she could get a good look at her father. "Hurting you? Why would he hurt you?" she questioned, lips pursed before she nodded with more seriousness, "Dad would never hurt you."

"I know that," Neteyam reassured his daughter, lovingly pinching her cheek with a soft smile on his lips. Though the moment didn't last long, because Neteyam went back to brushing Stxeli's hair as he continued talking, "He never says it to my face, but I know he's worried about putting me at risk."

"Does 'getting a younger sibling' mean to put you in danger?"

"Giving birth has its risks, yes," Neteyam affirmed, his hands steady just as his voice was. "There's also how it's… harder for men to…." he was saying, but then he trailed off, and he shook his head - as if chiding himself about 'talking in too much detail'.

He was finishing up with Stxeli's hair when he continued speaking, "As I was saying, your father never said it to my face, but he has always been easy to read."

Stxeli looked in awe when, like routine, Neteyam's expression took on an awfully affectionate look at the thought of her dad. She used to be nauseated at the sight of it, the way her uncle would. Although, lately, she couldn't help but be more in awe of her parents' love. It could be because her aunt Tuktirey had told her too many love stories, but love stories could never do anyone harm.

"I think his eyes are the loudest," Neteyam said, snapping his daughter out of her short train of thoughts.

Her hair finished, Neteyam leaned away a little to get a good look at his curious-looking daughter.

She scrunched her nose and pursed her lips when she questioned, "'Eyes are the loudest'?"

"Yes."

"But eyes can't talk?"

Neteyam's soft smile took on a more secretive grin, pinching his daughter's nose lightly before he answered oh-so-mysteriously, "Not if you don't know their language.

I just so happen to understand your dad's language really well."

How mysterious…

The omatikayan gathered Stxeli's hands in his, before he continued to elaborate once they held each other's gaze again. "Your dad used to be really terrible at using his words. He was arrogant, too. The kind of guy who thinks he's 'better than anyone else'. He's the son of the oloeyktan and tsahik, so he thought he was above everyone else.

But behind that 'farce', he's more than the act he made out to be.

It was through his eyes that I saw him.

That's how I met your dad."

Stxeli put on a puzzled look.

"I thought you said the first time you met him was when you and everyone landed on Awa'atlu's shores?" she questioned, eyes furrowed as if trying to remember an old memory. "How come you have two different first meetings?"

Neteyam chuckled.

"Right," he said, grinning in mild amusement, "My bad. But I was digressing."

"You were?"

"Yes," Neteyam answered. "Pay attention, Stxeli.

You see, your dad's eyes are really clear. They have always been. Even when he was being a troublemaker, even when we first met, even when we started tiptoeing around each other, his eyes always spoke louder than his voice ever could. Spoke of everything that was left unsaid. 

I think it's why I fell for him the moment we met each other's eyes. Something so honest and almost blinding; I guess I just couldn't help myself."

A pause - before Neteyam continued, "Recently, your dad and I talked to the tsahik, your grandmother, Ronal, about wanting a child. A younger sibling for you. She told us that chances are slim, considering the difference in our anatomy, and that both of us are men. To top it all off, the process of giving birth itself is riskier for men compared to women.

The bright side is that she claimed that Omatikayans have a better chance at… carrying a child, compared to a Metkayina.

Your dad has been dodging the topic ever since that talk with your grandmother. I'm sure he thinks he's subtle, but he's not. Even if he was, I know him too well not to notice."

The metkayina girl took her time to understand her father's words, speaking up only when she felt like she had understood. "…are you and Dad going to be in danger?"

Neteyam was quick to shake his head 'no'.

"Nothing that we haven't gone through. Your dad and I survived a war, remember? Well, wars, but that's not the point.

The point, is that your Dad and I have gone through far worse, but, these past months, your dad has been acting a little like a coward."

Before Stxeli could ask any further, a new voice joined their conversation:

"Who's acting a little like a coward?"

Both Neteyam and Stxeli turned their heads to look at Aonung.

Immediately, the 5-year-old jumped out of Neteyam's lap to greet her recently arrived dad, hugging Aonung's leg while the man fondly snickered before lifting her up and easily holding her. Naturally, Stxeli wrapped her arms around her dad's neck while Aonung let her daughter sit on his arm.

Neteyam naturally followed, standing up and moving to press a kiss to the skin between his mate's eyes, earning himself an appreciative sigh from the metkayina man.

"You," the omatikayan answered after that affectionate action. Then, tilting his head at their daughter while looking at his mate, Neteyam added, "She said she wants a younger sibling."

Stxeli was quick to pay attention to her dad's eyes.

…her father must have been lying. She saw nothing but fond mirth in her dad's eyes.

"She said that, or was that just you persuading her to want a younger sibling?" Aonung quipped, not really looking at Neteyam as he busied himself with grinning at their daughter.

Stxeli stared.

She knew this 'tactic' her dad was using. It's like when she knew she did something wrong, so when confronted about it, she purposely looked at her feet in hopes that her guilt wasn't written all over her face.

She knew this tactic really well.

"Ma 'Nung."

Both Aonung and Stxeli comically stiffened.

They knew the tone Neteyam was using really well.

Aonung adjusted his daughter in his hold, before he cleared his throat.

"Yes, ma yawntu?"

Neteyam pursed his lips.

"She's not alone in this," the omatikayan softly said, gently clasping Aonung's bicep as their eyes met. "I want to give her a younger sibling."

Suddenly, it wasn't too hard to believe that there was a whole new language that only eyes could portray, because, stuck between her parents, she could see that something was being exchanged between them without having a clue what it was.

Eventually, Aonung put Stxeli down, and gently told her to go see what her grandparents were doing at the Sully's marui.

She nodded, quickly leaving the marui and pretending to actually leave. Then, when she thought she had 'fooled' her parents, she went back to her marui as quietly as she could. Trying to eavesdrop.

Immediately, she heard Aonung's voice.

"-just don't think it's worth it, 'Teyam," the metkayina was saying, sounding a little guilty but sincere. "I just- I can't lose you."

There was some shuffling - Stxeli didn't dare peek, lest her 'cover would be blown' - before she heard Neteyam's voice, soft and comforting.

"You won't lose me."

"How can we be so sure?" Aonung retorted, his words laced with concern and anxiousness. "You heard what my sa'nok said. I just- I can't.

No matter how much I wish we could have a child together, I'll never put your life at risk. Plus… plus we already have Stxeli. She's ours. Eywa gifted her to us.

The three of us are enough. It's already a miracle that I haven't lost anyone close to me yet, and I don't want to tempt fate by putting you at risk."

"Aonung te Tsika'u Tonowari'itan."

That's her dad's full name, yes.

Looks like Neteyam was going to get serious.

"Weren't we both looking forward to having a child together?" Neteyam asked, expectedly sounding serious.

A moment of silence stretched.

"…yes," Aonung eventually answered, but was quick to add, "but that was before I knew I could lose you-"

"Do I look weak to you?" Neteyam countered.

"No-"

"Then I can take it," the omatikayan interjected, sounding sure and absolute. "I can take whatever you give me.

I've narrowly escaped death twice. What's another one?"

For a really long, really tense silence, Stxeli found her breathing lessons helpful. She was pretty sure it was the longest time she had held his breath, in anticipation or not.

Just when she thought about stepping into the marui in hopes of momentarily cutting the conversation short so the two of them could cool down, she heard Aonung sigh.

It was a sigh of endearment and helplessness.

"So there's really nothing I can do to convince you otherwise?" he asked, sounding the tiniest bit hopeful.

Though Neteyam was quick to snuff that flicker of hope out.

"Nothing," the omatikayan affirmed.

There's the familiar sound of a short and sweet kiss - Stxeli was very aware of his parents' excessive display of affection, thank you very much - before Neteyam's voice sounded again, "I want this with you."

In the face of Neteyam's determination, if Stxeli was being honest, there was no way that her dad would get his way.

A happy smile stretched itself on the metkayina girl's lips when she heard the familiar sound of Aonung sagging into a hug that was presumably initiated by Neteyam.

Just when she was about to enter the marui again to join the hug, she heard her dad barely audibly mumbling:

"I thought I was being pretty good at acting like everything is okay."

Neteyam scoffed, fond and amused.

"You can't lie to me, Aonung. I know you well.

And your eyes have always been a mirror to whatever turmoil you're in."

It was sweet.

It was really sweet.

Sweet enough that Stxeli decided to actually head for the Sullys' marui to give her parents some privacy.

When she got to the Sullys' marui, she found her grandparents preparing dinner.

Her grandfather, the legendary Toruk Makto, was quick to notice her presence, looking around her before he addressed her with a question, "Good to see you, babygirl. You're here alone?"

She entered the marui and plopped to sit beside her grandmother, who, in turn, complimented how nice her hair looked.

"Father brushed and styled it for me just now," she told Neytiri, cheekily and shyly grinning when the omatikayan told her she looked pretty - just like her father.

Then, she turned to her grandfather to give her reply: "I think dad and father should have some time to themselves."

Neytiri and Jake Sully exchanged glances.

It took another beat before the two of them turned to look at their granddaughter again.

"Very well, then," Neytiri murmured, affectionately ruffling her granddaughter's hair. "Looks like you will join us for dinner."

Stxeli wouldn't mind. Neytiri always makes the best food, anyway - after Neteyam, at least, but perhaps that was a matter of preferences.

That night, the 5-year-old prayed to Eywa to 'keep her family away from harm'.

She may not be Aonung's and Neteyam's daughter by blood, but they were the only parents she had ever known, and she had faith in Eywa's plans.

She could only pray that everyone she loved would always be under Eywa's care.

***END***