Chapter Text
It was a random Tuesday morning at the beginning of summer break when they found the letter on Lo’ak’s desk.
“Don’t look for me. I’ll be back when i’m ok.”
Anguished outraged was an understatement of how Neytiri reacted. They tried calling but of course Lo’ak with his stubbornness didn’t answer. She was just one more curse word away from calling the police and then Jake, but then Neteyam successfully calmed her down. His father really needed to perform well at work, just one more year before he can finally get promoted and maybe get to spend more time at home. And Neteyam really wished that would come true. The last three years had been hard on their family because Jake was almost always away to the military base across the country, he only got two weeks at home every quarter. Neytiri was busy running the dental clinic while taking care of four kids. So Neteyam, being the eldest son, tried his best to help when he could.
“Mom, i know where he goes. He told me some time ago about Awa’atlu saying he will definitely go there to see the beach. He even told me about how to get there, you know, the whole plan. I can come get him, mom. Dad doesn’t need to know right now, when we get Lo’ak back then you can tell him later.”
Neytiri signed. Her eldest, her 18-year-old baby, is always covering for his idiot baby brother, always trying to solve the situation by taking responsibility to himself. She recalled back to a week ago, when Jake was still here, the cops called one afternoon. Apparently there was a fight at the skating park between some kids, Lo’ak punched a boy so hard it knocked a tooth out of his mouth. It was chaos dealing with the other kid’s parents, and they only finally agreed to settle after Neytiti promised to fix the boy’s tooth for free. And as for the reason why they had fought, Neteyam claimed it was because of him, which of course nobody believed.
And Jake was furious. This was not the first time something like this happened. So he grounded Lo’ak till the end of summer, no gaming, no skating. And Neytiri agreed to it, since she believed Lo’ak really needed to learn how his actions come with consequences. The boy didn’t take it very well and refused to see the family, until Jake then again had to leave. Neyriti signed again thinking how long the next three months were going to be and how she could manage it all alone.
“Mom, he is taking the sleeper bus. If you let me drive now i will probably get there before him and catch him right at the station. I promise i will call you every hour.”
If only she could just close the clinic and get the car starting right now. But she couldn’t and she knew it.
“Tuk needs you, mom. She won’t go to sleep without you. Please mom, I can take him back, it will be ok. Lo’ak is not that dumb, we will be safe.”
And Neytiri agreed. Neteyam will always hold her trust, and somehow she had a feeling that maybe the brothers needed this.
-Present-
It took Neteyam 8 hours to finally get to Awa’atlu. Well, almost. His car broke down in the middle of the road, only maybe 20 km away from the town. And there is nothing around here, no houses or stores or anyone so he can get help. He should have taken the normal route, but since he wants to come to Awa’atlu first before Lo’ak, he took an advice from a local at the gas station and ended up here on this rural road.
He can’t let his mom knows he is stuck. So best plan now is to walk back to the last house he saw and ask for help, which is going to be quite a while. And the summer sun is really not making dealing with this any easier, he can feel the heat passing through him and his whole body hurts from driving all day.
Or…maybe he can try to fix the car? Neteyam is no expert in cars, but he saw Jake did some work on this car once, maybe if he tackles the right place the car will work again? Better trying this before walking 10 km back, he thinks.
So here is Neteyam, bending down checking inside the car hood under the sun in the middle of the road. Tight jeans around his waist, tank top soaked in sweat sticking to his slim body. His long beautiful beaded braids glistening and dangling every time a breeze blows by. Eyes focused checking the machine without noticing a car slowly approaching.
—
Aonung is on his way home until he sees a broke down car ahead of him. From a far he can’t really see the person, so he slowly approaches as he rolls down the window.
“Hey, do you need help?…”
His voice slows down as his eyes meet Neteyam for the first time.
…What in the Megan Fox Transformers is this?… is what comes to his mind. His eyes travel up and down as Neteyam straightens up.
“Are you driving to Awa’atlu? I’m heading there. Do you need a ride or anything?” Aonung asks while noticing how Neteyam’s fingers tense up into a fist in a blink of an eye and then slowly release. The pretty boy doesn’t seem too comfortable talking to strangers. Or maybe he is frustrated being seen in such helpless situation.
“Oh, hi,…ye i’m heading there too. But i’m trying to fix my car. I can’t just leave it here.”
“You sure you can fix it? I can take you into town and we can get the mechanic’s tow car to pick yours up for fixing.”
Neteyam hesitates. He knows he needs help, but getting in a strangers car is not exactly his imagined solution. But he really has no other choice. He takes another look at the boy in front of him. The boy looks about his age with the bluest eyes he has ever seen, with curly hair in a messy bun behind his head. T-shirt clings onto his wide shoulder. One big arm on the wheel, the other hang loosely out the car window. Neteyam hates to admit but the stranger’s handsome look does make it a tiny bit easier to trust him. The car looks expensive too, so he is probably not going to rob him, hopefully.
“You look kinda scared. I don’t bite, at least not without consent. And I’m not a serial killer i swear. Just want to help you out if you need it.” Aonung smiles as he leans back abit, his eyes still on Neteyam. And only Eywa knows how much he secretly hopes the beautiful boy would say yes.
“I’m not scared. Just…you know what they say.”
“Hey, well i guess getting you to know me abit would make it easier. I’m Ao’nung, I live in Awa’atlu with my family. We own a business there. I’m 18 and I’m guessing you’re around my age too. So now may i know your name?”
It is definitely tempting when he says it with a voice like that. Cocky but quite charming. Neteyam can’t find any other reason to refuse, and also he really needs to get to Awa’atlu bus station before Lo’ak disappears into town.
“My name is Neteyam. Well, if it’s not too much for you, can you take me to Awa’atlu bus station first before mechanic shop? I hope it’s not taking you too much time. I just really need to see someone there.”
“No problem. Anywhere you need. And we should get going, the last bus will stop there in half an hour.”
Neteyam pops the hood back down, then gets his things quickly. He doesn’t pack much, only some clothes and his phone since he doesn’t think it would take them longer than two days. He finally locks everything then hops into Aonung’s car.
As the car starts rolling, Neteyam prays in his head that this doesn’t turn into a disaster. If this Aonung guy does anything funny, he won’t hesitate to practice what years of being a military man’s son prepare him for. And if Eywa can help him, please let Lo’ak stays put wherever he is, even though he knows that not even Eywa can stop that boy from causing trouble.