Always There - Neteyam x Aonung

I

Thank you for choosing to read my fanfic! I decided I wanted this to be after the events of the movie, because I have more freedom with what I write.
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     It was two days after the events with the Sky People. Aonung was currently sitting on the beach. His curls fell around his face, the breeze pushing them back ever so slightly. He hadn't had the time to rebraid it, he didn't feel like it. He hadn't been in the mood since finding out about Neteyam. He never cared about the boy, why was it affecting him now?, he pondered. The smell of smoke still loomed in the air, masking the natural saltwater smell. His eyes scanned across the cove while he was deep in thought. The sound of Metkayina wooping snapped him from his thoughts. He whipped his head around towards the sound. There was a group gathering at the medical mauri. He felt inclined to see what it was about. He pushed himself off of the sand, dusting himself off. His strides were large, his pace faster than a walk. As he neared the group, he could see his mother, Ronal, in the middle. Towering next to her, was his fathers Tonwari. At the front of the group was the Sully family. Tsireya stood with Lo'ak, huddled close to him. His arm was around her. Aonung seemingly arrived in the middle of the speech.

"With Ewya's grace, our Tsahìk, along with Kiri, has stablized Toruk Makto's oldest son, Neteyam, he shall live!" Tonwari's booming voice echoed across the sand. Whoops and clicks simultaneously started. Aonung felt a sense of relief wash over him. He raised his right hand, balling it into a fist, whooping along with the clan.

That night, Aonung crept down the walkway, rounding the corner to the medical pod. The boards beneath his feet freaked slightly, causing Aonung's heartbeat to increase. He approached a window that lead into the mauri. He gazed in. The mauri was lit with a single fire off to the far side. In the middle was the lithe figure of Neteyam. Aonung hadn't seen the boy in what felt like forever. He was slightly pale, his braids loose, framing his calm face. His torso was covered in bandage, which was soaked through with blood in the center. Aonung noticed that the entrance was sealed off with a woven door. He would have to go through the window. He glanced around, making sure that the coast was clear, before hoisting himself upward, sliding through the opening. He turned around to face the window again, rolling the flap down to close it. Don't need people to know I'm in here. He didn't need anyone to know him, the next in line to be Olo'eyktan, cared about someone with demon blood. In reality, he had a lot of respect for Neteyam. He strode over to where the comatosed boy was, kneeling down. He stared at his face, noticing small specks that glowed.

"Your skin looks like the midnight sky," he mumbled quietly, sitting down cross-legged. He lifted his hands up, feeling the need to braid his hair. It had been down for a while, and it was getting on his nerves. The boy didn't need a mirror, he had learned exactly where he needed to part his hair to braid. He split it down the middle, taking a section from behind his ear.

He began braiding, "I learned how to braid my own hair from my sister always wanting me to do hers," he chucked.

"Apparently mom yanks her hair too hard, and I have gentle hands. I don't mind it though, it has made me a skilled net weaver," he continued onto the next section of his hair, leaving ends loose so he could do his signature bun. Aonung watched Neteyam closely, staring at his face, looking for any sort of movement from him. When he didn't get anything, he continued on with his one sided conversation, talking about anything he could think of as he braided his hair.
Once he was finished, he scooted back against the wall, under the covered window. He turned his gaze to the dying fire in the corner, his eyelids feeling like 20lb weights. Soon, he couldn't keep them open at all. What could a nap hurt? He would get up well before dawn, and everyone else.

Well, that didn't happen. He awoke to the sound of an impatient young Omatikaya.