Courting

Chapter 5

Ao'nung was frozen, realising how much he had just disclosed to the boy now staring back at him. Refusing to meet the puzzled eyes looking deep into him, Ao'nung looked at his feet, staring hard enough to boil the water they were standing in. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Neteyam's expression morph from confusion to a kind, twinkling gaze. 

"You... like me?" the boy whispered, his voice full of surprise. Unable to prepare himself for the pity that was surely going to befall him as soon as Neteyam processed what he had just said, Ao'nung turned and dived into the water. They were standing right on a ledge before an open area of reef, optimal for ilu riding. Going straight over the edge and diving straight down, determined to go far away. Taking a quick look behind him once he had reached the sandy floor below, Ao'nung saw bubbles trailing after him, along with a determined looking Neteyam. Ao'nung quickly turned back around and swam even faster, but not before noticing how Neteyam's eyes crinkled at the edges, and the ridge of his nose between his eyes scrunched up against the salt water rushing into his face. Darting further along the floor of the reef, Ao'nung clicked and made a high pitched sound in the back of his throat, calling his own ilu. A flurry of fish darting over a coral bed in front of him signalled it's arrival. Mounting quickly, Ao'nung triumphantly rode away, looking back to see a defeated, almost upset looking Neteyam reaching the bottom of the reef. 

Ao'nung had rode furiously around the reef after that, around small rock spires through arches of coral, tall seaweed, and schools of fish. His face was burning, the cool water doing nothing to cool him down. He hadn't realised how much tension his shoulders had, despite the need to remain loose while riding an ilu, to help adjust with quick turning and directionc change. Unable to release it, calling himself foolish repeatedly in his own head. Ao'nung did not enjoy the depths of his mind, often only finding reasons he was not adept enough to be the future Olo'etkyan. More recently, he was always greeted by annoyingly charming memories of Neteyam. The openness of his smile when Tuk was laughing over a funny looking fish, the lightness of his voice when he was teasing Lo'ak about his crush, the strength of his legs when he ran along the rock flats. Determined to continue putting space between them, Ao'nung chased these thoughts away in favour of focusing wholeheartedly on the water opening around him. 

In the days following this incident, Ao'nung was relieved that Neteyam seemed to have halted his attempts at friendship, and was practicing ilu riding alone, and learning closely behind Kiri with their signing lessons. Rotxo had since rejoined the group, and had taken some need off of Ao'nung. Regardless how much Ao'nung was determined to avoid the boy, he couldn't stop his gaze lingering on his tail, lazily swinging as he ate meals with their two families. Couldn't prevent his eyes from following the lighter stripes patterned over his shoulders, around his waist, and along his thighs. He couldn't help staring at the braids that so often fell in his face when he was determinedly mounting his ilu. Ao'nung hated the slight annoyance that rose within him when he saw how well Neteyam was catching on to riding, even without his help. 

What Ao'nung did not notice, is the studious looks that Neteyam often directed his way. Looking at the Metkayina boy as if he had been a story that was half-finished, and was trying to predict the ending. The golden eyes of the Omatikaya warrior were often, consciously or not, observing how Ao'nung easily commanded his own ilu, how effortlessly he could dive and propel through the water, his limbs rippling with muscle honed through what could only be rigorous training. Had he seen these looks, he may not have been so surprised when he was later approached by Neteyam, after they had been excused from dinner. 

"Hey, Ao'nung, wait up." Neteyam called to him, walking a few feet behind Ao'nung. Hearing his voice so close, directed at him, Ao'nung was running before he could think. He soon realised the only reason he was not caught by Neteyam earlier, was his advantage underwater. On solid ground, Neteyam streaked after him, sand flying. Too quickly, he felt the pull of an hand clasped on his wrist, and Ao'nung was pulled to a surprisingly abrupt stop, arm yanked hard by Neteyam's solid grip. Without thinking, he grabbed the arm holding his, and twisted it around, pushing Neteyam into the ground. Obviously shocked, but recovering quickly, Neteyam pulled himself, by the hold he sustained on Ao'nung's wrist, under the standing boy. Shocked by the sudden resistance, Ao'nung's feet dragged forward and his chest fell back. Before he could even see that the boy had moved, Neteyam's arms appeared under his shoulders, unnecessarily breaking the fall onto the rather soft sand. 

"Look who's getting ahead of themselves now." Neteyam whispered, mouth too close to Ao'nung's ear. Recovering his footing quickly, Ao'nung stood and shouldered Neteyam before tipping him backwards, causing him to let out a winded grunt as he hit the ground. Not willing to give him a chance to recover again, Ao'nung grabbed Neteyam's wrists, pushing them into the sand on either side of the boys head, where his braids were spread out in a beautiful halo of beads and shining black hair, glinting in the late night light. Their heads now closer than Ao'nung would ever have allowed otherwise, he could feel slight panting breath from the boy he had unknowingly trapped beneath his own weight, now sitting on Neteyam's thighs, just below his waist. "New teaching method?" Neteyam asked, grinning back at the boy seated on his legs. His teeth were perfectly in line, his canines protruding slightly further than the others, gleaming white in the moonlight. Realising how uncomfortably warm the friction under his legs was, in contact with Neteyam, Ao'nung began to try and stand. Before Ao'nung could so much as release his hold on his wrists, Neteyam had spun his hands around, freeing them, before grabbing Ao'nung's in a similar fashion. He locked his shoulders and pushed forward, and then twisted to the side. Quickly adjusting his legs, as their previous position now meant that, with Neteyam kneeling, Ao'nungs legs were on either side of the other boys waist as he was pushed down on his back.

Moving so he was now kneeling on either side of Ao'nung's waist, Neteyam pushed the hands he was still holding, onto the sand above Ao'nung's head. This brought their faces very close together once more. No longer shadowed by Ao'nung hovering over him, his freckles now glowed a brighter blue, dusting over his forehead, nose, and cheeks. Panicking at how hot his lower stomach had become, Ao'nung struggled, not realising how easily he had fallen for Neteyam's feigned weakness. 

"Let. Me. Go." Ao'nung growled dangerously, voice so low Neteyam could only hear since he was so close to the other's mouth. Grin faltering slightly, Neteyam loosened his grip on Ao'nung enough so the boy he had pinned below him could push him off and stand. Refusing to acknowledge how hot and bothered slight wrestling had made him, Ao'nung made to storm away, when Neteyam grabbed him, this time just resting a hand upon his shoulder. 

"Wait, I still want to talk. No more fighting." Neteyam told him, pulling slightly, making Ao'nung turn to face him again. 

(sorry to cut this off but this chapter is a lot longer than I intended)