Aonung x reader • Dance•

VIII

You cried when you left. You cried a lot but your mother cried more. Your father teared up but refused to let any tears shed. Tsireya cried the most. She was your closest friend and you both hated to be torn apart. " It'll be ok I'll be home before you know it." You tried to reassure her but she only held you tighter. As much as you didn't want to, you had to pull yourself away. You waved off everyone as your Ilu glided on the surface of the water. The Sully family even stood on the beach to see you off. Neteyam clearly the most upset. However, Anoung was nowhere to be seen. It broke your heart a little that you didn't get to say goodbye. Even with everything going on you still wanted to say goodbye to him.
With a heavy heart you dove beneath the waves and rode beyond the reef.
Your time with the other clan was more enjoyable than you had anticipated. In your first year you made new friends and learnt many new skills. You even learnt new dances and taught the clan some of your own. As you grew into adulthood the men of the clan became more interested in you. A few even tried to convince you to stay on the island, but your heart still longed to return home. You wondered how everyone was doing and how your friends have grown up too. You regretted how you had left things with Aonung. You had grown to realise that it was stupid and childish to make such a big deal over something so silly.
By the end of your second year you had fully matured into a beautiful woman and with that you could finally return home. You said your goodbyes to the friends you made but you only felt excitement to go home and see your family. Your Ilu even seemed excited to return home. She swam much faster and showed no sign of slowing down until she reached the reef. Every so often your Ilu would leap out of the waves to catch a breath. As your home came into view you heard the sound of a horn being blown signalling to the clan that you and the others had returned. You leapt off of your Ilu as soon as you were close enough to the beach and sprinted as fast as you could to your parents. You embraced them both and began to cry with joy. You were taller than your mother now but still not even close to being as tall as your father. It felt so good to be home. Tonowari and Ronal welcomed you back with open arms and Tsireya was sobbing just like when you left. She had grown so much and somehow was even more beautiful than you remembered. She clung to your arm fearing that if she let you go you'd be gone again. You didn't mind of course, you missed her just as much. She whipped away her tears and beamed at you " Come see everyone else! They'll be so excited to see you!" She was practically shaking with excitement. You both made your way through the village. You told her stories of your experiences and she told you everything that happened after you left. Kiri and Rotxo became very close, Tuk was growing up fast, her and Lo'ak were together but kept it secret, Neteyam focused on becoming a true Metkayina warrior and Aonung had practically buried himself in his responsibilities as next Olo'eykatan. Tsireya told you that after you left he became very cold and sometimes very mean towards others. He got into a fight with Lo'ak and Neteyam, nearly got Lo'ak killed outside the reef and tensions between Anoung and the brothers had been high ever since. You didn't like the sound of Aonungs' new attitude . He sounded like he had completely changed.
Finally you had reached the sandbar where everyone was gathered. Everyone except Aonung. Tuk spotted you first and called your name before running towards you. She almost tackled you to the ground. Everyone soon followed gathering around you and welcoming you home. Neteyam was the last to greet you. He had grown so tall. His hair was longer and framed his sharp features. His eyes were as breathtaking as you remembered. He was lean but muscular and his body was decorated with scars from hunting and training. Neteyam had undoubtedly grown into a very handsome man. You felt your heart pick up speed when he shyly smiled at you. He looked at you for a few moments before breaking the silence. " You got tall." You giggled at this. ~ Is that really all he can manage to say to me?~ " Well, you got taller." He laughed at this before pulling you into a hug. " I missed you." " I missed you too." It felt so good to see him again and even better being held in his arms. Your moment with Neteyam was interrupted by Tonowari calling for all of you to join the clan in celebration for your return. You broke away Neteyam but before you even began walking Kiri and Tsireya pushed Neteyam aside and took your arms from either side. The girls giggled with excitement. Kiri turned back to Neteyam " Sorry Net but we need some girl time." The three of you walked back to the village arms linked while you told the girls stories and gossip from your time away. " Are you going to dance for us tonight?" Kiri asked her face lighting up. " If there's music I'll be dancing, don't worry." " Maybe if Anoung sees you dance he might stop being such a jerk." Tsireya said while side eyeing you to see your reaction. " I don't think my dancing is going to fix Aonung's bad temperament." You replied with a sigh. Kiri was quick to comment " I wouldn't be so sure, I think his bad attitude was all because his favourite dancer wasn't here to cheer him up." Her tone was mocking and she fluttered her eyes at you. You all burst into laughter but your cheeks turned pink at the thought of you being so important to Aonung. You quickly changed the subject to Kiri and Rotxo's relationship which had Kiri quiet and blushing.
You continued taking turns teasing each other. Although the girls picked on you about Anoung more and even sometimes bringing up Neteyam's name. You tried to keep your reactions as neutral and unreadable as possible in hopes they'd drop the subject. In the back of your mind you knew it didn't matter who you liked because your parents had already arranged a mate for you. Tonight after the celebration it would be announced. You knew this but wouldn't let it affect your good mood or your  first day home with your clan.