Ao'nung x Neteyam slow burn

Day 35

Neteyam

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder. "Teyam." It was Ao'nung, easy. He was the only one who called me that. Unwillingly I opened my eyes. "Mh?" I damn hoped he had a good excuse. "The tulkun are returning!"
Suddenly I was wide awake. He'd told me so much about the tulkuns and his spirit brother that I was dying to meet them. I quickly got up and followed him outside. "How do you even recognize him?" To me, they all looked the same. He lauged. "Just like I recognize you or anyone else. You'll see."
Together we ran into the water and as soon as we broke through the surface, he grabbed my hand and started swimming.
I watched the tulkuns who were the closest to us. They were absolutely fascinating and so gentle with the comparably small metkayina.

An obviously young tulkun swam directly towards me as soon as it's seen me. Without a thought I let go of Ao'nung and stretched both my arms out to the gentle giant. We played for a bit and as my friend continued searching for his brother, I followed him and the tulkun followed me.
With a smile I signed My Name is Neteyam. I see you. As an answer, she let out a few squeaks and other sounds. Ao'nung was kind enough to translate it. Her name is Txampay. She greets you too. He waited for a moment. She asks if you can also feel that. Feel what? But as soon as I thought that, I realized what he meant. I felt drawn to her. Yes. Does that mean that you're my spirit sister? She squeaked happily and Ao'nung didn't even need to translate that. I told him to go look for his brother and that we'd follow him.
He swam away, searching for the tulkun. The longer we looked, the worse got the feeling in my guts. We finally stopped in front of a old-looking female tulkun.
He asked her whether she had seen him anywhere. After se answered him, he didn't look at me and swam to the nearest shore. I turned to Txampay. I'm going to look after him. Looks like he needs me. If you want, you can wait here for me. I'm going to find you later, okay?
She understood that I couldn't get what she said so she booped me in the face with her big snoot. I assumed it was an encouraging 'yes'.

Ao'nung was sitting on the beach and his head was resting on his knees. I quietly sat down next to him and laid one hand on his back. "Do you want to tell me?"
He looked up and his eyes, red from crying, told me enough. My heart broke as I understood. "I am so sorry." His brother had died.
Hesitantly I opened my arms for him, not sure if he'd like a hug now. He hugged me tightly and I rested ny head on his. My heart was racing, but I guess that was because of his loss. It hurt me too; we'd become good friends by now. He'd been so excited to meet him again and introduce me.

We silently mourned the death of his spirit brother. I watched the othee na'vi showing their siblings their babies or talking excitedly.
Out of a sudden impulse, I pulled the boy closer to me and had the urge to kiss him. Before that could happen, I stopped myself. It would be absolutely inappropriate right now and also, he was just my friend, nothing else. I suppressed that urge and told myself that it was just because of my feelings going crazy.

He slowly let go of me and I wiped the tears from his cheeks. "You should go back to Txampay. You won't see each other for some time." His voice was rasp. "Only if you come with me. I can't understand her yet and I don't want to leave you to yourself."
He nodded and I stood up. Taking his hand I pulled him up to me and together we went back into the water, looking for my sister.
She suddenly appeared in front of me and let out some squeaks. Ao'nung hardly smiled. She missed you and - his face dropped - and she's the daughter of my brother.
I waited for him to do something. She approached him and rested her giant head against his very carefully. I'm not going to forget you, Txampay. When you return, we're going to wait here for you he answered her. With a sad smile he pet her nose.

With his help we talked for a little while. Ao'nung learned that his spirit brother had gone to Eywa in peace. It seemed to ease his grief a bit.
A while later we said goodbye to her and she disappeared between the other tulkuns, squeaking happily. We watched her leave and I then noticed him subtly checking me out.
Can I show you something? He realized that I had noticed him and looked away nodding. Together we swam back to the village and took a walk along the beach, heading towards the little forest in the north of the island.
We didn't speak and I suddenly felt like the silence was horribly uncomfortable. I began to hate my idea and stopped.
Ao'nung turned around. "Are you okay?" "I just feel so stupid." He stood in front of me and watched me closely. "Why?" I did not dare look him in the eyes and shrugged. "It was a stupid thought. Just forget it, alright?" He seemed to be somewhat sad, but he nodded. "See you tomorrow." Before he could even answer, I left.

My chest was aching and as soon as I reached the first tree, I climbed up.
I sat down on a wide branch close to the stem with my knees bent so I could rest my head on them. And then I cried for a long time. I wasn't quite sure why, exactly, but I was just so extremely sad and at the same time angry with myself.
Why would I even suggest something like that? And why did it hurt me so damn much? In a desperate attempt to calm down I thought of Ao'nung hugging me like he used to do when I panicked. I started humming that song; in the mean time he'd taught me that.
My eyes were simply overflowing with never ending tears and I tried to suppress my sobbing.
He probably thought that I was an absolute skxawng. I'd bitten my lips until they were bleeding without even acknowledging the slight stinging pain.

I finally calmed down and eventually stopped crying. And then I realized something. It didn't matter whether I wanted to admit it or not - it was the truth. And I was absolutely sure of that. I knew what it meant for me and him now. I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
Somehow relieved, because I now knew what was going on with me the whole time, but also unsure about what would happen next I stood up and got scared to death.
A heavily breathing Ao'nung with a slight wound on his forehead was standing in front of me.
"What in Eywa's name has happened to you?", I asked concerned. "Well, now I know that I don't have a talent for climbing trees." "Then why are you even here?" He lookwd down to his hands. "Look, you've been there every time I needed you. And I felt like I had done something to upset you."
"Believe me, you haven't", I said with my heart burning of sadness and desire. "It's not like it's your fault that -", I interrupted myself, unsure what to say next. "That what?", he asked. I kicked myself mentally. "That you're so damn cute." His face was blank and I could easily see that he was trying to make sense of all this, and that he was failing. "Huh?"
"You are cute and I am madly in love with you. Fine? Could you now please get the fuck away from me?"
He flinched as if my words had physically hurt him. "If that's what you want." I nodded and wanted to slap myself for that. Ao'nung silently made his way back down the tree and his landing was a really heavy thump!. My lower lip was trembling and I once again fought with the upcoming tears.
Great.
I'd now lost my one and only friend here. And Lo'ak was probably out and about with Tsireya. My parents weren't an option to talk to, either.
So I decided to go look for my brother.

[ugh i'm so sorry that it's taking me so long]