Walk em like a dog - Aonunette

Chapter 18 - Not so happy ending

Lo'ak pulled Neteyam up onto the ilu with Tsireya and Spider's help. He quick urged the creature to swim to the land.

Once they reached a small rocky spot, Jake was crouched to help pull Neteyam up and out. Aonung stood shortly behind Jake waiting to be able to help too. They heaved Neteyam up and onto the ground laying him on his back.

Jake lifted his son's shoulder, checking his back. To his horror the bullet had went straight through. The wound was fatal. He could hear as Neteyam's breath shuddered as he wheezed. Jake took Lo'ak's hands, pressing them to Neteyam's chest. "Keep pressure on the wound."

The sound of an ikran made everyone's eyes flick to the side where Neytiri jumped down from the creature. "No no no." She kept repeating herself as she rushed to her son's side.

"I want to go home." Neteyam spoke weakly, breath shaking. He latched his hand onto Aonung's forearm, holding onto it tightly. "Teyam..." Aonung whispered under his breath, tears starting to spill from his eyes. "I know, I know son. We're going home." Jake tried to be firm but couldn't help the slight break in his voice.

Neteyam took in a deep shaky breath. "Dad, I-" He went quiet, letting out a small sigh-like breath. "Neteyam." Neytiri almost whispered as she brought her son's hand to her chest, clutching it. "No, no, Neteyam." This time her voice came out as more of screech, her pain starting to show heavily.

Aonung's breath hitched in his throat, he couldn't breathe properly. Tears spilled from his eyes quicker than before as he ran his hand through Neteyam's hair. He could faintly hear Jake talking with Neytiri behind him but he couldn't care less about what they were saying.

He felt his sister's hand on his shoulder, the touch bringing back to reality. He could hear her small, shallow breaths. He turned to look at her only to realise they were the only ones left with Neteyam's body. "Where's Lo'ak?"
"He left after Jake Sully and Neytiri did."
"Oh." He said softly. Aonung was starting to drift back into a dreamlike state and became less aware of his surroundings.

He gripped Neteyam's cold hand as tightly as possible, trying to bring some warmth to it. Trying to trick himself that this wasn't real, that it was all fake and his lover wasn't really dead.

But he is and Aonung can't escape it.

——

Aonung stood outside the Sully's hut pacing around the walkway. Somebody inside must have notice him because he could feel the weight shift from inside the hut.

A tired looking, tear stained faced Kiri opened the newly put up curtain-like door, a sort of mourning curtain. She was almost stunned to see Aonung standing there at first. But now that she thought about how close Aonung and her brother were she could understand why he was there. "Hey." Her voice sounded almost dead. "Hi." He almost matched her monotone voice as he spoke. "How are you?" He sounded almost as if he was questioning what he was saying. "I'm okay, I guess. Well as good as I can be anyways."
"Oh."
"You can go in if you want."
"What? Why would I want to go in?"
"Don't act stupid Aonung. I saw the way you two looked at each other."
"Okay. Uhm, thanks Kiri."

Aonung turned his head as Kiri walked past him, leaving him to stand in front of the Sully's hut alone. He tucked a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of his bun behind his ear. He breathed out slowly trying to calm himself before moving the mourning curtain and walking inside.

Jake and Neytiri both sat on the floor with cloths and bowls of water next to them. Aonung looked between them to see Neteyam's body, his hair was tied up and the bullet wound wiped of blood. They both looked over expecting their daughter to be the one to walk in. Jake was surprised to see Aonung walking into their hut, however Neytiri wasn't that stunned to see him. Her lips turned into a soft smile, especially when she laid her eyes in the beaded necklace that sat on the boys neck.

Neytiri held her hand out to him, urging him to join them. Jake looked at his mate with a surprised and confused expression. Aonung walked closer, enclosing his hand with Neytiri's as he sat down next to her. He took Neteyam's cold, unmoving hand into his own. He felt the tears swell up in his eyes before a few started to slip down his cheeks.

Neytiri pulled the boy close, wrapping her arms around him. All of Aonung's walls broke at this point, he started sobbing in Neytiri's arms.

"It hurts."
"I know."

Neytiri stroked her hand through Aonung's hair as he sobbed in her arms.

——

Aonung stood by Tsireya's side, his arm around her shoulder. Tears slipped down Aonung's cheeks as he watched Neytiri and Jake push neteyam down to the bottom. He squeezed his fist creating crescent shaped indents into his palm. He turned his head to lean onto his sisters shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that none of this was real.

————————————————

This took me way too long to write. Oops. Also currently writing an alternative ending for this. It should be out in the next week.
XX