ᴀʟʟɪᴀɴᴄᴇ | ᴀᴏɴᴜɴɢ

╰•★★ chapter 7 ★★•╯

Yes or no.

"Ao-ung?" Vida asks, he doesn't reply. He just stares dumbly at her, so she asks again, "Ao-ung? Whats wrong?"

This snaps him out of his daze. His blue eyes trail from her black ones to her lips.

Aonung's mouth creases downward as he inspects the seaweed-gag once again.

"Can oo tell me?" She mumbles. Her head tilts to the side.

"It's been two months since I first let you talk, I'm willing to try again. I trust you." He reaches an arm out to untie the seaweed but she moves away.

"I can't rust my-elf, Aonung." She shakes her head. "I didn't efen mean to control you last time. Why do you trust me?"

Why did he trust her?

"I trust you because... I can't believe I'm saying this... your the only person who actually listens to me when I talk— I know you don't really have much of a choice but your the only being on Awatlu who really knows me. You know my interests, my hobbies, Eywa you even know my Spirit Brothers name! So yeah, I trust you. Even if you don't trust me." Aonung finishes.

Vida goes silent— even more silent than usual.

Aonung takes her lack of response as an opportunity to take off the gag. For the second time, it falls down her chin and hangs loosely around her neck. Vida swipes her tongue across her lips to regain some moisture, then she clams her mouth shut. Too afraid to mess up again.

Aonung puts the seaweed in his pouch and scoots back so his perch on a rock.

"So...what now?" He asks. She shrugs, blinking slowly. "Okay. Can you just start off my saying only words, then we can build up my tolerance to your uhh, manipulation?"

"Okay." Her soft voice replies.

This is really happening.

"Umm... let's just start with yea or no questions. Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Do you like your clan?"

"No." Aonung looks at her confused.

"Are they mean?"

"Yes." She replies and looks down in sadness.

"Do they hurt you?" He asks.

"Yes."

Aonung suddenly feels angry, how could a clan harm their own citizens? It's outrageous.

"Only. Good. Thing. Is. Family." She explains. Vida only talks in bursts. To make sure Aonung doesn't get hypnotised.

"I see. Let's change the subject to a happier one. Do you like seashells?"

"Yes, definitely!" She smiles at the thought of a shimmering shell. She misses helping her mother create gorgeous necklaces with them.

"Do you like... the ocean?"

"Stupid question." She bites her lip to refrain from laughing.

"Yeah I just realised that."

"Ask me another!" She smiles. Aonung gets drawn to her mouth, his eyes half close.

"What about this. Do you like it?"

"What about what—" He cuts her off with a soft peck to her pink lips, pulling away fast.

She looks up at him, wide eyed. Vids brings a hand up to her mouth, she had never kissed anyone before.

She thinks for a second. Did she like it?

"Yes, yes I do like it." She beaks out into a toothy smile, her fangs on display. A deep blush dusting her cheeks.

Aonung sighs in relief. "Can I do it again then?"

She hides her hands in her face.

"I've never kissed anyone before. I think I'm bad at it." For some reason Aonung is taken back slightly. He was almost certain she had been kissed before, she's just so- so beautiful. Who wouldn't want to kiss her?

He stares at her for a moment, realising he was her first kiss.

Then he smirks. "Don't worry, I can teach you." With that he leans back in towards her and connects his lips to hers.

The both of them completely forgetting that Aonung has grown tolerant to her manipulation.