𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 ❦ ✓

𝟮𝟭 ~ 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀

i lied i'm back it's currently 5am
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as soon as tuk and everyone else had dialled down the energy and is now sunbathing under the summer warmth on the rocks, ao'nung and neteyam had been by the shores and doing their daily therapies.

"hey nung? who's rotxo..?"
whenever ao'nung hears such questions that neteyam already knows before the accident, it strangles his heart harder every time.

"he's uh.. he's my clan brother, your friend." he smiles, hiding the unbearable pain behind his eyes whilst stretching out neteyam's legs gently.

"oh really?" neteyam couldn't help but smile towards where rotxo is; passed out on the rock.
"is he okay..?" ao'nung instantly turns over to where the boy had been eyeing and notices the chest rising and falling of rotxo.

"oh yeah he's fine, he's usually sleepy whenever he gets his energy high like that" he chuckles, returning his attention back on the boy's legs.

"why don't you try and move them yourself and see how it feels..?" ao'nung takes a seat down at the shallow waters, allowing the waves submerge up to his thighs.

neteyam groans in attempt of trying to move his toes at least but nothing.
nothing but pain and he winces.
"ah.. no good.." neteyam sucks in air through his teeth to try and ease the pain.

"that's okay, it's okay, don't push yourself." ao'nung reassures the boy as his palm extends itself back onto neteyam's ankles.

that's when tuk comes up from behind ao'nung, putting all her weight against the male.
"tuk!" ao'nung chuckles, turning his head and trying to see the little girl who ends up sitting between the males at the side.

"does it still hurt teyam..?" tuk frowns, looking down at her oldest brother's legs.
"kind of.. but it's okay, it'll get better" he smiles reassuringly, patting the girl's temple.

tuk suddenly looks over to ao'nung in a not so subtle way; with her whole body before zooming away back into the waters.
"what was that about.." ao'nung furrows, completely being thrown off.

"no idea.." neteyam mumbles, eyes not leaving his baby sister just in case and making sure she gets in the waters safely.

"you know, it kinda sucks how i can't remember the first time i met you" neteyam tilts his head into a frown, looking down at the waters to avoid any sort of eye contact with the metkayina.

ao'nung gulps, not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
"i mean, we were skeptical of each other at first, that's all." ao'nung quickly summaries the main situation that had occurred.

it wasn't like he was lying or anything, he just didn't include the needed details.

"that's expected" neteyam chuckles as ao'nung pulls neteyam beside him, now in the waters.

neteyam's eyes widen at the surprise drag in but once inside the waters, his expression softens at the refreshing touch on the skin.

"i'm glad everything's peaceful. last thing i remembered before here were the sky-" neteyam's eyes widen, strictly cutting himself off at the sudden realisation.

"teyam..? is everything okay..?" ao'nung frowns, tilting his head so he could see neteyam's eyes properly.

"the sky people! what happened with them?!" neteyam exclaims, holding onto ao'nung's forearm tightly as terror rushes over him; and heart beat quickening in fear.

"teyam! it's okay! everything will be okay! just breathe for me" ao'nung instantly wraps his arms around the boy's shoulders and a hand on his head, sending him waves of shushing noises to hopefully calm him down.

neteyam holds onto him tightly, begging to be held properly through his actions as the feeling of tearing sobs uproar over neteyam.

"i'm scared nung.. you— you don't know what they're capable of, last time-"
neteyam couldn't finish his sentence as his chin starts to quiver unruly against the heir's chest.

ao'nung folds his ears back and eyes shut from the overwhelmed neteyam in his arms, praying to eywa everything will be okay.
he just needs to be there for neteyam right now.

"it's been months teyam, they haven't struck on this island." ao'nung whispers, taking a deep breath.

neteyam on the other hand tries his best to suck in the tears, to remain strong.
strong like the warrior his father expects him to be. not just some crybaby.

however, to his surprise, the natural scent from the metkayina heir resulted in him to abate the paralysing emotions.
"i'm.. okay. i'm okay." he chants, reluctantly removing his arms from around ao'nung and sitting there emotionless with occasional sniffles.

ao'nung looks at the boy; trying to figure out his expression but he just wasn't sure how neteyam's feeling or even the fact at how calm the boy can just be.
his emotion control has excessed the expectations.

"teyam..?" he whispers, taking a seat beside neteyam and still facing him.
"i'm okay.. i'm okay. i am fine." neteyam constantly repeats himself, starting to worry the metkayina boy.

"it's okay.. it's okay to not be fine.. want to head back..? i'll stay with you if you need."
ao'nung rubs the boy's shoulder, manner that tells neteyam he'll be there for him no matter what.

neteyam takes a deep heave filled breath before looking over to the boy with a determined expression.

"i know you need to rest teyam." ao'nung's voice grows stern and demanding, resulting in neteyam to drop his ears from forcing it to perk.

"fine.." he whispers.
"yes please.. please stay with me.." another whispers rushes through ao'nung's ears as he nods.

"i'll let the others know.." ao'nung slightly squeezes his arm before pushing himself from the ground and swimming in closer to the others.

neteyam wasn't sure why he reacted the way he did but the emotions, sounds and scents from when the sky people had attacked hometree suddenly came back to him.

when it was happening he didn't feel this terror. perhaps during that time his conscious knew not to back down and focus on protecting his family; especially his younger siblings.

all the dazing off from the boy causes vitality to abrase from him.
he hadn't realised that mind of his was still wandering on about the incident back home until
ao'nung taps his shoulders, indicating the pick up.

neteyam instantly climbs onto the boy's back and inhales the scent as his eyes had become too frail to keep open.

"teyam? are you tired?" ao'nung questions, allowing vibrations to run through the boy's cheeks and neteyam hums in response, starting to fall into the mild darkness behind the eyelids.

ao'nung takes a deep breath as he nears the very pod they once were at and does the same; climbing under the covers beside neteyam.

instantly under the covers, neteyam wraps himself around ao'nung who mindlessly pulls him closer into the chest, holding onto him protectively.

"have a good rest teyam.." he whispers, taking another deepened breath through the nose before somehow dozing off along side the shaking neteyam under his grasp.

but he knew it was a bad idea to fall asleep before the omaticaya boy.
and so, ao'nung stays patient; awaiting on his slumber catching up before he himself does the same, holding onto neteyam as tightly as before.

considering how the bright sun is still awake and plastered across the sky, ao'nung didn't care.
what his attention had been absorbed to was neteyam's mental and physical state.

he had devoted himself to help and be there for the boy.
ao'nung stays true to his words;
especially for neteyam.

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1247 wc
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okay yeah, it's 5:30am and my eyeballs are falling while i wrote the second half so don't mind any grammar or spelling mistakes,
GOOD NIGHT
YOU LOT NEED TO REST IF U NEED TO DONT PUSH URSELF I LOVE YOU

ps, super proud i got like 4 chapters out in a span of a couple hours😋
anyway, take care! <3