Neteyam x Ao'nung: in the cover of the leaves

6 - Progress

Ao'nung's POV:

I struggle to get out of bed, the sleep not yet leaving my heavy lids but the sun threatening me with the possible wrath of my parents. I stayed up late last night, thinking about my apology. The thought of Neteyam's slender waist and smooth skin constricted within my arms threatens to spiral into far more distracting thoughts once more when- thwack!

"Wake up sleepy head!" Tsireya cheers while smacking me with a large pillow, giggling maniacally.

"I'm up I'm up" I raise a hand in surrender.

"Good because we have work to do." She states smugly.

"What do you mean we have work to do?" I cover my head with the pillow to avoid the sun that's been pinpointing on my not yet contracted pupils.

"Hey!" She snatches the pillow right out of my hands, "I can't believe you don't remember! It's your birthday!"

"Oh. Okay." With that I role over to try to return to sleep.

"What do you mean okay? We have to get you ready for the ceremony!" She demands.

"But it's my birthday and I want to sleep." I mumble out in response. She smacks me with the pillow once more before saying,
"You only turn 16 once now get your ass up." She pulls my arm with seemingly all of her force and nearly launches me off of the net.

"Damn alright." I groan, stretching my hands high above my head and feeling some of the tension leave my joints, "can I not just wear my usual clothes?"

"No you may not." She responds with a 'hmph", "now no more questions, go sit by the mirror and I'll be back."

As I'm sitting I feel my eyelids start to lower once more, my head swaying and my posture wavering, I feel my mind start to drift to yesterday once more and the thought of my breath on Neteyam's neck sends my mind wild. It's enough to wake me up completely.

"I'm back." Tsireya calls from behind me, a large weaved basket filled with ceremonial clothing in her arms. There are blue and orange cloths decorated with yellow feathers and all kinds of petals and teeth- a basket of the Metkayinas most precious items.

"Don't tell me that I have to wear that heavy shit all day." I groan out.

"Hey, this stuff might actually manage to make you look pretty, and you need as much help as you can get." Too tired for dramatics I just huff and wave her over to begin. Looking into the giant polished shell we use as a mirror I see Tsireya begin to unbraid my hair, I'm not sure of what style she'll choose. The calming sensation of her fingers easing the tension on my scalp causes me to relax entirely, my eyes closing and my mind returning back to yesterday. I want to do that again, to hold him, but I know that I shouldn't. But his scent is addicting, and I know that his taste would be even better...

"We're done!" Tsireya cheers behind me.

"What." I jump slightly, my eyes shooting open and my hands coming out from under me- nearly causing me to fall.

"Don't mess it up already!" Tsireya scolds me. Steadying myself I look in the mirror, she's put my hair into a style that resembles the one our father wears and decorated my neck and shoulders with feathers, nets, and pearls. There's also accents of orange and green paints on the edges of my face and over my skin, they're ceremonial markings that represent coming of age- swirls and dashes representing what I've gone through and what's to come. Looking down I see she's also covered my left arm in a lattice of pearled nets, ressembling the tattoos that I will soon receive, and she's put a decorative belt low on my waist, covering the band of my loincloth. "Here," she hands me a blue and orange marbled loincloth made of a material resembling silk with netted details, "change into this." -With that she leaves the room.