Beautiful Lie |Ao'nung x Neteyam|

Chapter 11

Neteyam felt like all the air had been punched out of his lungs as he listened to his father's enthusiastic chatter with his younger brother, patting Lo'ak's head fondly. Lo'ak was blushing, tail twitching behind him as he confessed to having his first kiss — he got nothing but positive reactions from Jake. Neytiri cooed softly beside her mate and patted Lo'ak's flushed cheek happily.

Neteyam knew it in his gut that he would not be met with the same proud gaze his father offered his little brother, so he simply gathered his knife and fishing net and slipped outside with a quiet word to his mother, letting her know her know he was going hunting.

Neteyam felt rage burn deep within him as he stabbed angrily into a fish he had caught almost immediately – ever the golden child, always good at everything except for keeping himself pure for his future mate. Neteyam knew he could not pretend to be a virgin. The stranger in his future would know the moment they bonded.

It all felt unfair; Neteyam wanted his father to love him the same way he was loved and treasured as a child. Jake used to hug him, blowing raspberries on the sensitive skin of his stomach. He used to be so much kinder, so gentle and reassuring towards his son – now Neteyam felt like a burden.

"What did that fish ever do to you, Forest Boy?" Ao'nung snorted as he came to stand next to Neteyam's kneeling form. The cruel smirk on his face faded slightly as he noticed the state the shorter male was in — but it did not take long for the wickedness to return to his pale blue eyes.

"Leave me alone, fish lips," Neteyam murmured softly, cleaning the fish, removing the scales with a skilled hand.

Ao'nung chortled, kneeling beside him. He eyed the way Neteyam worked and scoffed. His technique was perfect; Ao'nung could not find a single thing to mock him with, so he focused on a different topic entirely.
"Your little boyfriend got enough of you?"

Neteyam sneered, baring his fangs. He gripped his knife tighter and met Ao'nung's mocking gaze with fierce golden eyes. "What I do with Naìtvì is none of your business, Ao'nung."

"Oh really?" Ao'nung smirked. "Is that why he was telling the rest of the warriors what a little slut you are? Letting more than one man take you— "

Neteyam's fist connected with Ao'nung's cheek before he could finish his insults. The Metcayina fell back, barely catching himself on his elbows. His lip was bleeding. "Can't handle the truth, baby tail? Are you scared that the whole village will know about the way you are?"

Neteyam felt cold, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice cold water on him. The whole village included his father and mother. If Naìtvì kept boasting about him, it was only a matter of time before his father found out.
"Don't act like you don't do these things too, Ao'nung."

For a reason unknown to Neteyam, Ao'nung did not fight him back physically.
The Metcayina smirked, standing and staring Neteyam down. The Omaticaya got to hisngeet swiftly.
"But I am the chief's son, baby tail. They wouldn't dare talk about it behind my back. But you're nobody here. An oddity, just a freak."

Neteyam sighed, shaking his head. "Can you leave my private matters alone, Ao'nung?"

"No," the Metcayina replied, shrugging casually. "It's too much fun annoying you. You've got nobody to run to, do you? The great Toruk Makto won't come to rescue you, will he? I saw the way he treats you. You disappoint him."

Neteyam's throat felt tight, too tight. He said nothing as he gathered his catch and began walking away, but Ao'nung grabbed him right by tail, yanking him back. Panic shot through Neteyam's body as his gaze fell upon his family's marui. He couldn't see inside, but that did not mean nobody was watching him.

"Let me go–" Neteyam pulled back, freeing himself, but Ao'nung, noticing his panic, only inched closer, grasping his hips. Neteyam dropped his fishing supplies. "Why are you doing this–"

"Aww, are you going to cry?" Ao'nung snorted, tilting his head. "The mighty warrior reduced to tears when someone mentions his daddy."

Neteyam clenched his eyes shut, face scrunching up in visible anguish. He desperately wanted to fight Ao'nung, but the noise was surely to make his family come outside and see the two of them, so Neteyam, for once, allowed Ao'nung to mock him however he pleased; his deep longing to please his father rooted too deep in his core to realise what he was doing.

Neteyam's tail twitched nervously behind him. He wasn't scared of Ao'nung, but the Metcayina misunderstood him, getting bolder by the second.

"Neteyam–" a voice called out to him just as Ao'nung wrapped his hand around the base of his tail and his queue as well. Neteyam struggled against him, blinded by fear at his father's voice.

"Let me go–" He whimpered, eyes burning from the pain and the shame. Any other day, he would let Ao'nung continue, but now he could not. Not with his father watching.

Ao'nung, as his eyes fell upon Toruk Makto's tense form, slowly let go and took a step back, raising his arm in surrender. For just a moment, he looked ashamed of his own actions. The Metcayina left swiftly.

Neteyam tried his best not to crumble to the ground as he walked towards his father. Jake watched him, lips pursed and ears flattened. Once his son was close enough, he grabbed Neteyam by the arm and yanked him inside, unaware that Ao'nung had seen.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Jake's shout startled not only Neteyam but his siblings too. Kiri immediately gathered Tuk in her arms and hurried outside with the excuse that they must feed their ilu. "Is this how I raised you?!"

"No, sir. I'm sorry–" Neteyam took a shuddering breath. He could not step away, his father's unforgiving grip on his arm too tight.

Jake stared him down, shaking his head. Neteyam swallowed thickly and slowly met his father's gaze. "You're not angry at Lo'ak, sir, for–"

"Be quiet."

Neteyam clenched his eyes shut, ears pulling back in shame. His lungs felt tight, and his chest ached with shame. "Sorry, sir."

"You are not your brother, do you understand? You need to set an example. I told you to stop leading Ao'nung on." Jake let him go, stepping back to pace around their eerily silent home. "And now you let him touch you in broad daylight when anyone could see!"

Neteyam held his tongue. He knew he let Ao'nung do as he pleased, a part of him enjoying the treatment.

"Do you have any idea what people will think of you?" Jake hissed out in undisguised rage. A moment of silence passed by. "Answer me, boy!"

Neteyam flinched back. "I don't know. I'm sorry, sir."

"They will think you're easy!" Jake yelled. "Neteyam, you must get it through your thick head that you can not go around giving yourself to strangers. It's not right!"

Neteyam lowered his head. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, get back to your chores."