Water's Embrace || Ao'nung x Neteyam

Chapter 02: The Triumph

The sun shone over them with gentle warmth. The first days of summer were Ao'nung's favorite because he got to enjoy the weather without being suffocated by the furious heat.

They were currently parked after a few hours of mindless driving. They have exhausted every topic of conversation Ao'nung could have thought of, starting from the nice weather, and going as far as to ask Neteyam about trivial things like what brand of cigarettes he liked the most.

"Lorillard's" Neteyam said offering one to Ao'nung.

"Why did you steal mine if you had your own?" He mumbled lighting the cigarette that he held in his mouth.

"You'll know why." Neteyam big back a smile watching him taking the first puff.

Ao'nung's face morphed into something unpleasant as he began to cof, giving him back the cigarette which Neteyam smocked away calmly.

"How can you like that!?" He said a little choked up while hitting his chest to breathe better. "It tastes like ashes."

"That is why these are only for gloomy occasions."He took one last puff before putting it down, making sure the tip wasn't hot before leaving it in the inside of his suit for later. "The bitter taste reminds me that there are worst things than whatever is making me troubled."

"I will rather be miserable than to ever put that shit in my mouth again."

Neteyam watched him lean back into his seat. The sound coming from the water fountain was nice, and the sculpture right in the middle of it was quite beautiful to look at.

"What is this place called?" He turned his head to look around.

"Piazza della signoria." Ao'nung mumbled with his eyes closed and hands behind his head, ready to take a nap.

"Is this the main square?"

"M-hum."

"So the Uffizi gallery must not be far."

"Four minutes away, maybe ten by foot, why?"

"Can you take me there?"

"Do I look like your tour guide?" He clicked his tongue. "I'm sure we can find something else to do. Why don't we grab a drink?"

"Well...you do that, I'll just walk."

"What?" Ao'nung opened his eyes to laugh but by the time he sat straight, Neteyam had already closed the door and was a few steps away. "Are you going by yourself!? You don't know the way back!"

"Later!" Neteyam waved his hand to him without looking back.

"Later!?" Ao'nung scoffed, feeling bothered just by how careless he sounded. He considered just driving away and doing whatever he pleased to show him that he could not simply walk away from him like that.

But again...It would take him a while to get the car started.

He groaned and locked the steering wheel to follow Neteyam with hurried steps.

"Are you dragging me to a museum?"

"I'm not dragging you anywhere, you are free to leave," Neteyam explained calmly.

"But you don't know your way back, and if I am to abandon you here my father would actually just kill me." Ao'nung groaned.

"We can meet by the fountain in two hours if that's-"

"Ugh, alright I'll go with you! No need to beg me."

"You complain a lot." He said to himself as an observation.