Neteyam hummed to himself as he stared a his little sister eating fruits beside him. The morning was fresh, and his siblings quarreled over the last slice of cake at the other side of the table
Tsireya laughed at the scene as he went back to his tangerine peeling task, doing his very best to not mind Ao'nung who sat in front of him.
"You already had two!" Kiri cried tightening her grasp on the plate.
"And I'll make it an uneven three!" Lo'ak protested taking the entire thing and biting it.
"Ugh, you are unbearable." She mumbled grabbing grapes from nearby to satisfy her sweet tooth.
"I'm sure there is more in the kitchen. I'll call for someone to bring a few more slices." Tsireya offered, making Kiri smile at her kindness.
"Thank you, but he will end up eating them all either way." She sighed looking away, fully knowing that it would be enough to make Lo'ak bend.
"Ugh, fine! I'll get you some. Stop whining." He stood up with a reddened face. He grumbled all his way to the kitchen but made sure to get her two big slices.
"He can be sweet when he wants to," Kiri told Tsireya as her brother sat back down.
"Alright, quit it." He hissed, embarrassed to be made fun of in front of Tsireya.
Neteyam sighed in delight before the scene. Lo'ak could be rough around the edges, but no matter how much he teased and annoyed their sisters, he had the potential to be a good caretaker for them.
It was a little difficult for him to show it, but he cared more than he let others see. Lo'ak loved Kiri and Tuk, and Neteyam did not doubt that when he were absent he would look after them. The thought left him reassured.
"YamYam." The soft voice got to his ears, making him look down at Tuktirey who frowned, apparently annoyed by his lack of attention. "Here."
She shoved a mandarin slice into his mouth, allowing no protestations. Neteyam thanked her with a light pinch on her cheek and chewed slowly.
"Buongiorno! I overslept. Am I too late?" Rotxo walked up to them with a beaming smile, eyeing the table to see if there was anything left for him.
"Te ne ho risparmiato un po'." (I saved you some) Tsireya took the cloth off the food she had saved for her cousin.
"Sei un dono del cielo." (You are a gift from the heavens.) Rotxo smiled at her, kissing the crown of her head.
He sat and immediately shoved a piece of bread into his mouth, chewing as he took something out from his pocket.
"Elena aveva questo. Le ho detto che l'avrei dato a te." (Elena had this. I told her I would give it to you.)
He tried to hand him what looked like a letter, but the envelope was taken by Tsireya before it reached her brother.
"A letter?" She said in English, a lot more mindful of the risk that their friends would feel left out of the conversation. "Whose from?"
"I don't know anyone," Ao'nung mumbled as he picked some grapes from the table, completely uninterested in his correspondence.
"Oh, I don't know who this is," Tsireya mumbled, opening the envelope excitedly as she read the name of the sender.
"Who?" Ao'nung frowned lightly, arms crossed in front of him.
"C. Lombardi." His sister read aloud, about to open the paper neatly folded inside the envelope.
Such a name rang thunderous bells in Ao'nung's mind, and before he could think of he snatched the envelope from her hand, trying to keep it hidden.
YOU ARE READING
Water's Embrace || Ao'nung x Neteyam
Fanfiction"The corruption begins with the mouth, the tongue, the wanting. The first poem in the world is: 'I want to eat.'" - Where It Begins, Erica Jong.
