Ocean Skies - Loreya

I May Understand, But Never Can I Forgive

"Wait, you actually slept together?" Kiri deadpans, face prefectly blank. "I thought that was a joke."

"I chased him up a tree for that," Ao'nung mumbles, nose scrunching in mild annoyance.

Lo'ak scrunches his own nose mockingly. "No, you didn't. You nearly fainted when I jumped down."

"There's going to be a baby?" Neteyam breathes out, oblivious to the conversation around him, forehead horribly wrinkled from his frown.

"Okay, so you're going to parents, big deal," Kiri pipes up, swatting Neteyam into silence, earning a heatless glare. "Are you even bonded?"

Lo'ak shares a sheepish smile with Tsireya.

Neteyam covers his face, muffling a loud groan. "I knew I shouldn't have let you sneak off so many times at night."

Kiri's eyebrows shoot up. She twirls to face Neteyam and stares him down. She crosses her arms for good measure, too and rises to her full height. "Like you can talk. You're out and about nearly every night."

"We didn't sleep together like that yet," Ao'nung butts in, only for Neteyam to glare at him, cheeks heating.

Lo'ak keeps glancing between them, lips steadily curling up in amusement. He doesn't find himself too bothered by this little surprise. He isn't sure Ronal or Tonowari will feel the same, but Neytiri would probably be happy about it. Mostly. Maybe she'd be a little angry that they aren't bonded.

Neteyam questions, ignoring Kiri's attempt at being intimidating. "Did you plan this?"

"Of course they didn't," Ao'nung chirps causally.

Neteyam rolls his eyes, raising a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "Ao'nung, be quiet. I'm not asking you. I'm asking your my brother."

"No, really, was it planned?" Ao'nung ignores him, turning to face Tsireya.

Tsireya clears her throat and averts her gaze. She tucks a hair behind her lowered ears. "I think I forgot an ingredient once from the potions."

Ao'nung gapes at her, as though she had indeed just confessed the greatest crime known to na'vi. "You're supposed to become Tsahik! You can't just forget an ingredient or two."

"Oh, be quiet, brother. You're supposed to be the next Olo'eyktan but you're scared to climb a tree!" Tsireya exclaims, raising her hands in disbelief.

Kiri turns to Neteyam shrugging. "At least they are both adults. By age at least."

Neteyam grimaces. "Yeah, this is a really big mess."

"You should do your trials as soon as possible," Ao'nung chides, glaring at his sister. "So nobody finds out about this."

Tsireya thinks about it for a moment before sighing softly. She rubs at her forehead helplessly, trying to will away a headache. "Mother would know no matter what I do."

Ao'nung clicks his tongue. "Just pretend the baby is a little bigger than usual. Shouldn't be a problem. Mother said you were half my size!"

Tsireya stares at him as though he'd grown a second head. "How... how long do you think I've been pregnant to simply be able to pretend that?"

Ao'nung scrunches his nose and glances Neteyam's way, but the Omaticaya pointedly stares at anything but his mate. Ao'nung purses his lips. "A few days?"

There's absolute silence for a few moments in which everyone has taken to staring at Ao'nung like he did indeed just grow a second head. Neteyam squeezes his eyes shut, trying to stifle a laugh. He is apparently the only one who finds this amusing.