Chapter Text

PART 1 

Weeks must have passed after the Sully's started living among the Metkayina, the kids were adjusting, but still missing home. Tuk would cry some nights, Neteyam would take her out for a walk so she didn't wake anyone. He was still getting used to the village passages, what were considered sidewalks, what were considered front yards. Tuk would cry until she got distracted, and play a bit, then fall asleep in his arms. It wasn't late, but the village was quiet, the big moon in the sky, besides the nearest planet, would distract him while walking back to their house. 

Neteyam could not be crying like Tuk, but the pain he felt for being so far from home was just the same. He would never complain, his parents were protecting them. 

He observed them sleeping, then he took out his camera. Jake told him not to bring it, the Metkayina could be offended. He was really obedient, but he couldn't leave behind one of his favorite possessions. 

Netayem roamed through the photos he took, most of his family, his Ikran, the forest, the Hallelujah Mountains. Some tiny animals. He took a photo of his family sleeping in that house, he smiled fondly at it.

They were safe. 

Neteyam didn't really like being a soldier, the fear was a constant in his life now. He stared at the sea, all the lights, creatures swimming, could it really become his home? With a big sigh he went to sleep. 

Morning came with more lessons, fishing with the ilu, Neteyam wasn't very fond of the nets. He was bad at throwing them, and having to tolerate Aonung and his gang - as Jake called them once - wasn't pleasant at all. Tuk went with Kiri and Neytiri, while he and Lo'ak followed Aonung and Tsireya to the edge of the reef. He tried to feel everything that surrounded him, he missed the damp coolness the forest provided, but the sun was also pleasant, if you didn't mind your skin turning purple. 

His ilu was a gentle girl, he named her Tsu'ka, she loved leaping and making sounds, she was young and adventurous. The day before Tsireya had taught him how to throw the net, he wasn't very good at it. Aonung was near, with his own net, while Tsireya helped Lo'ak. 

"There is no secret, forest boy," Aonung said while staring at the water, the reflection of the sun blinding Neteyam. "You see the cardume, aim according to the sun position and throw." 

His movement was long and fluid, the net flew over their heads and hit the water sinking immediately. Neteyam observed him pulling it back, and got distracted with the movement of his shoulders and arms muscles. 

"You are insanely good." Nateyam said leading Tsu'ka nearer to see the fish he caught. "How many?" 

"By glance, 7 to 9." Aonung answered, and tied the net so none would scape. "Your turn forest boy." 

Without his friends, Aonung was way more friendly, it must have something to do with reputation, Neteyam didn't care really. He was the son of Toruk Makto, but would have never treated foreigners unkindly. His father told him all about his first days with the omaticaya, they hated him. Neteyam promised to never be hostile like they'd been. Of course he was 7 years old, and the sky people were just histories, watching your home burn by their hands was something else entirely. The Metkayina had no knowledge of this since they only bothered the forest up till now. But they knew about the great war and his father. 

"You should take this thing off your waist," Aonung said when Neteyam started lifting the net. "That's why you won't swing it properly." 

Neteyam looked down at his waistband, his grandmother had made it for him when he was thirteen, it was adjustable, although he had grown to it's maximum. He sighed and took it off. 

"You are so thin, your waist must be smaller than Tsireya's." Aonung laughed while reaching for the band, Neteyam took it out of his reach. 

"It's mine." Neteyam almost hissed at him, he missed his grandmother. 

Aonung lifted his arms in surrender, his mocking smile playing on his lips, Neteyam huffed. Was it that fun? To humiliate them? 

Neteyam threw the net and it landed wrong, he pulled it back and started untangling it.

"You should go back home, forest boy." Aonung laughed. 

"I wish." Neteyam refuted angrily, Aonung frowned. 

"What? You think I don't miss my home?" Neteyam told him. "Seaweed skxawng."

They stayed in silence while Neteyam tried again, it took him two more times to get it right, he got two fish this time. It wasn't much, but he was happy anyways. He heard Lo'ak cheering him from afar, his smile grew larger. 

"Well done, forest boy." Aonung said, turning his ilu to stay by his side. He carefully grabbed the fish and placed them inside his own net. "Now try once again, here." Aonung touched his side, his hand sliding up to his arm, sending shivers down his body. "You have to feel it here till here when you throw." 

"Got it, let go." Neteyam urged moving away from his reach, Tsu'ka made a cackling sound that meant amusement. "Shush."

She only clacked more. 

Neteyam threw the net again, it hit the water perfectly, he started pulling seconds later, it was heavier this time, he pulled and in seconds Aonung was pulling with him. Five fish, Neteyam couldn't hold back a smile, Aonung simply observed him. 

"What now? Do I throw again?" Neteyam asked, Aonung denied with his head and taught him how to tie the net for them to go back. Tsireya and Lo'ak were still at throwing basics, so they just waved them goodbye. Aonung brought him to a place where they could clean the fish, Neteyam wasn't very fond of that part, but Tsu'ka and Aonung's ilu were having a blast eating the parts they discarded. 

"So you miss your home," Aonung commented, great, one more thing to be mocked about. Neteyam rolled his eyes and concentrated on his task. "Tell me what it's like." 

Neteyam looked at him, he wasn't laughing, simply curious as it seemed. 

"Dry." Neteyam said, and it wasn't completely true, but he didn't remember swimming so much. Aonung pushed him with his shoulder. "Fine… it's way bigger, when you fly above the trees you can see no end to the trees, just like you see no end to the water here." 

"You're lying, the sea has no end, Neteyam," Aonung said skeptically. 

"It's true, we have trees so tall they touch the clouds, and we used to live in the Hallelujah Mountains, they float in the air like us underwater." Neteyam said, if he could show him. 

"Mom says those mountains are legends." 

"Legendary, not legends, thick head." Neteyam laughed and Aonung too. "I could show you, I have photos."

"Photus?" Aonungs accent in English was something else.

"Photos, pictures." Neteyam said. "It's a human thing, you can capture images." Aonung frowned, confused. 

"You mean the sky people?" He asked and his hands stopped working. 

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone, alright?" Neteyam said, even if his family was quite accepted by the Metkayina, they really hated the gadgets. "When we are done here, I'll show you, if you promise not to tell anyone." 

"Deal." Aonung said, making the promise sign with his hand, Neteyam smiled. 

They finished the fish and made some deliveries throughout the village, they stopped a bit by the Sully's house so Neteyam would grab his bag. He took the opportunity to also put his waistband back on. 

"You took the leg thing off, why not this one?" Aonung asked, he was by the door watching. 

"I just like it, it reminds me of home," Neteyam caught himself being honest, with the seaweed skxawng. "And the leg guard is usually for flying the ikrans." 

"Got it." Aonung said, still watching Neteyam walk about the house for his things. 

"Tuk is always playing with anything she can put her hands on." Neteyam said fondly, he had just grabbed his bag and checked the camera and the tablet when Neytiri walked in with a crying Tuk on her arms, and a big basket on her hips. 

"Ma Neteyam, help me please." She asked, she seemed tired, Neteyam put his bag behind his body and reached for Tuk. "Take her out to play or something, I'm too busy now." 

"I was going to help Aonung."

"Please take her with you, she had been crying in my ear all morning." Said Neytiri, crunching down the side and starting the fire. 

"I haven't! I tripped, I tripped." Tuk protested. 

"Sure mother." Neteyam said. "Let's have fun with Aonung, what do you think Tuk?" 

"I want to go home!" Tuk protested again, but was already eyeing Aonung with interest. 

"We will take photos." Netayam whispered to her walking out the house 

"Really?" She asked, cleaning her tears with the back of her hands. 

"Yes." Neteyam tickled her sides, she laughed and hugged him. 

"Won't she tell?" Aonung asked, Tuk was offended and showed her tongue to him. 

"I'd be more worried about you, seaweed skxawng." Neteyam refuted putting Tuk on the floor, she immediately started jumping like she loved to do. 

Aonung took them to a cave by the north side of the reef, they had to climb a bit to get there.

Climbing, Neteyam could do it way better than Aonung. They climbed till the top entrance, Tuk getting a ride on his back. Neteyam smiled triumphant at the out of breath Aonung at the top. 

"Shut up." Aonung huffed out. 

"But I didn't say anything." Neteyam said, crossing his arms, Tuk jumped to the floor. He opened his bag and handed her the camera. "Tuk, listen. This is Dr. Augustine's super secret mission." 

"Ok, ok, I'll take pictures of the insects!" 

"You can't get far ok? Just here." Tuk agreed and went to take pictures. 

Neteyam sat down and opened his bag taking the tablet out, he turned it on while Aonung sat beside him. He roamed through his photos until he found some photos and videos of him and Lo'ak flying. He recorded his first fly on the ikran; they flew together around the mountains. He showed it to Aonung. 

He watched everything with wide eyes and a soft smile, he showed him pictures of the forest and some animals, Tuk as a baby, his mother riding her ikran, her and his father were the best flying. 

"Your father rode the skimwing  in just one day," Aonung said.

"Yes, sometimes I can't even believe he was a human." Neteyam commented on seeing the photo of his family together. 

Aonung fell silent to that. 

"Oh, I have something you will love." Neteyam said getting up and activating the holograms of the mountains. 

It filled the cave, and you could walk through them. Neteyam placed the tablet on the floor and extended his hand to help Aonung up. He tried to touch the mountains, soon finding out it wasn't possible. 

"Those are the Hallelujah Mountains?" 

"Just holograms from the mountains, we used to live north, " Neteyam showed him, walking through the images. "Here is where you get your ikran. The video I showed you was Lo'ak flying for the first time." 

"Legendary." Aonung echoed walking through them. 

"Neteyam, look!" Tuk approached with the camera, Neteyam turned off the holograms and waved for Aonung to approach.

He connected the camera to the tablet and looked at her photos, a bunch of animals inside the cave and the whole reef from the entrance of the cave. 

"Good job, 'lil scientist." Neteyam said, showing her the photos. 

"She did it?" Aonung asked, sitting by their side. 

Neteyam took the camera pointing to Aonung, he frowned at the moment. The picture popped on the screen and Neteyam showed it to him. 

"That's me?!" Aonung grabbed the tablet looking close. 

"Yes," Neteyam smiled, Aonung's eyes were shining in the picture. "Not this part, your eyes have black dots, it's just a reflection." 

"Like the sun on the water?" He asked, still staring at the picture. 

"Exactly." 

"Tsireya would love it." He commented on passing the tablet back to Neteyam. 

"I can show her later." Neteyam said, she would really like it, if she could take her eyes away from Lo'ak for a second. 

"We should go back." Aonung got up and left, not even waiting for them. 

"Is he our friend now?" Tuk asked while roaming through the photos on the tablet. 

"Who knows?" Neteyam laughed and hugged Tuk sideways. "Come, take a photo with big bro." 

Chapter Text

Neteyam left with Tuk for his house, Neytiri was just finishing lunch, Tuk sat down to eat, and he left his bag near his bed. Neytiri sent him for Kiri and Lo'ak so they could eat. He found Tsireya first, she told him Lo'ak went to the north shore to find Kiri. He went there. 

He found Kiri and Lo'ak, Aonung's gang was messing with them. He ran and intervened. Aonung listened to him, and surprisingly, he backed off. But Lo'ak would never live without emotion. 

Later Neteyam was almost regretting his decision when Aonung became hostile. He only rolled his eyes and ignored the fish face the rest of the afternoon. The sun was going down when he showed up, Neteyam was making a basket for Tsireya, she had just left to grab them something to eat, all smiles, Neteyam was happy to see him somehow. 

"Your brother apologized, how are you going to apologize?" Aonung asked mockingly. 

"I didn't even hit you, why should I apologize?" Neteyam said, focusing on his hands, Aonung came near to talk next to his ear. 

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you didn't get involved." He said slowly. 

"Back off, I wouldn't get involved if you were respectful." Neteyam replied, touching his chest. 

"Punching my face is respectful?" Aonung protested. 

Neteyam laughed at this.

"You deserved it, but I'll apologize." Neteyam said, putting the basket aside. He started fumbling with his hair and took one red wooden bead out. "Take this as an apology for my behavior, Aonung, I see you." 

Aonung grabbed the bead, but stared at Neteyam, a smile playing on his lips. He leaned in and kissed Neteyam on the cheek, taking longer than he should. "Thank you, Neteyam." 

Neteyam pulled away and touched his cheek. "Uh… is that a Metkayina custom?" 

"It could be." 

"Stop playing games." Neteyam said putting more distance between them.

"Talking about games. Has your brother returned yet?" Aonung asked, his tail whipped left to right.

Neteyam was confused, Lo'ak had left their house to apologize to Aonung, did he leave? He doesn't know how to explore this place alone. Or is he with Tsireya? Or Roxto?

Neteyam got up frowning, his heart rate going up. 

"Didn't I tell you? I tricked him into going beyond the reef." Aonung laughed, but his smile died when he looked at Neteyam's expression. "It's just out of the reef, it's easy to deflect the sharks with an ilu…"

"What the fuck!? Sharks? He could be dead, he doesn't know what sharks can do, Aonung." Neteyam yelled and grabbed Aonung's braid, putting him on his feet with a sharp tug. He was older and taller, but even if Aonung was larger he knew Neteyam could fight. "You are telling my father exactly where he is, I can't believe you have done this." 

Jake was furious, he called out to the entire village to search for Lo'ak. Neteyam walked to the trees to call out his ikran, he looked back to find Aonung following him. 

"You forgot this." Aonung extended him the visor, he grabbed it and turned again to his ikran. 

He made the tsaheuilu and touched his forehead on its neck.

"Ma Eywa, protect my brother, save his life," Neteyam praid, his eyes stung in fear and anxiety. "If you must take someone, take me instead." 

"I can help." Aonung said from behind him. 

"I think you've done enough." Neteyam said getting on his ikran that screeched to the other boy. "Hop on seaweed skawxng, before I change my mind." 

Aonung looked surprised, but he simply got behind Neteyam, hands circling his waist carefully, making him take a deep breath before commanding his ikran to climb a tree then leap into the air. Aonung screamed in panic holding him tight, if he wasn't so worried about his brother he would find that amusing.

"Where did you leave him?" Neteyam asked when they were high enough, Aonung showed him the way, while he watched his home from above for the first time with wide eyes, Neteyam was taking sneaky glances every now and then. 

Lo'ak wasn't there, Aonung even dived to search for him and nothing. They flew in all directions and didn't find him, the sun was completely set when they went back. Neteyam had lost his hope, they landed and he felt like crying, but held it. Aonung walked to his father, who made a silent question, he denied with his head, Ronal appeared, her face screwed in anger. 

"How could you?" She asked. "The boy was a child, how could you, Aonung?" 

He didn't answer, he only looked down. 

"The boy was found!" Someone yelled from afar getting all their attention, they took off to the direction the shout came from. 

Lo'ak was fine, enough to try to punch Aonung again. Jake stopped him on his tracks though, and he defended Aonung. Neteyam had mixed feelings towards it, Lo'ak was trying to get Aonung's friendship through the easiest way, but it could cost him later. He hugged Lo'ak after Jake and Neytiri scoldings for both of them, Lo'ak for being dumb and Neteyam for not being there to stop him from being dumb. Sometimes being the older brother was really difficult, Tuk was oblivious to all the commotion when she arrived with Kiri. 

From that day on, Aonung stopped being a total jerk, to be a fun friend, he still called them forest boys though. They became friends, and everytime he flew with his ikran Aonung would show up to go together. He loved it, and Neteyam loved feeling his arms around him. He wanted to talk about it with someone, and the only one of his family who could understand him was Kiri. 

He approached her after dinner, Jake and Neytiri had gone flying with Tuk. And Lo'ak with Tsireya. Kiri was threading some new clothing, it had a bluish shine. He sat beside her and started playing with that threads. 

"Kiri…" He started at loss for words. 

"Neteyam." She said with little patience, bloody teenagers, he thought. 

"I was thinking of something… you know, about mates…" Neteyam was tripping on words, but it caught her attention right away. "I… don't know if it's possible… but I like someone… and…" 

"Aonung." Kiri stated and smiled at him, Neteyam was dumbfounded. "Oh, come on, you guys do everything together, he makes you laugh like no one else, and you are always looking for him at and after every meal." 

Neteyam opened his mouth and closed it again, Kiri was smiling, she got him all figured out. 

"I don't think anyone else notice… besides me and Tsireya." Neteyam brought his knees to his chest thinking about it, what could he do? He was far to young to mate, and Aonung was a boy and a Metkaiyna. "What are you worried about? Because he is the son of the leader? Or because he is a boy? Or is it just because he is an ugly fish face skawxng?"

"Shut up, he is cute." Neteyam said and covered his mouth right after. 

"Well, you should ask him what he feels," she encouraged, Neteyam wasn't cogitating. "Plus tomorrow Tsireya is teaching us the dance for the birth party at night. Maybe you could dance together and see if… what's father call it? He falls head over heels for you?" 

They both laughed, Neteyam kissed her forehead and left to his tasks. He had a least a plan, dance with Aonung. 

Tsireya classes were fun. As Tuk was to young to dance Roxto was teaching her how to play the drums. Tsireya teaching him, Kiri and Lo'ak the movements. Kiri and Neteyam were doing great, but Lo'ak looked like those big robots the sky people had. Tsireya would grab his hips and teach him. 

"Lo'ak, sway like this, as if under water, you are as stiff as a spear. Look, Neteyam is doing it perfectly, Lo'ak, to the right, no, not like this." She was trying so hard. Aonung hadn't shown up for classes, leaving Neteyam a bit sad. 

One hour later he and Kiri had already learned half the moves and dancing to the beat Roxto and Tuk played. There were a lot of fluid movements using hips and arms, bending the knees and feeling the beat. 

"What are you doing?" Aonung's voice came from behind him, he turned to find the whole gang. 

"Tsireya is teaching us the dance for tonight's celebration." Kiri said showing him the dance, Neteyam joined in, he was really having fun. 

"I'm playing the drums!" Tuk told them and playing right after. 

Aonung and his friends started laughing.

"It's a girls dance." Aonung said, Neteyam and Kiri stopped for a second, but then he stepped near him and started dancing again. 

"Funny, I didn't know dances had genders." Neteyam said smiling in defiance, never stopping his movements, Aonung's ears shot up and his eyes went down Neteyam's body. "As long as you can move, you can dance anything…"

"And if you are not Lo'ak." Kiri said laughing, Neteyam still had his eyes on Aonung. 

"I… I meant it's the girls part of the dance." He clarified crossing his arms, and looking away embarrassed. Neteyam stopped dancing. "I'll teach you the man's part." 

Aonung and his gang taught him and Lo'ak the man's part, leaving the love birds sad to be apart, Kiri and Tsireya were talking more than dancing. 

"It's way more about strength, so you bend your knees and slap your biceps like this," Aonung showed him while other boy taught Lo'ak, who complained about everything. "Then show your tongue and say the words with the song." Neteyam snorted and Aonung frowned. "What's so funny?"

"The tongue bit." Neteyam showed him his tongue like instructed trying to hold in the laughter. 

"Shut up, forest boy." Aonung complained and went back to the lessons. 

In the end they were all sitting on the beach exhausted, Lo'ak was still a disaster in both dances, Tuk got bored and went with Roxto to find Neytiri. Neteyam danced both correctly, but he liked the girl's part more. 

"Come to my tent, I'll paint you." Aonung invited him, Neteyam got up promptly, Tsireya hurried to offer the same to Lo'ak and Kiri. 

Aonung had constructed his own tent over some coral reef, it was under deep roots, so a bit dark and protected. He brought paint, all black, nothing like the colors the omaticayas used. 

"I'll make tattoos when I'm older." He said sitting in front of Neteyam. "How did you like the dances?"

"It was fun, the girl's part is way better though." Neteyam said and Aonung started painting his face, he frowned. 

"How come? Well, I think you are way more strong and suited for the male's part." Aonung said and lowered his hand to his throat, making intricate patterns down his collar bone, Neteyam felt his heart rate going up with the proximity. 

"I… it's just, more fluid, the movements are delicate and so easy to feel the flow of the beat," Neteyam tried to explain. "It's like swimming, the way the water moves around you." 

Aonung had two fingers covered in paint on his chest, he stopped and looked into Neteyam's eyes, his gaze dark and fierce. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend…" Neteyam said lifting his arms in surrender, Aonung caught his wrists. 

"Neteyam… I see you." Aonung said, and leaned in, pressing a light kiss on his lips, Neteyam's eyes were wide with panic, but he soon closed them. 

Aonung let go of his wrists to hold onto his face and waist, deepening the kiss, Neteyam let him for a couple of seconds before leaning away. The tent was open, anyone could pass by and see them, and he didn't know what the Metkaiynas thought about such behavior. He could feel the paint smeared over his face, and Aonungs warm fingers on his cheek. 

"We… we shouldn't." Neteyam said, looking slightly away. 

"Why not? I want to, you don't?" 

"I do…. But…" Neteyam had no arguments.

"But…?" Aonung insisted, his hand pressing on Neteyam's side. 

"My dad… he would be mad… Mom, too." It was a silly excuse really. 

"So what? They said your dad chose your mother as his mate even when the clan disapproved of their union." Aonung said and kissed him again, Neteyam melted in his arms. 

He shot up to his feet when he noticed what he was doing, walking hurriedly to the edge of the tent, and stopping, his reflection on the water, smeared paint all over. Aonung showed behind him, hands on his waist and warm lips on his neck. Neteyam could burst if he got any hotter, he let go and jumped in the water, he swam away and Aonung didn't follow, he went to Tsireyas tent and she was just finishing Kiri. The painting looked great. 

"Can you paint me? Your brother is an idiot." He asked and Tsireya laughed, but as soon as she dried his skin with some fabric she started painting him. Kiri pressed for details, but Netwyam kept to himself what happened. They would dance that night, and he couldn't feel worse now that he had to do it in front of Aonung.