𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 | Neteyam x Aonung

Twenty-eight

"Now move your arms around my waist and hold onto the gear tightly, alright?", Neteyam gently ordered right after creating Tsaheylu with his ikran. He could now feel the creature's heartbeat pounding in his own; their bond was so lovingly strong that they were able to trust each other with their lives.
Ao'nung let out a sharp gasp as the massive wings to his left and right began to move and position themselves for takeoff, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat. To say he was terrified would be an exaggeration, but the boy didn't feel completely at ease while sitting on some huge, flying creature either. It felt strange in his eyes, because even though tulkuns were much bigger and stronger than ikrans, he still felt a lot safer being near one of those than sitting where he was at the time. The air and winds were simply not his familiar or expected habitat, as he had spent his entire life surrounded by the powerful and infinite sea.

"If we fall, are we going to die?", Ao'nung hesitantly asked while feeling the banshee move higher and higher with every passing second, trying everything to keep his eyes from gazing down.
The warrior could feel the arms around his waist progressively tighten while hearing the na'vi's breath hitch occasionally. He buried his head in Neteyam's neck and pressed his eyelids shut, silently praying to eywa.

"We aren't going to die, Nung!", the boy in front laughed before tapping Ao'nung's thigh a few times to signal him to look up again. "I mean, this is just beautiful, isn't it?".
Meanwhile, they no longer flew back and forth so jerkily like they were in the beginning in order to gain height and speed, but glided at a comfortable pace over the wide spread sea and the whole village. Even though the wind blew away their hair and collapsed with their skin roughly, it was still bearable and not too much of an annoyance.
Ao'nung's eyes softened at the sight of Awa'atlu, his beloved home, with its people and marui pods, as well as the glistening water and creatures swimming in it. He subconsciously loosened his grip and simply stared in awe, still needing to even process all of this. Never in his life has the older na'vi been this high up in the sky and been able to look down on his island, on the reefs, and the uncountable beaches. That unwell and scary feeling in his body slowly crept away the longer he observed his surroundings and got used to the flying.

"What do you think?" Neteyam asked abruptly, breaking the comforting silence after leaving the other to his own thoughts for a while. They only flew a few laps around the reefs, the ikran's wings flapping in a steady rhythm against the winds.
"This is... mesmerizing," the boy said quietly, one hand leaving the gear and gently placing itself on Neteyam's thigh, a pleasant sting filling their hearts.

Another two ikrans, both coming from the left, caused Ao'nung to jump furiously in his seat, his chest heaving faster than it had ever done. "What are you guys doing here?" Neteyam yelled loud enough for them to hear, the wind blasting through his ears. Lo'ak struggled to keep his laughter at the reef na'vi's reaction in check as that moment replayed in his mind like a never-ending cycle. Because he was visibly larger than the girl was, he chose to sit in the back, one arm curled around Tsireya's waist with his chuckle hidden in her neck. "Family trip!" exclaimed the future Tsahìk, a huge grin on her face. "Flying is fun, isn't it, my brother?" she asked cheerfully, looking less scared than Ao'nung, despite the fact that this was also her first time on an ikran. Scoffing, the boy simply shook his head, no one missing the small smile that crept onto his lips.

"Thank you for including me in your conversation, by the way", a sudden voice from the back yelled out, as sarcastic as ever, making their heads turn drastically and meet Kiri's unbothered gaze. They all gave her an apologetic look before returning their attention back to Lo'ak, who called his brother's name. "Bro, I'm not saying I didn't tell you two, but.. I did", he said, referring to their argument the night before while becoming quiet near the end. Neteyam let out an irritated sigh and was about to direct his ikran away from his brother when he was abruptly stopped when the younger one opened his mouth again. "That still doesn't mean that me and dad share the same opinion, though. What he did was wrong, and the only thing that matters is that the both of you are happy, no?".

The warrior could feel Ao'nung's grip on his thigh tighten a little and his own heart gain warmth from his little brother's words. His family was everything to him, after all, and their thoughts were the most important ones.
"That's right, dad will calm down again at some point; don't worry too much. You guys are old enough to know what you are doing, and he should know that too", Kiri added from behind while petting her ikran a little.
Neteyam couldn't help but smile at everyone, not believing his luck with such wonderful people surrounding him.

"See? Everything's alright", Ao'nung whispered into the warrior's ear when the others were busy with something else, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine and feeling the na'vi's tail wrap around his arm in delight. Next thing he knew Neteyam had turned his head as far back as he could and pressed their lips together in a slow kiss, which was filled with this huge amount of love and passion for the other, that they lost themselves in their touch for a split second.

"Neteyam", Ao'nung proceeded to gently break the kiss, looking the other into his perfect and unique eyes, blown away by their beauty. He took a deep breath before letting those three familiar words leave his lips, that would sum up just how much he felt for the younger one.
.
.
.

"I see you, Neteyam".



"I see you too, Nung".