𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 | Neteyam x Aonung

Thirty-one

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"Are you excited?", Ao'nung asked his other half quietly as he watched him making sure that their accessories looked flawless from every angle. Neteyam had not been able to sit still for a single second all day because the big feast to celebrate his mate's 18th birthday would begin in just a few minutes. He cast a quick glance outside the marui pod they were in, instantly feeling his heart picking up pace rapidly when he was met with tons and tons of na'vi sitting on the sand around some kind of circle. "Nervousness would describe my inner chaos quite well..", the new tsakarem muttered under his breath, flinching slightly at the sudden touch of Ao'nung's hands on his waist. The older one placed his chin on Neteyam's shoulder and subconsciously let himself get lost in the boy's beautiful scent once again. "You don't have to be", he whispered before placing small kisses on the other's neck, causing Neteyam to feel a shiver run down his spine but nonetheless giving in to the loving warmth and presence he received so often.
Although he probably wouldn't admit it, Ao'nung's affectionate words, praise, gentle touching, and even something as simple as the looks he gave the forest na'vi seemed to have hooked him.

After a few seconds passed, Neteyam slightly tilted his head. "What is that circle in the middle, Nung?", he asked while pointing at the crowd, hoping that no one had accidentally seen them yet.
"Oh, you don't have that back in the forest?", the other boy sounded perplexed, even more so when his mate shook his head no. "Well, before we start with the celebrating and eating, my mom will give us some sort of blessing in that circle. It's made out of our islands' most valuable pearls and shells". Neteyam nodded occasionally as he attentively listened to the boy's calm explanation. His voice sounded so incredibly soft and steady that the tsakarem wished Ao'nung would never stop talking, due to the pleasant feeling that it caused to spread out in his ears.

"And after that, the area will be used for gifts and things of that kind. They place them there to receive eywa's blessing before it's handed to the person when the feast is over", Ao'nung proceeded to explain while moving his palm over the boy's chest. He stopped at Neteyam's heart, which was pounding fast enough for him to clearly feel every single beat on his skin. It seemed like his mate was never really one to adore the attention and the stares of others. Not like that was anything new, though.

They both gasped slightly when suddenly Tsireya and Kiri came crashing into the marui like two maniacs, excitement in their voices as they pulled the boy's arms and told them that it was time to go now. With every single step that Neteyam got dragged further to the clan, he could feel the nervousness, as well as eagerness, rise inside of him like boiling water. Apparently, it's something that sky people use to cook their food with, which his dad occasionally used as a reference.
As soon as the siblings arrived at the beach, they were already met with Ronal and Tonowari standing in the middle of everyone, small smiles plastered on their faces. The woman gently motioned the girls to join the other members in the crowd while waving the mates to them and pointing at the ring out of pearls.
"Today we gathered to celebrate the most important birthday of our oldest son and future Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina, and to thank eywa for praising him with 18 successful years of life and peace", Tonowari exclaimed loudly with his echo filling even the ears on the very back, arms open as the two boys stepped into the ring hand-in-hand.

Ronal nodded slowly while softening her expression even more. "We also welcome and celebrate Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan, who will accompany Ao'nung for the rest of their lives as his new mate and lead our clan in the future as our highly respected Tsahìk", the woman spoke out right before receiving a big wave of genuine cheering from her clan. With slow steps, she proceeded by approaching the two boys and placing her palms on either of their foreheads, watching as Tonowari went to the back and copied her motions, resting his hands on their shoulders.

The next few moments felt like eternity to Ao'nung, as he couldn't really concentrate on his mother's speech because the only thing that flooded his mind was the serotonin he got from the boy next to him. Never in his life did he expect to spend his 18th with someone so special and unique by his side. And, to be honest, Ao'nung was pretty sure a few weeks ago that he'd be standing alone in the circle, with no one to look forward to every morning when he woke up.
His heart skipped a beat when he slightly glanced down at Neteyam, admiring the boy's mesmerizing beauty. The way his braids framed his face so flawlessly, his glistening and bright eyes—heck, even his nose and lips looked so incredibly perfect that Ao'nung had to stare at him every chance he got.

He thought about the fact that today, the two would receive their first ever tattoos. Initially, the reef na'vi would've gotten his first one already by now, but he insisted on waiting until it was Neteyam's turn, so that they could do it together and relieve the nervousness from his mate's fragile mind.

The sudden loss of his parents' touch made Ao'nung snap out of it again, and he quickly needed to rearrange his thoughts to not zone out once more. Next thing he knew, Ronal asked them to kneel down and give their prayers, thanking eywa for their lives and what was to come in the future.

The ceremony went by faster than Neteyam had thought it would, as he and Ao'nung already led the clan to the village's fireplace, where the huge feast had already been prepared and decorated. A small smile grew upon his lips when he looked at their intertwined hands and synced steps, feeling this familiar warmth spreading out in his chest that Neteyam always got when he was close to the reef boy. Even though the beginning was pretty rough, deep down they knew that it was totally worth it and that they couldn't wish for anything better.
While thinking about their future together and guessing how life would be later on, the younger one accidentally let a small chuckle leave his lips, to which he received a confused look from Ao'nung. "What is it?", he asked, now grinning.
"Oh, you know.. since we can't have our own children, I imagined you as an energetic uncle playing with his nephews, and it was just kind of funny", Neteyam replied with giggles in between, but Ao'nung still noticed the slightly saddened tone at the beginning. His heart ached a little at the thought that his mate really wished for a family of his own, something that would never be possible.

"Tey", the taller one suddenly called out with a firm voice, which made the other look him in the eyes instantly. "I made it my priority to do anything to keep you happy, so I'm sorry for not being able to fulfill this one specific wish of yours. But trust me when I say that the two of us will be the best uncles in the world, and we'll take care of the children as if they were our own. As long as we have each other, everything is going to be perfect". A sigh left his lips at the sight of his mate's softening expression and flattened ears. He quickly grabbed his shoulder and pulled Neteyam to his chest in order to hug him and keep him close while still making sure that they walked properly.
"You're right.. Thank you, Nung, for everything", the other whispered onto his skin.

"Do you think Lo'ak and Tsireya will be the next ones to announce a relationship? They've been really close lately", Neteyam suddenly laughed out, shooing away the sad mood and simply focusing on enjoying the rest of this beautiful day.

"Definitely. Just last night I saw him picking flowers from the forest for her!"