You're enough (Neteyam x Ao'nung)

Chapter 12 : Worrying

Music suggestion : Charlie Spring kin playlist (playlist) - FrankFr0nk_

Idk about this chapter and the one before this one and I might delete/rewrite them, depending on how lazy I am. Anyways, thank you for reading and have a nice day/night! 💙

After the 'incident' Neteyam has been going back to how he was before we moved here. He has been completely shut down, only doing what is expected of him. He never eats anymore and instead of sleeping he sits in the corner of the marui hugging his knees. I am really worried about him and so are Lo'ak and our parents. We tried to have Tuk make him feel better but I feel like it only made it worse. I'm sorry my brother...

"Hey Kiri, What are you thinking about" Tsireya's sweet voice fills my ears. "Neteyam, I'm worried about him" I gesture my head towards my older brother who is standing in the water talking to an Ilu. "He hasn't been eating, or smiling, or anything" I can see Tsireya's eyebrows furrow. "Why was he happier before?" She asks me and I only take split second to think before realizing. "Ao'nung, your brother made him happy" I say it with great confidence and see her think for a moment before smiling. "We can get Ao and Neteyam to hang out! Ao's been a little down as well lately" I nod and we start thinking of a plan to get the two boys together, until we finally decide on one.

"Hello brother" I approach my older sibling finally noticing how bad he actually looks. There are bags under his eyes and there are dried tear tracks on his face as well. As for the respond his body, his ribs are showing and his knees are completely scratched up (probably out of anxiety). "Hey Kiri" his voice is raspy and his hair is sprawled haphazardly over his face. Once I stand close enough, I drag my hand over his cheek a bit, him watching me with sorrowful eyes.

"My dear brother, we are worried about you" I pull some braids out of his face and put a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. "Sister, you are kind to worry, but I am alright" now I am definite that he is not alright, if I wasn't before, because he only ever calls me 'sister' as a formality. "Come with me brother" I grab his hand and pull him out of the water with me towards the marui. I push him down onto a mat and tell him to stay put. Tuk walks in as well and jumps into his arms at an attempt to comfort him.

"Teyam! Teyam! Look I made a bracelet to match your anklet! Now we are the same" she holds up her wrist to Neteyam's foot which I know notice has a sloppily woven anklet on it. "That's cool" he tries to sound as enthusiastic as he can but it doesn't really work. I gesture Tuk over and tell her to go find something for me, which she gladly goes to do. I walk back to Neteyam holding a brush in my hand. "Please let me fix your hair brother" I don't even let him protest as I pull up a stool behind him so I can reach the top of his head.

I slowly take out all the beads and unbraid his hair, combing it gently. Once I think I have combed it enough and it doesn't look completely neglected anymore, I start carefully braiding it again and adding only some of the beads, the turquoise ones. Just as I finish, Tuk runs back in with the blue beads I had instructed her to go get from Tsireya. "Thank you" I respond to my little sister who salutes and then sits back to watch me finish my work. I put the blue beads among the turquoise ones until I decide that I have done enough and have to do the second part of the plan. 

Tsireya was going to tell Lo'ak to set up the 'plan' before she talks to Ao'nung so I don't have to worry about that, but I still want to make sure my brother is okay so I make him have some hametsì. He eats it, however mind numbingly slowly. "Hey Kiri, I finished the thing that Reya asked me to do by the way" Lo'ak walks in and sits down next to us, taking a piece of the bread. 

I look outside and see that it is almost eclipse, "Oh shit we're late!" I grab Neteyam's wrist and pull him after me towards the forest like area next to the beach. As I walk I see Tsireya and Ao'nung in the distance, Neteyam must have noticed at the same time because he stops in his tracks and tries to turn around. "I swear to eywa brother you are coming with me" I tighten my grip and he gulps as he follows me again. 

"Hey Reya!" I walk up to her and give her a 'look' to tell her that we have to leave them here, alone. "Ao! look it's Neteyam! maybe the two of you should have a picnic instead" Tsireya bluntly pulls Neteyam to her brother, who turns around in shock. "Bye guys!" I take Tsireya's hand and start running away as fast as I can, pulling her along with me.

"Now we just hope it works I guess" Tsireya and me take a seat in my family's marui as Lo'ak and Tuk come sit down next to us, you can probably guess who sits where. "What do you mean? Is there a chance that it won't help?" Lo'ak, who has put his arm around Tsireya's shoulder, looks over to me confused. "I mean, there is a slim chance that this could make things worse. Like, if they argue now-" I start trying to list all the ways that this could go wrong but get cut off.

"MAKE IT WORSE? BRO! NETEYAM CAN'T HANDLE 'WORSE'!" he stands up in frustration, wanting to go outside and after his big brother (perhaps to go punch a certain Metkayina? 😉). "Lo'ak calm down, it will be fine" I hold him back by his arm and I can feel him still tense under my grip. 

"How are you so sure?! If it gets worse, and he can't handle it then he wi-" I don't let Lo'ak finish his frantic worrying and put a finger over his mouth. "It will be alright" I reassure him and can feel his arm relax a little bit as I let go again. He sits down next to Tsireya again (fokin love birds) and she puts her head on his shoulder. 

"So, who's hungry? I can make some food?" I walk over to the extinguished fire, not knowing how to start it again. "But Neteyam makes the best food!" Tuk runs over to me and grabs my arm, trying to get me to agree to go get Neteyam. "We can't go get Neteyam because he is busy" I explain to her and she sighs dramatically, falling to the floor with a hand over her chest. I bet she would be a great actor.

Eventually Tsireya comes and helps me cook and Lo'ak and Tuk come to help us as well, soon enough we have cooked a decent meal and we all sit back down to eat it. I hear footsteps approaching and look up expecting to see Neteyam but being met with the confused gaze of my parents. 

"Have you seen Neteyam? I've looked everywhere" my father walks up to us while my mother stays in the corner watching Tsireya. "Yup, we've seen him!" Tuk starts jumping up and down at my fathers feet after she says this. "And can you tell me where he is?" my father tries to get the answer he wants out of her but she does as we told her. "Nope! he is busy" my father looks around at me and Lo'ak annoyed and we just shrug, bursting out into laughter.

"I know where he is father, but he is doing something important so we mustn't bother him" I reassure him, walking over to mother. She sits in the corner staring daggers at Tsireya, however when she sees me coming she straightens her posture and gives me a smile. "Hi mama, what are you doing?" I ask her as she tries to push me back over to the conversing group. 

"Who is that girl Lo'ak is with?" she pulls me up right next to her and whispers in my ear. "That's Tsireya, the chief's daughter. She is really nice" I say back in a normal speaking tone as she glares at me for grabbing the attention of the others. 

"Welp, this has been fun but Tsireya and I have to go" I walk back over to the group and stick a hand out for Tsireya to stand up. "Where are you going" my father stares at the two of us confused but I shrug it off. "It's a secret! They can't tell you or the sun will explode" Tuk mimics an explosion with her hands before looking back up to father eagerly.

Me and Tsireya leave the others behind and start walking towards where we left Ao'nung and Neteyam to check on them. I sign to Tsireya to be quiet but I cannot hear any conversation through the bushes. I move some leave out of the way and see Neteyam lying in Ao'nung's arms, asleep. 

Me and Tsireya give eachother a look before quietly putting some distance between us and the two boys. Once we are far enough away for them not to hear we start laughing. "I guess our plan worked" I speak in between hysterical laughs. "Maybe a little too well though" she laughs back and I nod grabbing onto my knees for support.

"Alright let's go home" I put an arm over Tsireya's shoulder and together we start walking back over to the maruis. "I'm gonna go back to my marui" she waves goodbye and starts walking the other way as I give her a quick wave as well, and then I go back to my marui.