Not So Perfect [Avatar The Way Of Water]

37

Aonung's pov:

"How was the hunt today?" Miyara asked me with her back turned to me as she was preparing her Tsahik supplies.
"It was great actually, there were a lot more fish so we managed to catch more kinds this time," I said as I put my hunting gear away and walked over to her, "I've saved the shellfish for you, since the other fish make you sick."
"How thoughtful of you," Miyara chuckled as she turned around to face me, my eyes immediatly landed on her big, baby belly as she gently rubbed her hand over it, "I've missed you all day."
"I'm home now," I said as I leaned in and kissed her, but her lips were cold and dry as was her skin, she didn't radiate her usual warmth, "what's wrong, Miya? You're so cold."
"You have to stop pretending, Aonung," she said, her skin growing paler and the bones in her body much more defined, like she was suddenly loosing an insane amount of weight, resembling a corpse. I was confused but placed my hand on where her heart was, wanting to feel it beat but it stayed silent, her heart didn't beat. I didn't understand what was happening as I looked at her with widened eyes, fear overtaking me.
"S-Stop pretending what?" I asked, staring into her eyes that were slowly losing all it's bright, blue colors, "Miya?"
"Stop pretending that I'm still here," she said. Her words were numb and they started to sound further away from where I was, my heart fell into an abyss when she spoke those words making me pray to Eywa to tell me what was going on. I didn't understand any of this but it frightened me to my very core.
"B-but.. you're right here," I stammered as my eyes landed on her chest, my eyes widening in shock as I saw her chest entirely covered in blood, blood that wasn't there just now, "Miya!"
"I died, don't you remember?" She asked me in monotone, "the sky people shot me."
"N-no, it was in your shoulder.. you.. you lived," I stuttered as I was feeling frightened, "you were okay."
"Was I?" She asked me, "or did your mind make you think that I was?"
"N-no.. NO! I carried you to my mother, she healed you! You aren't dead!" I shouted at her but she blankly stared at me, this hardly seemed like my Miyara, "you.. you're with me.. y-you promised you'd never leave me. You're okay."
"Your mind couldn't handle the pain of losing me so you made yourself believe I was still alive," Miyara explained to me, "but it's time you face reality, Aonung.. I died on that rock, I died in Neteyam's arms and you carried my lifeless body to your mother.. I am no longer here, Aonung."
"Shut up," I said as she continued to repeat herself, describing in what way she died, "SHUT UP!"

I startled awake, gasping for air and panting heavily as my chest quickly rose up and down. I turned to my side and saw a girl sleeping next to me, her face covered with her own big bush of hair. I couldn't think straight as I had to make sure she was real, I had to make sure it was my Miya.
"Miya," I whispered under my breath as I began to shake her awake, but it took too long for her to wake up, making me panic, "Miyara!"
She groaned and turned around to face me, slowly opening her eyes as she looked at me with a questioning look on her face. I sighed relieved as I let my head hang down, Miyara was safe, she wasn't a corpse like in my dream, but now my girlfriend was confused, wondering why I woke her in such a panicked state.
"What's wrong, baby?" She asked me in a sleepy voice as she gently placed her hand on my cheek, feeling her warm hand made me even more relieved as I recalled how cold she was in my nightmare. As cold as a corpse, entirely drained of life.
"It's nothing," I lied, not wanting to admit that a dream has shaken so much fear into me but I could tell that she knew I was lying, she knew me too well.
"You can tell me," she said softly, using her elbow to lean on so she could sit a bit more upright, "did you have a bad dream?"
"Yes," I admitted feeling slightly ashamed, my ears lowering in response, "I had a bad dream."
"Do you want to tell me what the dream was about?" Miyara asked me as she offered me a tender smile, rubbing her thumb over my cheek, soothing me.
"I dreamed you died when you got shot and I pretended that you were still alive with me," I said as I ran my hand through my loose hair, "I dreamed that shot killed you."
"I'm here, Aonung. I'm alive and that shot didn't kill me.. I'm here with you," she said as she spread her arms, "you can listen to my heartbeat to calm your nerves if you want."
I nodded as I crawled in between her legs, wrapped my arms around her back and placed my head on her chest, her boobs serving as a pillow for me as I listened to her steady heartbeat. My fears faded and I smiled now that I was sure she was here, I wasn't pretending.. she was real.
Miyara didn't say a word as she allowed me to listen to the sound of her heart beating, feeling calmer and she played with my hair with one hand as she placed her other hand on my back and started to draw patterns on my back, easing me into falling asleep.
"You're real, right?" I asked her as my eyelids began to feel heavy.
"I'm real," she whispered softly, "it was only just a dream, I'm staying here with you."
"..you're staying here with me," I repeated before I fell asleep on my girlfriend, holding onto her as he heartbeat eased me into a deep, dreamless slumber.