Nervous | Aonung

.XX

Tsireya and I sat around a small fire as we talked about everything we've found out recently on the island and laughed continuously. We were on the beach near her Mauri but far enough that her family wouldn't hear us.

"Guess what!" Tsireya grabs my arm, stopping me from laughing.

"What?" I ask.

"After you left the cave, I caught Lo'ak looking at me across the room," Tsireya raises her eyebrows, smiling wildly.

"Wow," I nod with a smile.

"Shut up, that's good stuff," she grumbles.

"Ok, ok, serious now, I have to tell you something," I take a breath, getting ready to tell her.

I was going to tell Tsireya I'm to be mated to her idiot brother. She's my best friend and I'm sure she won't act out. But what if she tells Roxot? She's horrible at keeping secrets.

"What!!!" Tsireya whines impatiently.

"Did you know Aonung and I are to be mated?" I blurt out, squeezing my eyes shut as I wait for a reaction.

"Kind of," Tsireya nods.

"What how!" I ask, astounded by how she knew.

"I asked Aonung in the cave the other day if he knows who he was gonna dance with or who his Tsahik will be, he said he didn't know but looked at you as he said it," Tsireya explains.

"And you didn't say anything?" I furrow my brows, wondering how she contained herself.

"I knew you'd tell me eventually," she shrugged, popping a grape into her mouth.

"Yea, that's true," I realise, leaning back on my hands.

"Since when we're you two friends?" Tsireya asks suddenly.

"Who?" I ask dumbfounded.

"Aonung, didn't you two kind of hate each other? And now your engaged," she replies plopping another grape in her mouth.

"It's not our choice," I mumble, shrugging my shoulders. "It's an arrangement."

"Ohhh that makes more sense," Tsireya smiles. "If it wasn't you choice, why are you doing it?"

"My mum wanted me to," I shrug.

If the last thing my mother ever asked for was me to be mated to Aonung, I'll do it. She could've asked for me to be mated to anyone and I'll do it.

She was, is my mum and I'll do anything for her. Anything to make her happy.

"Tsireya, Ka'nu," Ronal calls out, walking down to us.

"Yes mum?" Tsireya asks as I just smile at her.

"Are you dears hungry?" She wonders, kneeling down to our level.

"No thank you," we both say at the same time.

"Ok then, Ka'nu are you ready for the day of the Ancestors?" Ronal turns to me.

"I hope so," I nod, smiling at her.

"Good because we have two days," she smiles before walking away.

Two days?

Two days until it's official that I'm to be mated with the son of the Oley'ktan. Two days until it's official I'll become Tshaik. Two days until everyone knows. Two days until by entire life changes.

"Let's go in now," Tsireya breaks me from my trance as she picks up the grapes.

"Yea sure, I'll just put out the fire," I smile at her; standing up.

Wiping the sand off my butt I grab the bucket next to me filling it up with sand to smother the fire with.

"Hey," I hear Aonung say behind me.

"Hey," I reply.

"Um, I'm really sorry about before," Aonung mumbles. "I'm not like that, usually, I promise."

"It's ok Aonung," I reassure him.

Throwing the sand on the fire it begins to fade away leaving just ash and sand. I start scooping up the damaged sand and ash with my bucket.

"You need help?" Aonung asks.

"Um sure, there's a bucket over there," I reply, pointing to it.

Aonung grabs the bucket before helping me pick up the dirty sand. Once we have all the sand we make our way into the forest where we dispose of the sand.

I couldn't stop thinking about how our whole lives are gonna change in two days. Roxtos gonna find out, I'm gonna have to talk to Nan. I'll never be able to flirt for fun again. Not that I ever really did but I like to believe I did.

My entire life is just being ripped from my grasp. I then look over at Aonung as he's emptying the bucket.

He must be devastated, he didn't get to choose who will help him lead his people. He has no idea if I'll be a good Tsahik or mother.

"Two days," I mumble under my breath, trying to forget about it.

"What?" Aonung asks, looking up and catching me looking at him.

"It's nothing, it's just," I sigh, trying to think of the words. "In two days our future is going to be set in stone."

"Hadn't thought of that," Aonung chuckles, walking over to me.

"We have no choice," I realise, shaking my head.

"Hey, it's ok," Aonung reassured me, holding my biceps with his hand comfortingly.

I couldn't look at him so I stared at the floor. How could I look at him? He's the man I must spend the rest of my life with and we've acted like it's nothing.

"Look at me Ka'nu," Aonung says, lifting my chin up with his finger. "It's going to be ok,"

"I know it's just," I didn't know how to finish my sentence because I don't know if it's going to be ok.

"We're in this together," Aonung smiles at me.

Looking into his eyes finally, I beg for my tears to not escape. They worked at the corners of my eyes. He noticed, lips parting in sympathy.

"Oh Ka'nu," Aonung whispers, his demeanour softening at the tears in my eyes.

"Don't. Don't look at me like I'm some sick Ilu," I plead, looking down again.

I expected Aonung to say something back, to make me look at him again, maybe make fun to me for wanting to cry? Just do something he would do if he wasn't my future mate.

But instead, he just pulled me into a hug.

My arms were still by my side as he wraps his under my arms and around my waist. He crouched slightly so he could place his head in the crook of my neck.

I tried to talk but nothing came out. I raised my hands to wrap around him but I paused. I don't know why I paused, I've hugged him before.

"Ka'nu, hug me," Aonung pleads into the crook of my neck.

Instantly I wrap my arms around his back, one of my hands resting on the back of his head to pull him closer.

"Thank you Aonung, really," I whisper genuinely.

Aonung just hums into my shoulder hugging me tighter around the waist so I hugged tighter around his back.

I don't think either of us wanted to let go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guys I fixed the font, it's ok 👌
Also 2 updates in one! WHO AM I?!?!
We love sweet Aonung, it's kinda like the trope "I hate everyone but you"
And also the trope
"Brothers best friend"
Also we reached chapter 20!!!

Are Aonung and Ka'nu ready for everyone to know?

Don't forget to vote <3