To our little ones || Aonung x Neteyam

Chapter 24: Greenhouse

Tsireya was laying down near her balcony window. It was a warm afternoon that announced the arrival of spring. The sun-kissed her skin and the call of the birds almost lulled her to sleep.

It had been days since she last heard of Ao'nung or Lo'ak, her worry growing with each day but the bitter feelings that remained in her didn't allow her to go to the Sullys to check on the situation for herself.

She missed Lo'ak dearly but she didn't have enough courage to go against her brother's wishes It had been too fortunate when Ao'nung decided to keep their father in the dark and she was not about to try her luck.

Going there to see Lo'ak behind her brother's back was like signing her death sentence.

A knock on her door made her open her eyes, however, she didn't get up. She assumed it was Tuk who had been eager for her painting to finish drying, but Tsireya simply felt like her energy was being drained from her body, and even if she was very sorry to keep her waiting she couldn't find it in her to go open the door.

Tsireya closed her eyes, maybe if she tried to sleep Tuk would eventually go away, but after a long moment the knocks turned persistent and she didn't find the strength in her heart to keep ignoring her.

With a heavy sight, she opened the door, her eyes blown wide at the sight of her brother, his arm and shoulder tightly bandaged to prevent movement.

"What happened!?" She covered her mouth.

"Can I come in?" Ao'nung waited until she moved aside and closed the door behind them. "So, a few days ago I went to talk with Lo'ak."

"...Did he do this?" Tsireya felt a pang in her chest that left her out of breath, but before her heartbreak could take place Ao'nung interrupted her.

"Is not like that, I promise." He reassured her. "We talked, truly. I apologized, we solved things and got to an agreement." Ao'nung smiled briefly at the sight of his sister's eyes shaking with anticipation. "Soon you will be a grown woman, which means that you deserve the right to make your own choices and I won't oppose them. If you want to be with him...then I'm happy for you. All I ask is to be careful, please."

"Yes! We will!" Her face brightened and she couldn't help but to giggle to herself, hugging her brother tightly, completely forgetting about his injury until he let out a choked sound. "I'm sorry!"

"I'm alright." He made a pause in which he stared down at her with a complex expression. "Are we...alright?"

"Of course." She nodded, all exhaustion leaving her face.

"I'm sorry for the things I said and for the way I've acted, that night and all up until now, I mean. I treated you like a child and took away your freedom. I took the power to choose from your hands thinking that I was doing what was best for you, but in reality, I was just doing what she..."

"It's different, Ao." Tsireya interrupted him, feeling uneasy all over just at the mention of their mother. "You did it because you cared and you didn't know any better. She did it, not because she cared, but because she was selfish and unhappy."

"Right..." He mumbled under his breath, throat growing tight. "Either way I have to apologize because you deserve it, and...and if I ever made you feel like she used to..."

"No." She spoke abruptly, shaking her head. "You could never do that."

"...Okay." A smile wobbled on his lips and he reach her, hugging her with his free arm, Tsireya wrapped hers around his torso and they stayed like that for a second.

"You still haven't told me what happened to your shoulder." She mumbled breaking the hug to look closely.

"I was careless and fell off Keela." He sighed. "More like, she threw me off of her."