Flawless [Neteyam x Ao'nung ]

Chapter 16: Three Brother's Rock

Warning: Smut

Ao'nung watches him. 

He watches him through thick bushes, remaining low and quiet, peering from the perimeter to gaze into the tree of souls of Vitraya Ramunong; Right where Neteyam is, back home.

Near by High Camp.

Somehow Ao'nung managed to find a quicker way to return back to the forest - either that or he was forcing his ikran to go at faster speed the entire trip because he made it by the end of the night. This is the only place that came to Ao'nung's mind, where Neteyam would often times sneak off to when they first met - aside from going to see his previous arranged partner. 

This is the place where he would go when in need to reconnect with himself, or need to escape.

He flew back home, even when he snapped off - but not going to High Camp.

He was smarter than that.

Ao'nung has been here for a while now - after assuring everyone back at Awa'altu that he'll find him - watching Neteyam be alone while he connects to the tree. He's clearly not well because he kept rocking his body and twitching, sometimes rake his fingers through his hair and tug on it.

He's fighting hard to find an anchor, but that's just not how it works.

In order to get through it, Neteyam will have to stop fighting it,

It's too late backtracking it now.

Narrowing his eyes, Ao'nung watches as Neteyam gets to his feet and disconnects his braid from the strand of the tree, and walks into the forest. Ao'nung didn't waste a moment in tracing the perimeter to follow him, being quiet and discrete as Neteyam entered the forest silently - not in the direction of High Camp.

He walked, for a long time actually, and Ao'nung continued to follow him silently - confused to where he was even going by this point if it's not home. 

Until Neteyam suddenly stops.

"I know you're there; you seem to have forgotten who trained you."

His voice.

His voice is something Ao'nung still can't shrug into his system.

It's a thick, husky, and mellow voice - just with twinkle of an accent with his words.

A sound Ao'nung never expected to come out of his lips.

Grimacing deeply to being caught, Ao'nung moves from the tree he was hiding from to reveal himself. Neteyam turns around, his gaze stern as he stares at him now. From an outside perspective, he seems fine, far better than someone who just snapped from their sanity to embrace their dark side.

But that's when Ao'nung noticed how this is all a mask.

He's hiding himself, that much is obvious by his breathing, the way his lips kept twitching into a snarl and his pupil being wider than usual.

He's holding himself in too much.

"Couldn't blame me for trying to find you after you just left like that," Ao'nung ventures, standing in front of him now, eying him carefully, "You seem to be holding yourself well."

Neteyam sarcastically smiles, "You have no idea what's going on with me right now -"

"But I do," Ao'nung steps towards him, placing his finger on Neteyam's throat, "Looks like you broke far more than just your sanity, but the barrier. You think running away will make the inevitable change anything?"