Thanatophobia | Ao'nung

⋆˚✿˖°ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟜⋆˚✿˖°

"I think I like Ao'nung," Ni'la said, glancing at her mother.

Neytiri blinked at her oldest daughter as she tried to process her sentence. Of course, the mother knew that Ni'la had felt something for Ao'nung but she didn't think that Ni'la would admit to those feelings. Ni'la had always been stubborn when it came to admitting who she liked because she didn't want that person to find out.

The girl was always afraid that if someone found out that she liked them they would make fun of her, or call her a freak. Neytiri knew that her daughter had always been sensitive, especially when it came to what others thought about her.

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" Neytiri asked, and Ni'la huffed as she stood up, shrugging her mother's arm off her shoulder. "No! It's not a good thing! I just told Ao'nung that I only wanted to be his friend," She exclaimed, causing Neytiri to look at her in confusion.

"Did something happen between the two of you?" The mother questioned, and Ni'la's head snapped in her direction as her eyes widened. How did her mother know that something happened between her and Ao'nung? The only person she'd told was Tsireya, and Ni'la didn't peg the Metkayina girl out to be a snitch. "What makes you say that?" Ni'la laughed nervously.

"You said that you told Ao'nung that you only wanted to be friends, leading me to believe that something happened between the two of you," Neytiri explained, and the girl's body stiffened as her mother looked at her in curiosity.

Ni'la knew that her mother wasn't going to let this go. But she also knew that if anyone in her family were to not judge her, it would be her mom.

So, Ni'la's shoulders slumped before she walked over to sit in front of her mom. "If I tell you, will you promise not to tell Dad," She murmured.

"I promise I won't tell your father, Ni'la. Whatever happened between you and Ao'nung can be revealed to your Dad on your terms, okay?" Neytiri said softly, and Ni'la sighed as she contemplated whether or not she wanted to express her feelings for Ao'nung. Neytiri would never force her to talk about something if she wasn't ready, but the can of worms had already been opened, so she might as well rip off the bandaid.

"I kissed Ao'nung."

Neytiri, once again, blinked at her oldest daughter as her jaw dropped. However, her initial shock soon wore off as a small smile made its way up to her lips. "My baby had her first kiss?" She asked, causing Ni'la to flush in embarrassment as Neytiri grew all giddy at the fact that her little girl was growing up.

"I'm so happy for you, Ni'la. I can't believe it! Your first kiss," Neytiri rambled before she stopped to look at her daughter. "Did this happen the night of the party? When your father left to go find you and Ao'nung?" She questioned, and Ni'la nodded as she felt her cheeks heat up.

How was her mom able to figure everything out so easily? Ni'la didn't even have to explain anything because it seemed that Neytiri knew all the answers to her questions. However, Ni'la was pulled away from her thoughts by her mother's next sentence.

"I promise I won't tell your father. I've already told him to leave Ao'nung alone, so you shouldn't have to worry about him," Neytiri informed, and Ni'la scoffed at her mother's words. "He already talked with Ao'nung. After he found us the other night, he made me leave so that he and Ao'nung could talk 'man to man'," She said, mocking Jake's voice.

"I'll talk with him again-" But before the mother could finish her sentence, Ni'la cut her off. "No, it's okay! I don't want Dad to get suspicious, and besides, I'm not going to act on my feelings," She grumbled, causing Neytiri to look at her in confusion.

"But you like him," Neytiri said.

"But I don't think he likes me back, and his parents would never approve," Ni'la whispered.