Lovely Heart

Love's Creation

Aonung held Neteyam's hand, wincing as Norm cut him open and apologising under his breath. " I'm sorry my love, I'm sorry" he didn't want to cause Neteyam any pain. Neytiri and Kiri on the other side, warmed by his words. The surgery was fairly quick and straightforward. There wasn't any serious blood, and without much of anything, Aonung could see the womb and the baby inside the placenta, curled up quietly. He wished he could show Neteyam the baby through his eyes, how beautiful it was. Norm pulled the baby out and got it out of the sack, " do you want to cut the umbilical cord?" he clamped the cord down and cut it gently, the baby starting to fuss. "It's a boy" Neytiri said, with a loving tone. They handed the baby to Aonung after it was dried. He cradled it, so gently.
Aonung was starstruck at his newborn and how perfect he was as he cried and screamed, so small in his arms, clutching onto his hand with his tiny fingers.They were all swooning and let out small sounds on how cute their baby was. Everyone in the surgery room was mesmerised, having seen nothing like it before. Their baby boy was truly a miracle of eywa.

Aonung without realising started to cry, and laugh, a happy and soft laugh. Neytiri held Neteyam's hand as he was passed out, under anaesthesia. She smiled at her grandchild, Kiri right beside her holding her back as she crouched. Ronal placed a hand on Aonungs back as he cried, inspecting the child. She then moved to Neytiri "He's perfect, healthy and an amazing phenomenon, you should be very proud of your son for this birth" Neytiri smiled at her, still holding onto neteyam "When will he wake up?" Kiri asked, peaking Aonungs interest and bringing him out of his trance "You said he was okay and stable, he still is right?" Aonung said with a worried and shaky voice "Yes, he will get stitched up and will be fine in a day. He needs lots of rest right now, as much as he can get" Norm said, checking his vitals. Aonung whipped his tears with his arm, and touched the soft hands with his.

Neteyam got stitched back up that second. A day later he woke up during the night, slowly and filled with questions. He was still weak, unable to sit up "Where's Aonung? Where's the baby?" were the first things he said when brought back into consciousness. Aonung heard him speak and rushed over, sitting beside him "I'm here, my love I'm here, and so is our baby boy" he smiled, rubbing a thumb over his cheek "healthy, despite being different" he said lovingly. They knew that an Omaticayan and Metkayina baby wouldnt look like the rest. He wondered what his boy looked like, whether he would grow up happy and not be called different like he was. He knew what it was like to be different, he had demon blood- so he was scared. When Kiri brought him over, every little bit of fear was gone. When he saw his baby, he felt he was the best thing in the whole world. "He is so wonderful." Neteyam said, feeling proud he carried that in his stomach for nine months. Aonung held it as he touched the baby, and introduced himself as his dad. "My sweet thing, When I am better i will never stop holding you" Aonung nothing but smiles with him in his hands. Neteyam knew he was a natural, and he would be an amazing dad. Aonung was going to give his world to this boy, and to his mate, for the rest of his life.

He looked at Aonung's face, and saw something so beautiful he hadn't seen before, pride as a father. A fierce protectiveness. Neteyam didn't hold back his tears, or his big toothy smile. This was a creation from their love, a gift from eywa. Something so rare it has only happened twice since the beginning of times. Everyone thought it to be a long gone myth, never to happen again. Until this little baby started to grow in him, and the Tsahik confirmed that he was in fact going to have offspring. Just like he always dreamed of giving Aonung, these precious moments with children. The truth was he was scared through his pregnancy, of almost every aspect of it. But when his mate held him close and told him how much he loved him and how proud he was, it all faded away with the mist of the morning.

The baby had light cyan skin, like his daddy. And he had a thin tail and thin arms, like his dad. His eyes were light blue with yellow speckles. "He looks mostly like you, despite me being the one to carry him all this time" he laughed and Aonung smirked "We will see how his hair is when it grows, maybe he is more like his daddy afterall" Neteyam and Aonung had talked on what to call him, they looked at each other "I think our first name choice suits him"

Neteyam had healed and the baby's hair started to grow, it was curly like Aonung's which melted Neteyam. It was not common to leave the ceremonies this late but he had a surgery, so it was okay, he needed the time. It was the night of his first communion to eywa. Everyone had gathered, including both families. The boy had completed first breath during the day and it was time, They all collectively said his name after Aonung "Ta'ri" as he held him up, taking a breath and going to the spirit tree. Aonung and Neteyam held him up to the tree and connected him, causing a gummy smile to form. Neteyam connected with Aonung, and he thanked eywa. He thanked her for the baby and the miracle of life.

When it was all done, it felt like a dream. Neteyam held his son, Aonung had his arm around him, walking slowly back to their marui pod. They flirted and talked, about their son and about so many other things- yet nothing at all. It didn't matter what they talked about, this was forever. Neytiri and Jake were easily his number one supporters, they loved their grandchild. Both families cherished Ta'ri like no other, because they suspected this was the first and last for a long time. The fire crackled as Ta'ri laughed, and giggled at Aonung playing with him. Neteyam watched over, slowly falling asleep. He felt safe, and at home. He fell asleep, and Aonung put the baby to sleep, and wrapped Neteyam up in his arms. They slept like that all night, until the baby started to cry. Neteyam woke up exhausted, he gave him a bottle, courtesy of the science guys. He wasn't able to breastfeed but they had prepared for this ahead of time.

Through the long nights and even longer days, somehow they both were filled to the brim with joy. Neteyam looked at Aonung as he rocked Ta'ri to sleep, his small eyes slowly shutting. Aonung was so handsome and such a good father, he thought to himself. He laughed, as Ta'ri made sounds, as if they were having a conversation. He had felt so much fear in the past, both of them. Even just loving each other was risky and scary, it was hard to breathe under the pressure. It was all for nothing, all those feelings were gone, and would never take over their lives again. This was the beginning of a perfectly happy eternity.