Luminous Nights [Neteyam x Aonung]

Dark Nights : Part 22

Yar jokingly holds his hand out for Aonung to take, but he just rolls his eyes and crosses his arms as he walks ahead onto the floor. With half a chuckle, Yar goes with him, and they stop in a spot not too far from the others. He looks around at the many graduates dancing and having fun and he feels a little out of place.

Yar stands in front of him, observing the behavior. He knows exactly why he's here with Aonung. Anyone that chooses to dance with him must automatically bow to his strong nature, as Neteyam willingly did for him. What he wasn't expecting, though, is for Aonung to end up being one of those people.

As he takes all the time in the world to devour Aonung with his eyes, the song suddenly changes. With a smirk, he immediately starts his lesson and begins dancing a little, and Aonung just side eyes him while standing there not moving a muscle, as if Yar is the odd one.

Yar- It's been a while for you, so we'll start off slow. Do what I do.

He takes a simple step to the side, to get the boy moving, and Aonung mimics him stiffly. He takes a groovy step to the other side, and Aonung does the same thing plainly.

Yar- You're too stiff. Loosen up, let your arms down.

Slowly, he unfolds his arms, and Yar nods at him, then takes two steps to the side. The stiff boy copies him, then he takes two to the opposite side. Aonung does the same, and Yar sees a bit more movement, but he stiffens again with the next move he makes.

Yar- Come on, Aonung, don't cut it off . . .

Aonung almost retorts in irritation, but with a hold on his hand he's suddenly spun around, and when he fully processes what happened, he's facing the other direction, with Yar still in front of him holding onto his hand. The confident boy pulls him forward, into a waltz position and Aonung simply blinks, completely caught off guard.

Yar- Let it flow.

He steps forward twice, on beat, making Aonung stumble a bit, but holds onto him securely.

Yar- I gotcha.

As they take two steps back, Aonung looks down at their feet, making sure not to trip as they repeat the simple move. Once he seems more comfortable, Yar switches things up and starts stepping side to side. Aonung finally looks him in the eyes, rather than down at their feet, and Yar smiles at him.

Yar- Don't be afraid to add a little flare, we all do it.

Aonung- But-

Yar- Hey, we can't let them have all the fun, can we?

Aonung glances around at others dancing in many ways that look fun, then looks back at Yar. He releases Aonung's hand, letting it rest on his shoulder like the other, then holds firmly onto his waist. He pulls it a bit, trying to move the boy along with him as he starts to sway.

Aonung glances down at the way Yar is moving, then looks up and notices Neteyam in the distance. He's dancing with Niráli and her friends. Something about seeing him moving his body the way he does just makes him want to join in, and without even thinking, he does. Going side to side with Yar.

Yar smiles proudly as Aonung gets more and more into it, no longer holding himself back. Soon, Aonung finally starts giving in, closing his eyes and just letting himself enjoy music and movement again. Which gives Yar the urge to pull him closer, and the moment Aonung lifts his arms into the air as he bites his lip and starts winding, he feels his heart stop.

He quickly lets go and takes a far step back, momentarily praying and thanking Eywa for stopping him before he got into trouble. He pushes past a few people, and runs right up to Neteyam, interrupting his dance.

He grabs his hand, dragging him off, and the others follow. They stop at a small distance and see the boy still dancing, not even aware that Yar left. Neteyam stares for a moment, watching Aonung's marine body move like water, exciting him. As he expected, not even Aonung's pride can top Yar's strong nature.

He calls to him and snaps Aonung out of the rhythmic trance he was in, and he turns to face Neteyam, who's started doing a little step to him. With a smile, Aonung mimics him, then does a little jig until he's closer. Neteyam holds his hand out for him to take, and the moment he does so, he pulls him forward, spinning him to stand against his back.

Aonung's gaze snaps back at him, and Neteyam whispers into his ear.

Neteyam- Move with me.

He moves his hands Aonung's waist, holding him close.
Aonung feels Neteyam's body begin to move, pressing against him and making him nervous.

Hesitantly begins to move and join in, mimicking the same rolling motion. Neteyam smiles softly and runs his hands up the marine boy's body moving like liquid in his grasp. He leans forward to press his lips on Aonung's neck, and the boy's hand softly greets his cheek. Seeming to like the feeling, an involuntary smile breaks onto Aonung's face, and he bites his lip.

Their friends watch the two from a distance. Xenji and Zanin stand with wide eyes, hardly believing what they're seeing.

Xenji- He actually did it.

Zanin- How the hell . . . ?

Xenji- Think he'll just let it be now?

Zanin- Well his granddad hasn't come back since what happened, so he should be fine.

The two go back to doing their own thing, as do the others. Meanwhile, Yar continues to observe the couple for a bit longer. Or more specifically, he observes Aonung for a bit longer. He can't seem to take his eyes off the boy, and is starting to wish he hadn't let go when he did. But he soon goes back to the others and enjoys the fun company, keeping his mind in check.

For the next two hours, the graduates enjoy themselves, dancing till their hearts are content. When it nears time for their meal, the music stops, and returns to the soft melody that played before the dance. Together, the friends dine and laugh, sharing jokes and memories made in school. Though he only went for a year, Neteyam still has plenty of memories both good and bad that he'll reminisce about one day.