rie

it was meant to be a short trip. he was told that it would only take three days at most. his father had ordered for him and a few other warriors to go meet with ta'unui olo’eyktan to talk over the reinforcements of their reef borders. for many years, they had been allies who helped each other in times of need and ao’nung knew that if he were to take over his father as olo’eyktan of the metkayina, he should be able to handle a few talks about border control.

unfortunately for him, their discussions lasted longer than anticipated. though ao’nung was glad to be surrounded by sand and water rather than the humidity of the forest, he still did not feel at home.

ao’nung felt that there was something missing, and deep down in his heart knew it was just you that he missed.

it had gotten to the point that everything he saw reminded him of you, and ao’nung was beginning to think he was losing his mind. the only consolation he found in his time away was an imperfectly shaped light blue pearl.

during his third morning away from you, ao’nung swam long enough that it would have been impossible to miss it. the way that the midday sun shone through the water, almost making a spotlight, was the only sign he needed from the great mother to take it with him. the pearl was something so simple and yet so reflective of you, that he knew it was something that you would love. the shape was unique and elegant, just like how he saw you.

ao’nung spent the rest of that afternoon with the artisans of the ta’unui elders. they taught him how to create a pendant out of the pearl, and helped him fashion a necklace to bring home to you. they teased him for being clueless and clumsy with his hands, yet they commended ao’nung for being a thoughtful suitor. ao’nung told them stories about you two growing up together, but he did not share that you were already arranged to be mated. when he finished, ao’nung was touched by the older women who prayed to the great mother to bless your courtship.

honestly, ao’nung had no idea if you would see the necklace as a courting gift or if you would even bother to wear it at all. the only thing he knew was that he wanted to impress you, and he was willing to accept any reaction you would give him.

ao’nung kept the pearl necklace close to him over the next few days. he used it as an anchor to get him through the meetings and endless discussions, and ao’nung found comfort in knowing you would be the one holding it soon.

hours after eclipse, their party arrived late and exhausted on the shores of awa’atlu with nobody to greet them. though he wanted nothing more than to just leave them and go home, he knew he had to say a few words as their leader. so, ao’nung told everyone that they did well, and that they deserved a good night’s sleep after their week of hard work before dismissing them.

in silence, he hastily made his way to his marui on the outskirts of the village. ao’nung wanted the comfort of his own space, and he did not care about the hunger in his stomach enough to look for something to eat as he walked through the entryway.

much to ao’nung’s surprise, there was a basket of fresh fruit sitting on the table. he curiously peeked under the covers of the plate beside it, and found that they contained his favourite dish.

that night, ao’nung went to sleep with a belly full of food, and dreams of you wearing a blue pearl necklace.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

“you came home late last night.”

“mama!” you shrieked in fright, and turned to look at the woman with your hand clutching your chest.

“and have you seen my fruit basket, ma 'itetsyìp?”

“you scared me!”

“you’re too jumpy for a woman covered in all those tattoos,” she tutted, and you heard you father laugh from outside.

“i am jumpy,” you crouched down to pick up the comb that you dropped. “because my mother has made it a habit to creep up on me.”

“ma 'itetsyìp, i was simply asking if you have seen my basket,” she chuckled. “i planned to bring fruit to the tsahìk, but i cannot seem to remember where i’ve placed it.”

you continued combing your hair and replied with as much nonchalance as you could muster, “i have not seen it, but i’m sure it will turn up somewhere, mama.”

your mother met your eyes in the mirror with a hint of suspicion in her gaze. she did not for one second believe that you did not know where the basket was, but she was more curious than angry about why you were lying. she racked her mind for what you could have possibly done with her dear basket, but your mother figured you would give it back soon enough. hopefully, it would come with an explanation for the unusual secrecy.

“hm, i suppose i do have plenty of other baskets to choose from,” she pondered. “but what of you coming home late?”

your father peeked his head from outside your window.

“i’m heading to meet with the olo’eyktan,” he announced. “ao’nung’s party came back last night.”

“that is great news!” your mother watched you as she spoke to her mate. “i hope that he had a successful trip.”

“me too, ma muntxate,” your father replied to her sweetly. “i’ll let you know later. see you both tonight!”

“see you later, papa,” you smiled at him briefly, before you addressed your mother. “and to answer your question, i came home late because i forgot something at the teacher’s hut.”

“did you go to meet ao’nung?”

“are you going to ignore what i literally just said?”

“i just find it funny that your father said ao’nung returned last night, and you also came home late last night,” your mother was adamant to get something out of you before you left.

“that is called a coincidence, mama.”

unfortunately for her, you did not want to give her the satisfaction hearing what she wanted to hear. the woman still has not learned the art of subtlety, but you were innocent of her accusations. you could tell she expected more by the way her brows furrowed together. perhaps she would be happy to even just hear you say ao’nung’s name, but you did not.

instead, you busied yourself by gathering the things you needed for your morning lessons with the children of the clan. you had a hectic day ahead of you because after the children, you were going to have lessons with some of the older kids. though the idea of being surrounded by hormonal and moody teenagers was daunting, one of the elders asked you last night if you could take over for today. since he said that he had to take care of his sick grandson, there was no way that you were going to say ‘no’ to him. this only meant that you knew that there was a good chance that you would be busy until dinner.

“it would be a shame if ao’nung had to leave again soon.”

you shook your head to stop yourself from laughing.

“mama, i am going to be late,” you sidestepped her. giving her a kiss on the cheek before you head out the door, you added, “but i will see you later. please tell ronal tsahìk that i said hello.”

as your day started with chattering children who were full of energy, ao’nung was on the other side of the village.

he was one of the first few people to arrive to the chief’s hut, walking in only minutes after your father did.

“ma ao’nung! it is good to see you!” your father patted him on the shoulder. “how was your trip home?”

“kaltxì, ma leyokoaktan,” ao’nung grinned at him. “i nearly fell asleep on my skimwing, and we got home later than expected because of some rough weather yesterday morning.”

he received a guffaw in return.

your father was a kind man, despite what the sharp angles and hard corners of his face might say to those who did not know him. he was the best hunter out of the whole clan, and he was close friends with ao’nung’s own father. the two of them carried out their iknimaya together as boys, and have been through battles side by side over the years. he was a strong man and made sure that you would be strong too, hence why you were so talented with a spear and crossbow.

despite your skills and being decorated with many tattoos similar to the other warriors, you rarely attended these meetings. ao’nung knew that you chose to stick to teaching the children and took on other roles in the clan because you believed that there has been too much violence in the reef already. you wanted a better future for the metkayina, a peaceful future, and ao’nung supposed that it made sense why the elders arranged for your mating.

the clan needed a leader with ao’nung’s warrior spirit, but it also needed a compassionate and kind leader like you.

“did you manage to eat when you arrived?” your father asked with concern.

“i did. there was food left in my marui,” ao’nung replied. “but i am unsure who left it there. i assumed that it was my mother.”

“she must have known you would be starving!”

your father rather liked ao’nung. he thought that ao’nung was strong, clever, and accomplished. he knew tonowari and ronal well from their many years of friendship, and trusted them like his own blood. just the fact that they raised ao’nung told your father all he needed to know about the young man. when the elders convened to pair you together, your father could have cried with joy.

as the conversation flowed between them, and more people entered the hut, your father made an observation with a laugh.

“you’re beginning to look more like your father each day, boy!”

“are you sure about that, ma leyokoaktan?” ao’nung acted offended. to tease his own father, he added, “i think i get my good looks from my mother.”

the joke was a hit among the other warriors who laughed, and the olo’eyktan jokingly glared at his son.

“when everyone is finished making fun of their chief,” tonowari said sarcastically. “then i would like ao’nung to share what he achieved in terms of our border agreements with the ta’unui.”

at the stern mention of his name, ao’nung stood tall in front of the strongest warriors of the metkayina. instantly, he stepped into the role of their next olo’eyktan, his expression turning serious. looking at the expectant faces of the hardened soldiers of his clan, ao’nung knew that this would be a very long day.

by the time all of your lessons ended, you were hungry and you just wanted to sleep.

it was a good day for you. the children were as excited to learn more about the reef as they always were, and you had prepared fun activities to keep them busy. later on in the day, you were happy that the teenagers were less moody than you expected.

the only minor setback you had today was due to one of the boys named kotxa.

everything was going great, in your humble opinion, and it was all going to plan. the group of seventeen year olds had already bonded with their ilus and were skilled swimmers, so you had less to worry about. your lesson was focused on hunting. all of them were excited and followed your instructions closely that you thought you would be returning to the shore at sunset without any trouble.

you were proved wrong because kotxa decided to annoy lei’ara.

when you got back to the beach, everyone was congratulating lei’ara for her catch of the day. it was a heavier glider fin compared to the others, and you believed that the girl deserved all of the praise she received. however, kotxa came out of the water with an even bigger glider fin loosely held in hand.

you easily found out that the two of them have been competing for top rank in their age group when lei’ara lunged at kotxa. you watched at the two rolled around on the sand, not knowing if you wanted to laugh or intervene. the boy did not even look phased as she pinned him down and hissed that he was trying to outdo her. kotxa’s only reply was “it’s just a fish, ma yawntutsyìp.”

“lei’ara, enough,” you finally stepped in before any blood was spilled by her hands. “you have both proven your points.”

with one more hiss at him, lei’ara let her friends drag her off of kotxa. the boy stood up with a smug expression before you addressed them all as a group.

“you all did well today regardless of what you caught or did not catch. be proud of your efforts, and do better tomorrow. now, go home and prepare yourselves for dinner.”

they all thanked you for your lesson, and bid you farewell.

the only one that stayed behind was kotxa. he offered to help you carry the nets and spears back to the hunter’s shed, which you gladly accepted. the walk was quiet which you were grateful for, and the boy only spoke just as he was about to leave.

“i wanted to tell you that i was going to give the glider fin to lei’ara,” kotxa looked more nervous and unsure than he did on the beach. “before she attacked me, i mean. it might look like i was trying to outshine her, but i wasn’t.”

it was enough to remind you that men truly were stupid at every stage of their lives. you chuckled knowingly at his confession and the doubt on his face before giving him a few words of encouragement.

“you know, kotxa, if you wanted to court lei’ara then you should use your words, aside from your actions. you cannot expect the girl to understand your feelings unless you voice them.”

in return, kotxa beamed at you, and bowed in thanks. he walked away with more self-assurance in his stride, but you frowned at his back. you did not like that the boy reminded you of ao’nung.

you spent the whole week trying to not think of the man, keeping yourself occupied with lessons and other duties. yet, it was only now that you allowed your thoughts to drift back to him being physically back on the island. ao’nung was somebody who was consistently around you throughout your whole life, and you figured that this was the only reason why you noticed his absence more than usual during the week. that was all.

you told yourself that it only felt strange because there was nobody hovering or annoying you.

after organising the hunter’s shed for tomorrow’s morning hunt, you decided that you deserved to skip dinner after the day you had. as you walked, you let your thoughts flow freely like the water you loved. you always liked being alone and enjoyed the peace that came without having other people around. you heard the clan’s lovely music and the sound of merriment fade into the distance as you walked aimlessly.

blinking yourself back to reality, you realised that you were only a short distance away from a familiar hut. you were standing close enough that you were able to see that there was a fire lit inside, but you did not hear any voices. you do not understand how you ended up here, but you should have turned around as soon as you recognised where you were.

your feet took you to ao’nung’s marui.

somehow, over the course of the past few weeks, ao’nung became someone you found yourself gravitating towards. that idea alone was scary because you never sought him out before. though the two of you had known each other your whole lives, due to your families, you were never truly friends. more often than not, ao’nung was just there no matter where you were.

you should have turned around and went home, but you did not.

you recalled the different incidents that happened recently in your lives as you strolled. a few weeks ago, you pranked ao’nung in front of his friends and the same evening, you fell asleep in his arms as you both stayed in the water. when you woke up, you apologised for your impoliteness, and blamed it on how exhausted you were and how soothing the water was. all ao’nung said was that he did not mind holding you, and the two of you returned to the shore.

a few days before ao’nung left to meet the ta’unui clan, you braided his hair with the same seashells as your own, and ao’nung showed it off to his friends at dinner. after the meal, you nearly pounced on an omatikayan woman named zamrey. she was a friend of the sully family, joining them to visit awa’atlu. she made advances towards ao’nung, whom everyone knew was promised to you, but you did not say a word. zamrey was constantly disrespectful and insulted you by calling you a bitch, which is where you drew the line. before you managed to land a punch, ao’nung took you away from the dinner crowd, and you allowed him to distract you. you spent the evening talking about anything and everything you could think of until you both fell asleep.

the thought of the woman reminded you of your most recent altercation.

yesterday, after your morning classes, tsireya invited you to join their group to come swimming with them with the tulkun. as always, you were hesitant about it but the younger girl was too difficult to say deny. tsireya’s bright eyes only held warmth and affection that you only nodded in response. you figured that it had been a while since you had time to swim with your spirit sister, and it would be a nice to spend time with them under the afternoon sun.

tsireya was smart enough to warn you that zamrey would be there as well, but you did not mind as long as the girl kept to herself. you were not joining them for her, you were joining because it was nice to be wanted. you liked seeing everyone’s face light up when they saw you, and you realised that becoming their friend was easier than you thought. it was always a regret of yours to have dismissed the sully children when they first arrived to your island, but they were always good-natured despite your hostility. you supposed that part of your resentment had to do with how ao’nung became friends with them so easily despite all their problems at the start.

your spirit sister, yiren, was overjoyed to see you. she asked about your family, about the children you taught, and you returned her questions with your own. it was even a surprise that she asked about ao’nung. you had vented to her before about your dissent towards your mating arrangement with him, but yiren seemed to be curious about the man after not seeing you for so long.

as you sat on her fin, a short distance from where the others spoke with their own spirit brothers and sisters, yiren continued to mention ao’nung.

“you are with his friends, yet he is not here.”

“he is away with the ta’unui clan, and tsireya invited me,” you explained aloud while signing. “why? did you not miss me?”

“of course i have missed you, sister,” yiren let out a sound that sounded like a laugh. “but i see you are different now.”

“different?”

“there is love in your eyes when you speak of ao’nung.”

you gasped and splashed yiren at her appalling words. the tulkun made another laughing sound at your reaction, before everyone beckoned you both over to go to the nearest shore to rest. the afternoon was spent in good company, and you had hopes that you would be invited to more of these days out.

it would have even been a perfect day for you if zamrey learned to keep her mouth shut in your presence.

it started after your volley game. due to the uneven number of players, you offered to play on the boys’ team which they welcomed wholeheartedly. your team won, and the boys were all singing your praises to tease the other girls. rotxo, in his excitement, hugged you by the waist and swung you around for leading the team to victory.

it was all fun and banter until zamrey walked over and spoke to you with a patronising voice that cut through the whole group’s laughter.

“be careful, kiri. i guess she’s a snake too.”

you simply raised your brows at her and ignored the insult, trying to salvage the remaining piece of your patience. it was a difficult feat, but you tried your best since you would have hated to ruin the day.

unfortunately, zamrey had the survival instincts of a leaf.

“you’ve been flirting with nungy’s friends all day. i wouldn’t be surprised if you did more than that behind his back,” she scoffed and rolled her eyes. “you don’t deserve him.”

“that’s okay. you can have him if you want, zamrey,” you laughed at her empty words. “only i don’t know if he’ll want you.”

the fight was not pretty in the slightest.

zamrey slapped you first, probably thinking you would be caught off guard. yet, unlike the other night around the fire, nobody was able to stop you from finally putting her in her place. there were gasps of surprise, and you felt a hand landing on your shoulder as if to stop you, but zamrey was standing near enough that she had no way to avoid your attack.

you bared your teeth at her before grabbing a fistful of her hair. zamrey immediately lost her footing and tumbled in the sand, screaming in pain. you overheard from kiri that she was a fine singer in their clan, but it was clear that zamrey underestimated your strength. to add on, the girl did not know was that you have been trained to be a warrior of the metkayina before you chose to be a teacher instead. zamrey tried to pry your fingers off her in panic, but your grip on her hair never loosened as you dragged her by the hair on the sand.

“let me go, you bitch!”

you managed to straddle her torso and yanked her hair some more, getting close to her face. she stopped moving, but still clung onto your wrist that held her in place. you stared into her eyes that showed you only fear, but you were not satisfied yet.

you managed to strike her face once before hissing.

“stay down.”

in hindsight, it was barely even a fight and it did not last long at all. you let go of zamrey with another shove into the sand before releasing her hair. once you were apart, you walked away without a scratch, but you had a feeling that you left her with a few bald patches that day. it was never your intention, but it was a relief to know that zamrey would leave you alone after seeing what you were capable of. you ended up excusing yourself from everyone, who looked to be in proud and in awe. instead, you spent the rest of the day swimming around with yiren.

shaking your head at the memory, you approached ao’nung’s home.

there was a buzz that settled under your skin, and it was hard to admit that a small part of you was excited to see him. the bigger part of you tried to ignore it. when you opened the flap of his marui to announce your arrival, the buzz vanished into thin air.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

the sight of his lips on her’s paralysed you, and your breath caught in your throat. clumsily, you let go of the flap and took a staggered step back. you did not want to alert the couple that you saw them, so you moved as quickly as your body allowed.

in your haste, you must have made more noise than you thought, because there was suddenly a rustling sound that came from inside. your legs were not moving fast enough for your liking, and you hated the thought of being caught in this way. so, before anybody could spot you, you jumped into the water below.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

you were grateful that ao’nung chose a hut that was close to the water, and you were far enough from the main village that the area was not as well lit. swimming as fast as you could, you easily made it to a nearby rock, and hid behind it in time to hear ao’nung’s voice call out.

“who’s there?”

the waves crashing around you were loud enough that you knew it would be impossible to hear your laboured breathing from his position. quietly, you rested your forehead on the cool stone, and thanked the great mother for keeping you hidden.

once again, you were alone with your thoughts, only this time it did not bring you peace. instead, it led to your throat tightening and your eyes beginning to burn.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

your vision blurred, and you did not understand why. you tried to swallow the lump in your throat, yet it only hurt you more. you brushed your hair out of your face in an attempt to clear your head. it was hard to tell if ao’nung left already or if he said anything else, but you stayed where you were. there was no reason for you to feel so affected by what you saw.

you had no idea why you were struggling to take deep breaths. each inhale you took was too shallow. you were certain that you were not keeping any air in your lungs at all. your fingers gripped the rock harder, your nails digging into it. you were trying to find something stable enough to ground you and bring you back to your senses.

nothing was working.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

why was nothing working?

shutting your eyes tightly, you began to pray to the great mother. everything was hurting and you were beginning to panic. the tightness in your chest was not easing even as you rubbed a shaking hand over it. the waves around you did not feel soothing as they usually did, and the night’s breeze did not cool your skin like you wished it would.

you were foolish to even think about seeking ao’nung out.

it was reckless of you to let your heart lead you there. the two of you were barely even friends. you were not mated, and your arrangement was only there because of the elders’ persistence. it should not have mattered to you what he did with other women. even if it was a woman who showed you disrespect countless of times since her arrival. you meant it when you told zamrey that she could have him. there was some part of you that assumed ao’nung would never want her, but you were wrong.

you forgot that it was you that he never wanted.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

you recalled all of the lessons that you grew up being taught by the matriarchs of your family. they only ever mentioned and told you about how stupid men could be. now, you wondered why they never told you the second part of their advice. nobody spoke about the ways that women could be stupid too.

you had to find out on your own that women were stupid when it came to love. your grandmother still loved your grandfather despite his shortcomings. your mother still loved your father despite his flaws. love was stupid in itself, and this is what troubled you now. ao’nung did not love you, and the feelings you had for ao’nung could not be love either.

you knew that love was not supposed to feel like this.

all of your prayers to the great mother were answered after some time, and soon enough your breathing returned to normal. with a small peek around the rock, you saw that the light in ao’nung’s marui was gone. relieved, you swam away until you were far from the shore with no specific place in mind.

that night, you tossed and turned with an aching heart, and you were forced to see the image of ao’nung’s lips on zamrey’s every time you closed your eyes.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

ao’nung woke up the next morning with the plan to finally give you the necklace he made. he easily made his way through the village without any interruptions, which he was grateful for. he could feel the pearl bouncing around in the small pouch by his hips as he took confident steps towards your family’s marui.

when ao’nung arrived, your mother was just about to leave.

“good morning, ao’nung,” she did not expect to see him alone.

“good morning, ma leyokoakte,” he greeted her, noticing the surprise on her face. “is something the matter?”

“oh, it is nothing!” your mother’s eyes met his. “i just assumed that my daughter would be with you this morning.”

“why would you think that?” ao’nung asked in confusion.

“she did not come home last night, ao’nung,” she replied, slowly becoming confused too. “and i know that she had slept in your marui before?”

“ma leyokoakte, i came here because i have not seen your daughter since the day i left.”

for as long as ao’nung has known you, there was rarely a time you ever slept anywhere apart from your home. the night your mother was talking about, when you slept in his marui, was spontaneous and unplanned. that was different to now because you were with him and ao’nung knew that you were safe. this time, you clearly did not bother to inform anybody about where you went. your mother’s words made him frown, and caused dread to slowly fill his stomach.

your mother could see where ao’nung’s thoughts were going based on how his face changed.

“i am sure my daughter will show up during the day,” she tried to comfort him. “let us not worry, ao’nung.”

“yes, i will try,” ao’nung sighed in defeat, and your mother patted him on the shoulder as she walked away to the weavers hut.

ao’nung knew the older woman was right, but still, he spent the rest of the day like a lost child.

all of his friends came him and ao’nung thought that you would too. they filled him on different news, and when he asked them, they told him about you. childishly, ao’nung thought it was unfair how everybody saw more of you than he did, and it did not help him feel any better about not seeing you in the morning.

pril told him about how fun your lessons were yesterday, and all the new things she learned about different reef creatures.

tsireya told him that she kept you company during his week away, and that you were kept busy by the elders who asked for help around the clan. she told him about how zamrey picked a fight with you few afternoons ago when the omatikayan girl felt brave. ao’nung was more than happy to hear that you walked away unscathed.

neteyam and lo’ak told him that zamrey kept to herself since the fight, and the girl did not bother you. additionally, kiri shared that zamrey had left awa’atlu at dawn, claiming that she missed the forest.

lastly, rotxo told him that during recent mornings, he heard some of the other hunters teasing do’uram about his feelings for you again.

despite all the stories involving you, ao’nung still had not seen your face for himself. he went to all the places he thought he would find you, like the teachers’ huts or the hunters’ sheds, but you were nowhere to be found.

even during the evening meal, ao’nung attended in hopes of catching a glimpse of you, but he was disappointed to see that you skipped it as well.

he ate quickly and made his way to your family’s marui for the second time with a plate of food, in case you had not eaten. to his dismay, you were not home still. ao’nung was wondering if you even ate at all while he began his walk to his marui. he silently prayed that eywa would show him the way to you, but he knew not to get his hopes up.

just when he was about to accept defeat, ao’nung suddenly heard your laugh in the distance. with hopeful strides that his eyes would finally meet yours after so long, he immediately followed the sound and thanked the great mother for answering so fast.

ao’nung easily found you on the beach, but all of the hope he felt was replaced by a sinking feeling in his chest.

you were laughing in the water, splashing to’arum. he was far enough that he could not hear what you were talking about, but he could see your wide smile and round eyes invested in what your friend was saying. ao’nung thought back to what rotxo told him earlier, and the teasing hunters. did this guy think a single week away would be long enough to get rid of ao’nung?

he hated that the thought of you sleeping in ru’ormo’s marui last night crossed his mind.

suddenly, ao’nung’s feet moved before he realised, and he began marching towards the two of you. both of your ilus popped out of the water, and ao’nung knew he would not reach you in time. you quickly left, another laugh trailing behind you in the sea breeze. it took everything in his body not to jump into the water and swim after you. when it came to you, ao’nung had a feeling that he would be able to do it.

for a moment, he could have sworn he saw your eyes flicker in his direction as you sped away, but ao’nung considered that maybe his eyes were only playing tricks on him out of pity.

the walk home was silent to the point that ao’nung wondered if his ears were blocked because they still had water in them. the image of you laughing before you were submerged in the water kept replaying in ao’nung’s mind, and he wondered how he went a week without you at all.

ao’nung laid in his hammock, and began counting all the stars he could see outside his window. it was something that he often did when he could not find the peace to sleep. the method worked since he was a child, and he thought that it would work for him again.

that night, ao’nung gave up on the stars. instead, his focus drifted to the weight of your pearl necklace feeling heavier in his hand than it did that morning.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

for the next two days, ao’nung thought it was just a coincidence that you became so busy that it was impossible to get even just a few minutes of your time.

he found out from your mother that you took on more lessons with the teenagers of the clan. it surprised him that the lessons involved hunting, a task that you only enjoyed as a pastime. ao’nung tried not to think about it too deeply, but since your midnight escapade with ru’atmo, he hated that there was a small chance that this new project of yours had to do with the hunter.

by the fourth day of your avoidance, your little game of hide and seek was not so little anymore. what began as something amusing turned into a nightmare for anybody who had to spend time around ao’nung.

his father noticed that ao’nung’s mind wandered during their meetings. his mother noticed that ao’nung was not eating as much as usual. tsireya noticed that ao’nung did not speak unless spoken to. pril noticed that ao’nung always had a frown on his face.

to say the least, everybody noticed that ao’nung was moping.

you, however, were oblivious to the fact. having thrown yourself in your duties, you managed to find a way to ignore the slight dull ache that lingered in your heart.

this is not to say that evading ao’nung was easy. the man was as persistent as a moth to a flame. you left your home early and arrived late at night, just to make sure he would not catch you there. during your lessons with the children, you made sure that you left early before some parents came to pick them up. there was a chance that ao’nung would try to use pril as an excuse, so you made sure to keep her at arms length too. it was wrong, but it was necessary. there should be no favourites in the classroom anyways.

what brought you joy during this time were the teenagers.

they were lively, and they were fun to be around. they were fearless, and you knew that the future of the clan would be in safe hands because of them.

funnily enough, you also enjoyed teaching your lessons because kotxa and lei’ara were great entertainment. the boy seemed to have followed your advice because there was a sudden lack of violence from lei’ara. the two of them appeared to have reached some sort of mutual agreement as well, if you were to judge the way the girl no longer pushed him away when he stood too close.

you never had a teenage romance for yourself, but you liked watching theirs bloom in front of your eyes. if you never gave him any advice, kotxa would have been stupid enough to keep annoying poor lei’ara. when they end up mated in the future, you planned to take all the credit.

the sudden shift did not go unnoticed by your family either.

your grandmother wondered why you rose with the sun, and why you returned when the moon was bright. your mother wondered if you were eating enough food, and if you were getting enough sleep. your father wondered why you began hunting more frequently again, and why you were spending more time with tu’amro.

when the sixth day came, ao’nung was unbearable to be near.

despite his moody attitude, his friends forced him to come with them to their favourite cove. they said it would be good for him to be away from the village for a few hours. it took a lot of coaxing, but eventually they all left before noon. when the group finally arrived, ao’nung kept to himself.

after a few hours, ao’nung sat on one of the tree stumps near the edge of the cove just watching the waves crash against the rocks. neteyam decided to finally step in when he watched his best friend throw something in frustration. he walked over slowly, not wanting to startle the other man, and picked up the object from the sand.

“this is a beautiful necklace, brother,” neteyam settled down on the rock beside ao’nung. “why throw it?”

it was a pearl necklace. the light blue colour of it reminded neteyam of the matching seashells you and ao’nung still wore in both of your hair. neteyam did not need to be a genius to know what ao’nung intended to do with it.

“because i don’t want it anymore.”

“why is that?”

ao’nung did not give him answer. truthfully, he did not know what to answer or where to even begin. his inner turmoil was so obvious that neteyam decided that it would make things easier for his friend to open up by hearing a story.

“did i ever tell you that when i first started courting my mate, i thought she did not like me,” he asked, watching the ebb and flow of clear blue waters on the shore.

“weren’t you two best friends before you mated?” ao’nung found himself asking, though he did not even plan on giving neteyam a reply. he knew exactly what his friend was trying to do.

“we are still best friends,” neteyam corrected him with a laugh. “but yes, i fell in love with her when i was just a boy.”

at that, ao’nung looked away from the sea and turned to his friend. he took note of how neteyam’s eyes were glossed over at the mere thought of his mate. she was no stranger to ao’nung, having met her multiple times over the years, and he knew her to be the light of neteyam’s life. outside of his duty and responsibility, neteyam had a mate who accepted him simply as he was. it brought a small smile to ao’nung’s face. his friend did not have an easy life, and he was happy to know that someone took care of him when he neglected himself.

ao’nung’s smile dimmed when he imagined you getting along with neteyam’s mate. you would probably like her.

“we were eighteen when i decided to act on my feelings, but i almost gave up when i thought she did not reciprocate,” neteyam shook his head at his own stupidity as he recalled memory. “remember that feather zamrey gave you?”

“what about it?”

“in our clan, the women give a feather to the suitor that they claim,” neteyam explained, watching ao’nung’s expression. “and my best friend gave one to me on the day i almost gave up.”

ao’nung wondered what would have happened to neteyam if he gave up. would his best friend have fallen in love with someone else by now? then again, ao’nung knew that eywa never made any mistakes. neteyam and his best friend were destined to be together. they would find their way back to each other, and that was beautiful. was your mating arrangement with him the will of eywa too? or did your families meddle too much, and forgot that the great mother had the final say in the end?

in the middle of his pondering, ao’nung realised what neteyam actually revealed.

“bro, you should have told me!” ao’nung exclaimed. “i wouldn’t have accepted it if i knew.”

“well, i thought there was no need. i was not sure if you were claimed by another,” neteyam teased his friend. “until you showed up with blue seashells in your hair.”

his comment shut ao’nung up.

he knew that neteyam was right. ao’nung never courted you, and you never actually chose him. he was handpicked for you by the elders, and you obediently accepted it because you believed it was the right thing to for the clan. the way you were gentle with his hair and let him sleep on your lap was because you were kind. even if ao’nung annoyed you endlessly, you were still kind to him. the seashells were just a fluke. you only did it because zamrey gave him that feather, and you wanted to prove something to her. you never wanted ao’nung since the beginning.

it suddenly dawned on him that he wished you did claim him. ao’nung hoped that since he fell in love with you, you would eventually feel the same for him.

“now tell me, brother, what weighs on your heart?” neteyam wanted more than anything to help his friend. he saw the heartache in ao’nung’s eyes, and how much pain he was in. he did not want to pry, but he knew that ao’nung needed a push in the right direction.

“you wouldn’t be asking me that if you didn’t know.”

“i would not be asking if you just admitted it to yourself.”

“my heart belongs to her,” ao’nung sighed. he could feel his chest constricting as he spoke, “but she does not want it.”

“how are you sure about that if you never said it to her?”

neteyam was looking into the distance when he felt ao’nung finally turned to face him. he met his eyes with a knowing look. it was all ao’nung needed to see before taking the necklace from neteyam’s hand.

“you’re too wise for your own good.”

“and you’re too stupid, brother.”

while ao’nung poured out his heart to neteyam, you were just finished wrapping up your morning lessons.

for the first time in days, you allowed yourself to linger in the teachers’ hut. you knew that ao’nung and his friends went to the cove before noon, and you could breathe freely for the next few hours.

“ma karyu?”

pril could tell that something was wrong.

she might have only been ten years old, but she has known you her whole life. whether it was in the classroom or in her house, you were around. almost every day, your mothers would have breakfast or tea together, and you joined whenever you were free. she did not know much about mates yet other than what she learned from her parents. from eavesdropping on your mothers, when she should not have, pril knew that you and ao’nung were going to be mates too.

she could tell something was wrong, especially when pril realised that you and ao’nung were both sad.

“yes, ma paskalin?” you fretted instinctively. “is everything alright?”

“you don’t smile as much as you used to.”

“i’m smiling at you right now, ma paskalin!” you chuckled. it was easy to forget that pril was no longer a baby who could not form her own thoughts, but you could not deny her words made you nervous. you taught your classes without a hiccup or stumble, thinking the children would not see past your mask.

you thought that you hid your broken heart well.

“that’s only because you have to,” pril shrugged. “ao’nung does not smile like he used to either.”

“maybe your brother is just tired from his duties, ma paskalin,” you soothed, tucking a braid behind her ear. “he is busy becoming our next chief.”

“i heard mama and reya say his heart is broken,” pril said innocently. “but i don’t know how you can break a heart if it’s inside of your body.”

you felt guilty hearing her words, knowing that you had a part to play in his misery just as he did in yours, but you refused to let it show on your face.

“i have to go, mama will be looking for me,” she spoke before you could reply. “i’ll see you tomorrow, ma karyu!”

pril’s words stuck with you for the rest of the day.

during your hunt with the teenagers, her voice echoed in your mind, and you hated it. in fact, you kept all of your conversations over the past week lighthearted and only stuck to surface level topics to prevent this from happening. there was too much on your heart and mind that you had not spoken to anyone outside of your family or students, but yiren and pril got to you. their words made the dull ache in your chest feel heavier than it did the past few days, almost like it was begging to be heard.

you should not have gotten comfortable.

you also should not have assumed that kotxa and lei’ara’s truce would last longer than a few days.

to be fair, the boy had every right to be angry. kotxa spent the whole class watching lei’ara help ayvon, one of the other boys in the group. you found it strange, seeing as ayvon showed himself to be well capable in all your lessons, but you did not say anything. kotxa kept to himself during the hunt, seemingly unaffected, but you should have known better. he eventually snapped when ayvon blocked his shot, and took the hammerbrow that kotxa was hunting.

by the time the group returned to the beach, it was a full blown fistfight. kotxa threw the first and second punch, then ayvon threw the third.

“you’re a fucking asshole, man,” ayvon wiped blood from his lip.

“takes one to know one,” kotxa taunted the other boy.

some of the boys’ friends tried to pull them apart, but they were much stronger and too angry at each other to care.

“kotxa! ayvon!” you were shouting as you broke through the crowd gathered around them. “that is enough!”

lei’ara was the only one that heard you.

“ma karyu, just let them just kill each other,” she said, rolling her eyes at the scene. “at least then we’ll have two less stupid boys in the world.”

“lei’ara, i cannot just stand here and allow this,” you tried to keep a serious tone despite finding her comment amusing. “how did this happen?”

“kotxa yelled something about ayvon breaking bro code,” the girl snorted. “and now, they’re there.” she gestured half heartedly to the boys rolling around with each other.

shaking your head in disbelief, you took a step forward to finally intervene, but an arm blocked you from going further.

your gaze wandered up the arm of familiar tattoos, and landed on ao’nung who looked every bit the chief he was raised to be. you nearly kicked yourself for letting his mere presence stun you, but it had been more than two weeks since you saw him so close.

he looked as sad as pril said.

you did not know that ao’nung saw you even when he was still in the water. if he was being honest, ao’nung had no idea what to expect when he left his friends at the cove. he only had thoughts of getting to you on his mind. neteyam’s advice made ao’nung realise that he would never know your true feelings for him as long as you never knew his.

when he came closer to the beach, ao’nung saw you surrounded by a group of rowdy teenagers. upon closer inspection, you were actually shouting at two of them who were punching each other on the sand.

eywa, what the fuck were you teaching in these classes?

once he made it close enough, he instantly saw how you were about to put yourself in between the boys’ fight. the possible risk of you getting punched in the process led to ao’nung moving on instinct, and using his body to shield you. he took another step forward while his eyes stayed on the wrestling teenagers.

“boys, i believe ngeyä karyu said that is enough.”

your trance on his face only broke when ao’nung’s voice boomed over the crowd of students. the hard lines of his face and the crease in his forehead were enough to make a seasoned soldier cower, let alone a seventeen year old. at the sight of him towering over them, all of your students scattered with mumbled apologies and respective bows towards the chief’s son.

the way he commanded attention so easily was not lost on you.

ayvon snarled at kotxa one last time before listening to ao’nung’s orders, and the boy stomped away behind his friends. before kotxa even thought about going after him, you stepped around ao’nung and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“kotxa,” you attempted to pacify him. “it is not worth it.”

“you wouldn’t get it,” he scoffed at you. “ayvon’s a dickhead.”

“watch your mouth, boy.”

you rolled your eyes at ao’nung’s sudden tough act.

ao’nung did not mean to step in, but he also did not appreciate the boy’s language whilst speaking to you. he recognised kotxa as one of the older warriors’ son. ao’nung would have no problem mentioning kotxa’s bad language in the presence of his teacher to his father at their next meeting.

he swiftly bowed towards you apologetically, but it was easy to detect the hurt in kotxa’s eyes when he looked up. he unconsciously glanced at lei’ara’s lingering figure, and you knew that the boy just needed someone to see through him.

“do not mind him,” you ignored ao’nung and patted the younger boy on the shoulder. “maybe i wouldn’t get it, kotxa, but lei’ara is waiting for you. she did not leave with ayvon.”

kotxa’s jaw slackened as he met your eyes, understanding what you were trying to imply. you only gave him a sly wink in return, and called the girl over.

“lei’ara, please take kotxa to the healers,” you asked politely. “i will see you both for our lesson tomorrow.”

she nodded obediently, and the two of them quickly bid you and ao’nung farewell before lei’ara shoved kotxa along. you watched in amusement as you heard the girl nagging him for getting into trouble, and observed how kotxa happily accepted all of her scolding in silence.

with the beach empty, you were officially alone with ao’nung.

he felt weak in your presence. you had not even looked at him, but seeing you so near was causing ao’nung physical pain. to anyone else who did not know you, you might have looked completely fine, but ao’nung saw through it all. your posture was rigid, your ears stood up as if on high alert, and you moved as if you could feel him watching you. ao’nung wanted to step closer, but he had a feeling it would only push you further from him so he stood still.

you did not speak a word as you began to gather the hunting equipment that your students left behind.

“why are you avoiding me?”

without looking up, you answered smoothly.

“i am not avoiding you.”

“if you are not avoiding me, then why have i not seen you at all since i came back?”

ao’nung did not want to assume that you would miss him as much as he missed you, but he hoped that you would have at least felt his absence. it was a silly fantasy that ao’nung had, praying to the great mother that distance would make your heart would grow fonder of him.

you were still avoiding eye contact, busying yourself with the nets and spears you used during your lesson. usually this would be a mindless task, but having ao’nung hovering over you made it slightly more difficult.

“we are both busy people,” you retaliated lightly. “this is not as absurd as you are making it out to be, ao’nung.”

“ma sevin.”

“stop calling me that.”

ao’nung was frustrated by the evident way you spoke so calculatedly. hearing you say his name as a way to show you were keeping him at arms length was frustrating. you made it clear through a few words that you planned for everything to work in your favour alone. you wanted this conversation to happen under your terms and while you were a mastermind at work, ao’nung planned to thwart your efforts of keeping control.

“ma sevin, can you please look at me?”

just as it did earlier, his voice commanded your attention.

though you wanted to ignore him, your eyes briefly met his. the teal of his eyes were full of curiosity, and something else you could not name.

“why are you avoiding me?” ao’nung repeated his earlier question. when you did not reply, he hesitantly added, “is… is it because of du’onro?”

without a second thought, you slapped him across the face.

your self control and patience only went so far, and you let yourself explode. his mention of tu’amro reminded you too much of zamrey insinuating that you were a snake who went around with different men behind his back. whilst you were not mated yet, you held enough respect for ao’nung and your arrangement to not even consider other men. you would be damned if you were to allow either of them speak to you in that manner. they deserved each other if they both thought this way about you. breathing heavily, your eyes widened as you realised what you had done.

across from you, ao’nung could feel his cheek throbbing.

“you slapped me!”

“because you do not get to ask me about who i keep in my company, ao’nung,” you hissed. “i certainly do not ask you.”

“i can’t believe you slapped me!” he childishly exclaimed again. “i was only asking!”

“we are not each other’s keepers,” you threw the spear you were holding into the sand. “we are both adults who can spend time with whoever we wish.”

“okay, fine. you’re right, ma sevin,” ao’nung agreed. “but i want to know why you suddenly do not wish to spend time with me.”

you were struggling to hold back from speaking your mind. you wanted to lash out at him. you wanted to tell him why you felt so irritated with him. you wanted to scream at him for being so stupid. you wanted to confess that you did want to spend time with ao’nung. all of the words were on the tip of your tongue.

“because you vex me!”

“i vex you?” ao’nung did not mean to yell the question. “do you really think that you do not vex me? with all your running away?

“hm? but what do i have to run from, ao’nung?” you countered dismissively, bending down to pick up an arrow.

“you’re scared of something real happening between us.”

ao’nung might as well have physically slapped you back, and it would have hurt less than his bold statement. you hated that he was able to see right through you. whatever messy feelings you felt for him were not even real to you until you saw zamrey in his arms almost a week ago. avoiding him was the best thing you could do to protect yourself from facing the truth.

“i simply do not wish to be humiliated by you any further.”

“humiliated by me?”

the both of you were going around in circles. ao’nung had no idea what you were even talking about. he tried to remember anything he recently did to embarrass you and came up with nothing. he was incredibly pleased that the two of you were actually speaking now, but this was not what he expected. at this point, neither of you were going to get any proper answers if all you did was continue to speak in riddles.

“if you want to speak to the elders to change our arrangement, then please just do so,” you sighed defeatedly. “i will not stand being your second choice.”

“what do you mean by ‘second choice’?” nothing you said was making sense anymore, but ao’nung saw how your words were tumbling out of your mouth like water breaking through a dam.

“you should know exactly what i mean, ao’nung!” you turned and angrily jabbed him in the chest. “that woman has been nothing but awful towards me, and you still kissed her!”

ao’nung knew he had a track record of being stupid, but this topped everything else he had ever done in his life.

he was stupid for not realising what you were trying to say until now. you wanted him to end your mating arrangement. you did not want to be his second choice. you were the person he heard outside his marui. you saw him the night zamrey kissed him.

his mind focused on the admission that you sought him out the day he came back from the ta’unui clan.

ao’nung deduced that you must have not intended to reveal that you witnessed the kiss. with the way you looked at him with wide eyes and took a small step back after your outburst, ao’nung could tell that you had meant to keep it to yourself. you quickly dropped the weapons you were holding, and began walking away with your tail giving away your distress.

you did not have to deal with this confrontation if you did not want to, but ao’nung was not going to let you go so easily.

“sevin, listen to me,” ao’nung was well aware of how desperate he sounded and looked, but he did not give a fuck. “i pushed her away as soon as it happened! you have to believe me.”

“i actually do not have to believe anything, ao’nung!” you called behind your shoulder. “it does not matter to me what you do with other women, but i want no part in it.”

“zamrey came onto me, and i pushed her away. i swear to you, sevin. i would never touch her,” ao’nung was beginning to panic seeing you shake your head in disbelief. “i do not want her.”

he had no desire to speak to zamrey since the night she called you a bitch, much less kiss the girl. when she came unannounced to his marui, ao’nung immediately asked her to leave, but she managed to plant one on him as he was directing her towards the door. it lasted less than a second because ao’nung shoved her away from him, and told her that he never wanted to see her face again.

everything he had already said to you was true, but you were more stubborn than all the women in his family combined. you continued walking away from him, and ao’nung knew he had to say something to make you understand.

“oel ngati kameie.”

you slowed in your tracks, your ears flattening against your head at ao’nung’s vulnerable confession. the words he said were not to be taken lightly, and despite your prior hurt and anger, you found yourself softening. ao’nung took your slight pause as a chance to run in front of you, and block your path.

still, you kept your hands to your sides and you forced yourself to study the sand beneath you. ao’nung’s voice was still ringing in your mind, and you knew he would not say them if he did not mean it. you could not deny that your curiosity was piqued. your eyes slowly trailed up his frame, and landed on his fingers clumsily fussing over the pouch hanging on his hip.

in his state of panic, since he did not want you to walk away again, ao’nung was struggling to both breathe and unfasten the small bag at the same time. when ao’nung finally untied it, he let its contents fall into his palm.

it was breathtaking.

the pearl looked almost like the blue of the sky peeking through a white cloud, or like the blue of sea foam when it crashes against a rock. it was one of the reasons why you loved the colour so much. it always reminded you of the great mother’s creations all being connected to each other.

the shape of it was different too. smooth, but not round. not too small, not too big. it fell flat on his palm. you could only imagine how pretty it would look falling in between someone’s collarbones. it reminded you that flawlessness did not always mean something would be beautiful.

the cord that held the pendant was delicate, but strong. it was obvious that whoever made it did not have all the skills to make it flawless, yet you could see the intention behind it. there were similarities to metkayinan jewellery, though there were indicators that it was of another clan.

it was imperfectly perfect as it was.

“look at me.”

your eyes snapped up from the pearl necklace that glinted in the sunset’s warm light. you were met by ao’nung’s eyes shining with unshed tears.

you two spent your whole lives together, but this was the first time you ever saw ao’nung show this kind of honesty. you knew that he was the type of guy who always put others before him, and when he wanted something for himself, he never said it outright for fear of asking too much. ao'nung often played the role of the jokester, the role of the chief's son, or any role that was expected of the future olo'eyktan. seeing ao'nung bare his heart to you now was enough to make your own heart crack in your chest. you felt your own eyes beginning to water, and closed them so he would not see.

gently, ao'nung leaned his forehead on yours, closing his own eyes. matching your deep breaths, he slowly felt how your body relaxed and leaned into him too.

“ma sevin,” he spoke softly. “i only want you.”

at last, you opened your eyes.

you understood the weight of his words, the warmth of his touch, the meaning of the necklace in his palm. you understood that as the waves crashed against the rocks and sand, and as the sky changed from orange to purple, ao’nung kept his eyes locked on yours.

ao'nung looked at you like he could not see anything else that eywa created, and you believed him with all your heart.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

“i’ve been looking everywhere for this!”

your mother held up the reddish brown basket for her friend to see.

“oh! that is why it looked so familiar," ronal replied as she prepared tea. "i thought it might have been yours, or your mother's."

"did i forget it here this whole time?" your mother frowned as she set it down beside her. she had plenty of baskets to choose from, but she had not seen this particular one in weeks.

"ma 'eylan, we truly are getting old!" the tsahìk chuckled. "ao’nung gave it to me thinking that i left food in his marui when he returned from the ta'anui."

ronal was thankful that her dearest friend had the foresight of feeding her son upon his return from his travels.

"i give you my thanks for thinking of my son when i did not.”

“but ronal,” your mother responded to her friend wearily. “it was not me who brought ao'nung food that night.”

"if it was not you," ronal tilted her head in confusion. "then who did?"

the two women sat in silence with their tea for a few moments, before your mother gasped in realisation. ronal was used to her friend's dramatics, but she was guilty of equally matching them. it was why they remained such good friends after all these years.

"what do you know?" ronal gasped, and pointed accusingly.

"you are not going to believe me, ma 'eylan."

~~~~~

uttering the word felt foreign on your tongue, just as it felt foreign hearing it slip from neteyam’s lips.

“what i mean is that i will not do what you ask.”

“but you have never not done what i asked before,” you accused him with a frown. you were well aware that you sounded and looked like a petulant child, but you genuinely could not recall a single time that your desires were dismissed so easily by your lover.

“that’s because you never asked me this,” neteyam replied, continuing to busy himself with washing the fruit he gathered before eclipse. you always liked to have a sweet tea after dinner, and he knew how to prepare it best.

“this is very strange,” you state plainly, looking him up and down for signs of wounds or disease. you thought that perhaps your husband being ill was the only plausible explanation for his behaviour. you were not even aware up until this moment that neteyam even knew how to say the words to refuse you.

he simply laughed in return.

“you’re being dramatic, baby.”

as you opened your mouth to rebut again, a low chittering sound interrupted you. the sudden noise stopped almost as soon as it began, but neteyam’s ears twitched and your eyes widened. with the indication that he heard it, you knew that you were very much fucked. still, you pretended to not hear anything.

“dramatic, teyam? but you know you never say ‘no’ to me!”

you had hoped neteyam would be distracted enough by your exclamation, but your mate was a skilled hunter who had a tendency to follow his killer instincts. unfortunately for you, those instincts led his narrowed eyes away from your pretty face, and towards the corner of your home.

watching his gaze, you subtly tried to step in front of it to continue your argument. unfortunately for you, the basket began to move and the chittering started again. with a few calculated steps, neteyam easily stepped around you to get closer.

another tendency that neteyam had, which you learned quite quickly since meeting him, was to create distance between you and anything he deemed as a threat. seeing him switch his grasp on the harmless fruit knife, easily turned into a warrior’s weapon, made you jump to action.

“do not even think about it! that’s the fruit knife!”

“i’ll make you a new one.”

his outstretched arms prevented you from moving around him, already having made himself a living na’vi shield. while there wasn’t a big difference in your height, he still had a broader physique due to his father’s human genes. usually his broad shoulders were a great advantage for you in many other situations, but it was clear that they were a very big disadvantage in this case. so, you settled for wrapping your arms around his middle to hold him back instead.

with the right execution, you knew it would distract him enough to lead to one of those aforementioned other situations instead. after all, he was only a simple man. well, a simple man who never denied you of anything up until now.

“i don’t want a new one! teyam, this one is perfectly fi-”

“oh, you have got to be kidding me,” neteyam’s voice cut you off.

in your struggle to prevent any casualties involving your beloved fruit knife, you failed to notice that the blanket covering the wooden basket fell, revealing its contents. at a glance, you saw he still held the weapon, though you knew there would be no need for it anymore. you nervously chuckled as you felt the tension slightly ease from neteyam’s body.

“i can explain!” you manoeuvred your body so now you were the living na’vi shield of the basket, and faced your mate with the sweetest smile you could muster. “let’s calm down!”

“baby,” neteyam remained alert, still eying the movement behind your shoulder. “why is there a prolemuris in our house?”

you began your explanation as you delicately gathered the prolemuris in question into the fallen blanket.

“tuk and i found her earlier stuck in a tree. she was crying so loud, tied up in vines,” you efficiently wrapped the animal like a baby as you spoke softly, not wanting to startle her. “then, teyam, we couldn’t find her family! and tuk said she couldn’t bring her home after what happened with the thanator cub last time…” you trailed off not knowing how to plead your case.

neteyam continued for you in exasperation, “so you brought her here.”

“so i brought her here!” you repeated in agreement.

“you do realise that tuk isn’t a child anymore, right? she’s already eighteen but she’ll be spoiled forever if you keep on babying her,” neteyam dropped the knife on the table, and gave you a pointed look to which you rolled your eyes at. it was easy to detect neteyam’s affection for his little sister seeping into his voice. though they were in their adult years already, you can tell that he still remembers how it was like to carry her in his arms. eywa, even you still remember often seeing tuk carried in his arms.

much like how you were carrying the baby prolemuris right now.

“i didn’t say i wanted to keep her with us forever, teyam,” you kept your tone gentle but didn’t look at him, continuing to coo at the animal like it was your own blood. “it’s only until we find her family.”

realisation quickly dawned on him why you were so adamant on changing his earlier ‘no’ into a ‘yes’, but you didn’t see how neteyam’s expression softened. he knew since you were both young that you had a big heart. your heart was strong too, without a doubt, but what stood out to neteyam most was how you always made space to nurture those around you. even during your adolescence, others had viewed it as a weakness, but all neteyam saw was strength.

big heart.

it is always easier to be cruel than to be kind, and you unfailingly choose to be kind every day. as the future olo’eyktan, neteyam knew from the start that there was nobody else he wanted to lead the clan with.

he watched as you settled back down on the floor with the prolemuris nuzzling her little head against your chest. the sight would send any man to his knees, but neteyam knew he had to at least attempt to stand his ground. only the great mother knew how fast you would be able to change his mind.

“but when you asked me for permission to have a pet,” he moved to sit in front of you, connecting the dots with ease. “you didn’t expect that i would say ‘no’, which is why you panicked, hm?”

you did not bother giving him a response. the baby in your arms was looking up at you with her big eyes, almost as if she was begging not to be sent away. you pouted back at her, paying no attention to neteyam.

“because you already had one hidden beside where we sleep!” he continued, pleased that he finally understood your earlier dramatics. “but i still do not want a pet, by the way.”

“it is alright, neteyam. then you may sleep elsewhere, because she is staying with me,” you snarled, your maternal instincts to protect the creature prevailing. “perhaps you can go to your parents’ kelku for a while?”

“what?”

many things were wrong with what you just said.

first, you said his full name. you only ever say his full name when you want to stop talking to him. sometimes you slip it into conversations when you’re tired, or when you don’t want to be rude and flat out say that he was annoying you. while not always a bad thing, it was definitely not looking good for neteyam right now.

second, not sleeping anywhere near you? he must have hit his head after collecting the fruit for your tea because this was surely a hallucination. neteyam racked his brain to recall the last time he ever got a full night’s sleep without you beside him. he concludes that he was probably around sixteen years old.

lastly, to send him away to his parents was the final blow. this must be a prank, or maybe you were the one that hit your head while saving your new friend. why did you have to make things more difficult for him? you even said ‘for a while’, you harsh woman. he would be lucky if his mother and tuk never heard about this, or else he’d never hear the end of it.

neteyam thought that there was no way you were being serious until he saw you completely ignore his reply, and playfully rubbed your nose against the infant’s like it was the most natural thing to do in the world.

neteyam rubbed his temples, feeling a headache starting to form.

“baby, you’re killing me here.”

“then you better start packing a bag, neteyam!” you snapped at him with ice in your eyes, then continued coddling the animal with the ferocious fondness of a mother.

the backs of his eyes were beginning to hurt. he thought he would last longer than five minutes but neteyam was going to break. the mighty warrior would be defeated by the love of his life who knew exactly how to bend him to her will.

he stood and made himself his own portion of tea before turning around and offering yours in your favourite cup. it was one of his first courting gifts for you, a simple wooden little thing with carved stars that held the perfect amount of drink. the memory of his clumsy teenage whittling was still engraved in his mind, thoughts of wanting to impress you permanently instilled in him. even now, neteyam’s chest swelled with pride every time you use it, knowing you treasured it as much as he treasured you.

he observed your ears flattening against your head, and your eyes drifting from the infant to the steaming tea. its sweet scent filled both your noses, and neteyam knew his peace offering would be accepted once you took a sip.

only you did not sip. instead, you only resumed murmuring reassurances to the baby beast in your arms. even through his confusion, he caught something that sounded much too similar to ‘cuddling’.

neteyam would be damned if you were cuddling a prolemuris tonight instead of him so with a heavy sigh and a quick prayer to the great mother, he admitted defeat.

“only until we find her family.”

neteyam watched your ears twitch, and knew you heard him. then he decided to add, “but she is not sleeping beside us.”

eventually, you placed down your sleepy companion to lay beside you. then, you faced your mate, still choosing not to speak. you were looking at him as if you were expecting more, but neteyam spotted your hands inching towards your cup of tea.

he sighed once again, glancing at the chittering lump wrapped in the blanket you wove, “and i will personally make a bed for her.”

before he had even finished his sentence, you already launched yourself to hug him across the low table. with all your limbs tangled together, neteyam knew he finally said the right thing.

“thank you, teyam! she’ll be so good! thank you!”

hearing you happily squeal was enough to make neteyam grin and nuzzle his face into you neck, but hearing his nickname come from your lips was a sweeter victory.

you soon removed your arms from around his neck and took a sip of the cold tea, savouring it like it was still hot, and gave him a peck on the cheek. at the sight of his exaggerated frown, you decided to kiss his pout away, thinking it was the least that neteyam deserved after what you put him through.

“i can’t kiss you any more, teyam, we have company.”

later that evening, after many stolen kisses from his end, neteyam comfortably laid beside you in your shared hammock. just as he began to fall asleep, he felt your body shift and a slight dip in your side. he was about to protest, knowing exactly where the added weight came from, but neteyam heard you softly whisper in the dark and stopped himself.

“he’s sweet, isn’t he, ‘evi? i told you he never says ‘no’ to me.”

oh, you and your big heart might end up being the death of him, but neteyam knew he could never deny you of anything ever again.

~~~~~

please keep in mind:

all characters are aged up as adults in their mid 20s / 30s.

reader is always written as fem!na’vi.

i do not write smut.

requests are closed, but i am open to ideas/prompts if they fit the direction i want to go with my writing.

lowercase is intended. (i do it for the love of the game).

neteyam

“the whole clan knew it would happen since you were both young. after all, there’s always a good chance that falling in love with your best friend will be the best thing you ever do.”

i. “big heart.”

ii. “i’ll miss you.”

iii. coming soon!

lo’ak

“opposites attract, that’s what makes you two work. who could have guessed that the misunderstood bad boy and the perfect good girl would end up meeting in the middle of love?”

i. coming soon!

ao’nung

“you brought the rain, and he brought the sunshine. you’d rather swim across the oceans instead of being mated with him. too bad he’d love to swim through it all with you.”

i. “good boy.”

ii. “hands off.”

iii. “look at me.”

iv. coming soon!

jake sully

“falling out of love wasn’t the same as taking a break. giving yourselves a chance to grow alone wasn’t the same as growing apart. both knew that home would always be with each other.”

i. “sorry not sorry.”

ii. coming soon!

tonowari

“love was cruel. he found it once with someone else, and he thought it would last until it didn’t. staying alone was your plan, and you tried it until you couldn’t. love was also very funny.”

it was meant to be a short trip. he was told that it would only take three days at most. his father had ordered for him and a few other warriors to go meet with ta'unui olo’eyktan to talk over the reinforcements of their reef borders. for many years, they had been allies who helped each other in times of need and ao’nung knew that if he were to take over his father as olo’eyktan of the metkayina, he should be able to handle a few talks about border control.

unfortunately for him, their discussions lasted longer than anticipated. though ao’nung was glad to be surrounded by sand and water rather than the humidity of the forest, he still did not feel at home.

ao’nung felt that there was something missing, and deep down in his heart knew it was just you that he missed.

it had gotten to the point that everything he saw reminded him of you, and ao’nung was beginning to think he was losing his mind. the only consolation he found in his time away was an imperfectly shaped light blue pearl.

during his third morning away from you, ao’nung swam long enough that it would have been impossible to miss it. the way that the midday sun shone through the water, almost making a spotlight, was the only sign he needed from the great mother to take it with him. the pearl was something so simple and yet so reflective of you, that he knew it was something that you would love. the shape was unique and elegant, just like how he saw you.

ao’nung spent the rest of that afternoon with the artisans of the ta’unui elders. they taught him how to create a pendant out of the pearl, and helped him fashion a necklace to bring home to you. they teased him for being clueless and clumsy with his hands, yet they commended ao’nung for being a thoughtful suitor. ao’nung told them stories about you two growing up together, but he did not share that you were already arranged to be mated. when he finished, ao’nung was touched by the older women who prayed to the great mother to bless your courtship.

honestly, ao’nung had no idea if you would see the necklace as a courting gift or if you would even bother to wear it at all. the only thing he knew was that he wanted was to impress you, and he was willing to accept any reaction you would give him.

ao’nung kept the pearl necklace close to him over the next few days. he used it as an anchor to get him through the meetings and endless discussions, and ao’nung found comfort in knowing you would be the one holding it soon.

hours after eclipse, their party arrived late and exhausted on the shores of awa’atlu with nobody to greet them. though he wanted nothing more than to just leave them and go home, he knew he had to say a few words as their leader. so, ao’nung told everyone that they did well, and that they deserved a good night’s sleep after their week of hard work before dismissing them.

in silence, he hastily made his way to his marui on the outskirts of the village. ao’nung wanted the comfort of his own space, and he did not care about the hunger in his stomach enough to look for something to eat as he walked through the entryway.

much to ao’nung’s surprise, there was a basket of fresh fruit sitting on the table. he curiously peeked under the covers of the plate beside it, and found that they contained his favourite dish.

that night, ao’nung went to sleep with a belly full of food, and dreams of you wearing a blue pearl necklace.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

“you came home late last night.”

“mama!” you shrieked in fright, and turned to look at the woman with your hand clutching your chest.

“and have you seen my fruit basket, ma 'itetsyìp?”

“you scared me!”

“you’re too jumpy for a woman covered in all those tattoos,” she tutted, and you heard you father laugh from outside.

“i am jumpy,” you crouched down to pick up the comb that you dropped. “because my mother has made it a habit to creep up on me.”

“ma 'itetsyìp, i was simply asking if you have seen my basket,” she chuckled. “i planned to bring fruit to the tsahìk, but i cannot seem to remember where i’ve placed it.”

you continued combing your hair and replied with as much nonchalance as you could muster, “i have not seen it, but i’m sure it will turn up somewhere, mama.”

your mother met your eyes in the mirror with a hint of suspicion in her gaze. she did not for one second believe that you did not know where the basket was, but she was more curious than angry about why you were lying. she racked her mind for what you could have possibly done with her dear basket, but your mother figured you would give it back soon enough. hopefully, it would come with an explanation for the unusual secrecy.

“hm, i suppose i do have plenty of other baskets to choose from,” she pondered. “but what of you coming home late?”

your father peeked his head from outside your window.

“i’m heading to meet with the olo’eyktan,” he announced. “ao’nung’s party came back last night.”

“that is great news!” your mother watched you as she spoke to her mate. “i hope that he had a successful trip.”

“me too, ma muntxate,” your father replied to her sweetly. “i’ll let you know later. see you both tonight!”

“see you later, papa,” you smiled at him briefly, before you addressed your mother. “and to answer your question, i came home late because i forgot something at the teacher’s hut.”

“did you go to meet ao’nung?”

“are you going to ignore what i literally just said?”

“i just find it funny that your father said ao’nung returned last night, and you also came home late last night,” your mother was adamant to get something out of you before you left.

“that is called a coincidence, mama.”

unfortunately for her, you did not want to give her the satisfaction hearing what she wanted to hear. the woman still has not learned the art of subtlety, but you were innocent of her accusations. you could tell she expected more by the way her brows furrowed together. perhaps she would be happy to even just hear you say ao’nung’s name, but you did not.

instead, you busied yourself by gathering the things you needed for your morning lessons with the children of the clan. you had a hectic day ahead of you because after the children, you were going to have lessons with some of the older kids. though the idea of being surrounded by hormonal and moody teenagers was daunting, one of the elders asked you last night if you could take over for today. since he said that he had to take care of his sick grandson, there was no way that you were going to say ‘no’ to him. this only meant that you knew that there was a good chance that you would be busy until dinner.

“it would be a shame if ao’nung had to leave again soon.”

you shook your head to stop yourself from laughing.

“mama, i am going to be late,” you sidestepped her. giving her a kiss on the cheek before you head out the door, you added, “but i will see you later. please tell ronal tsahìk that i said hello.”

as your day started with chattering children who were full of energy, ao’nung was on the other side of the village.

he was one of the first few people to arrive to the chief’s hut, walking in only minutes after your father did.

“ma ao’nung! it is good to see you!” your father patted him on the shoulder. “how was your trip home?”

“kaltxì, ma leyokoaktan,” ao’nung grinned at him. “i nearly fell asleep on my skimwing, and we got home later than expected because of some rough weather yesterday morning.”

he received a guffaw in return.

your father was a kind man, despite what the sharp angles and hard corners of his face might say to those who did not know him. he was the best hunter out of the whole clan, and he was close friends with ao’nung’s own father. the two of them carried out their iknimaya together as boys, and have been through battles side by side over the years. he was a strong man and made sure that you would be strong too, hence why you were so talented with a spear and crossbow.

despite your skills and being decorated with many tattoos similar to the other warriors, you rarely attended these meetings. ao’nung knew that you chose to stick to teaching the children and took on other roles in the clan because you believed that there has been too much violence in the reef already. you wanted a better future for the metkayina, a peaceful future, and ao’nung supposed that it made sense why the elders arranged for your mating.

the clan needed a leader with ao’nung’s warrior spirit, but it also needed a compassionate and kind leader like you.

“did you manage to eat when you arrived?” your father asked with concern.

“i did. there was food left in my marui,” ao’nung replied. “but i am unsure who left it there. i assumed that it was my mother.”

“she must have known you would be starving!”

your father rather liked ao’nung. he thought that ao’nung was strong, clever, and accomplished. he knew tonowari and ronal well from their many years of friendship, and trusted them like his own blood. just the fact that they raised ao’nung told your father all he needed to know about the young man. when the elders convened to pair you together, your father could have cried with joy.

as the conversation flowed between them, and more people entered the hut, your father made an observation with a laugh.

“you’re beginning to look more like your father each day, boy!”

“are you sure about that, ma leyokoaktan?” ao’nung acted offended. to tease his own father, he added, “i think i get my good looks from my mother.”

the joke was a hit among the other warriors who laughed, and the olo’eyktan jokingly glared at his son.

“when everyone is finished making fun of their chief,” tonowari said sarcastically. “then i would like ao’nung to share what he achieved in terms of our border agreements with the ta’unui.”

at the stern mention of his name, ao’nung stood tall in front of the strongest warriors of the metkayina. instantly, he stepped into the role of their next olo’eyktan, his expression turning serious. looking at the expectant faces of the hardened soldiers of his clan, ao’nung knew that this would be a very long day.

by the time all of your lessons ended, you were hungry and you just wanted to sleep.

it was a good day for you. the children were as excited to learn more about the reef as they always were, and you had prepared fun activities to keep them busy. later on in the day, you were happy that the teenagers were less moody than you expected.

the only minor setback you had today was due to one of the boys named kotxa.

everything was going great, in your humble opinion, and it was all going to plan. the group of seventeen year olds had already bonded with their ilus and were skilled swimmers, so you had less to worry about. your lesson was focused on hunting. all of them were excited and followed your instructions closely that you thought you would be returning to the shore at sunset without any trouble.

you were proved wrong because kotxa decided to annoy lei’ara.

when you got back to the beach, everyone was congratulating lei’ara for her catch of the day. it was a heavier glider fin compared to the others, and you believed that the girl deserved all of the praise she received. however, kotxa came out of the water with an even bigger glider fin loosely held in hand.

you easily found out that the two of them have been competing for top rank in their age group when lei’ara lunged at kotxa. you watched at the two rolled around on the sand, not knowing if you wanted to laugh or intervene. the boy did not even look phased as she pinned him down and hissed that he was trying to outdo her. kotxa’s only reply was “it’s just a fish, ma yawntutsyìp.”

“lei’ara, enough,” you finally stepped in before any blood was spilled by her hands. “you have both proven your points.”

with one more hiss at him, lei’ara let her friends drag her off of kotxa. the boy stood up with a smug expression before you addressed them all as a group.

“you all did well today regardless of what you caught or did not catch. be proud of your efforts, and do better tomorrow. now, go home and prepare yourselves for dinner.”

they all thanked you for your lesson, and bid you farewell.

the only one that stayed behind was kotxa. he offered to help you carry the nets and spears back to the hunter’s shed, which you gladly accepted. the walk was quiet which you were grateful for, and the boy only spoke just as he was about to leave.

“i wanted to tell you that i was going to give the glider fin to lei’ara,” kotxa looked more nervous and unsure than he did on the beach. “before she attacked me, i mean. it might look like i was trying to outshine her, but i wasn’t.”

it was enough to remind you that men truly were stupid at every stage of their lives. you chuckled knowingly at his confession and the doubt on his face before giving him a few words of encouragement.

“you know, kotxa, if you wanted to court lei’ara then you should use your words, aside from your actions. you cannot expect the girl to understand your feelings unless you voice them.”

in return, kotxa beamed at you, and bowed in thanks. he walked away with more self-assurance in his stride, but you frowned at his back. you did not like that the boy reminded you of ao’nung.

you spent the whole week trying to not think of the man, keeping yourself occupied with lessons and other duties. yet, it was only now that you allowed your thoughts to drift back to him being physically back on the island. ao’nung was somebody who was consistently around you throughout your whole life, and you figured that this was the only reason why you noticed his absence more than usual during the week. that was all.

you told yourself that it only felt strange because there was nobody hovering or annoying you.

after organising the hunter’s shed for tomorrow’s morning hunt, you decided that you deserved to skip dinner after the day you had. as you walked, you let your thoughts flow freely like the water you loved. you always liked being alone and enjoyed the peace that came without having other people around. you heard the clan’s lovely music and the sound of merriment fade into the distance as you walked aimlessly.

blinking yourself back to reality, you realised that you were only a short distance away from a familiar hut. you were standing close enough that you were able to see that there was a fire lit inside, but you did not hear any voices. you do not understand how you ended up here, but you should have turned around as soon as you recognised where you were.

your feet took you to ao’nung’s marui.

somehow, over the course of the past few weeks, ao’nung became someone you found yourself gravitating towards. that idea alone was scary because you never sought him out before. though the two of you had known each other your whole lives, due to your families, you were never truly friends. more often than not, ao’nung was just there no matter where you were.

you should have turned around and went home, but you did not.

you recalled the different incidents that happened recently in your lives as you strolled. a few weeks ago, you pranked ao’nung in front of his friends and the same evening, you fell asleep in his arms as you both stayed in the water. when you woke up, you apologised for your impoliteness, and blamed it on how exhausted you were and how soothing the water was. all ao’nung said was that he did not mind holding you, and the two of you returned to the shore.

a few days before ao’nung left to meet the ta’unui clan, you braided his hair with the same seashells as your own, and ao’nung showed it off to his friends at dinner. after the meal, you nearly pounced on an omatikayan woman named zamrey. she was a friend of the sully family, joining them to visit awa’atlu. she made advances towards ao’nung, whom everyone knew was promised to you, but you did not say a word. zamrey was constantly disrespectful and insulted you by calling you a bitch, which is where you drew the line. before you managed to land a punch, ao’nung took you away from the dinner crowd, and you allowed him to distract you. you spent the evening talking about anything and everything you could think of until you both fell asleep.

the thought of the woman reminded you of your most recent altercation.

yesterday, after your morning classes, tsireya invited you to join their group to come swimming with them with the tulkun. as always, you were hesitant about it but the younger girl was too difficult to say deny. tsireya’s bright eyes only held warmth and affection that you only nodded in response. you figured that it had been a while since you had time to swim with your spirit sister, and it would be a nice to spend time with them under the afternoon sun.

tsireya was smart enough to warn you that zamrey would be there as well, but you did not mind as long as the girl kept to herself. you were not joining them for her, you were joining because it was nice to be wanted. you liked seeing everyone’s face light up when they saw you, and you realised that becoming their friend was easier than you thought. it was always a regret of yours to have dismissed the sully children when they first arrived to your island, but they were always good-natured despite your hostility. you supposed that part of your resentment had to do with how ao’nung became friends with them so easily despite all their problems at the start.

your spirit sister, yiren, was overjoyed to see you. she asked about your family, about the children you taught, and you returned her questions with your own. it was even a surprise that she asked about ao’nung. you had vented to her before about your dissent towards your mating arrangement with him, but yiren seemed to be curious about the man after not seeing you for so long.

as you sat on her fin, a short distance from where the others spoke with their own spirit brothers and sisters, yiren continued to mention ao’nung.

“you are with his friends, yet he is not here.”

“he is away with the ta’unui clan, and tsireya invited me,” you explained aloud while signing. “why? did you not miss me?”

“of course i have missed you, sister,” yiren let out a sound that sounded like a laugh. “but i see you are different now.”

“different?”

“there is love in your eyes when you speak of ao’nung.”

you gasped and splashed yiren at her appalling words. the tulkun made another laughing sound at your reaction, before everyone beckoned you both over to go to the nearest shore to rest. the afternoon was spent in good company, and you had hopes that you would be invited to more of these days out.

it would have even been a perfect day for you if zamrey learned to keep her mouth shut in your presence.

it started after your volley game. due to the uneven number of players, you offered to play on the boys’ team which they welcomed wholeheartedly. your team won, and the boys were all singing your praises to tease the other girls. rotxo, in his excitement, hugged you by the waist and swung you around for leading the team to victory.

it was all fun and banter until zamrey walked over and spoke to you with a patronising voice that cut through the whole group’s laughter.

“be careful, kiri. i guess she’s a snake too.”

you simply raised your brows at her and ignored the insult, trying to salvage the remaining piece of your patience. it was a difficult feat, but you tried your best since you would have hated to ruin the day.

unfortunately, zamrey had the survival instincts of a leaf.

“you’ve been flirting with nungy’s friends all day. i wouldn’t be surprised if you did more than that behind his back,” she scoffed and rolled her eyes. “you don’t deserve him.”

“that’s okay. you can have him if you want, zamrey,” you laughed at her empty words. “only i don’t know if he’ll want you.”

the fight was not pretty in the slightest.

zamrey slapped you first, probably thinking you would be caught off guard. yet, unlike the other night around the fire, nobody was able to stop you from finally putting her in her place. there were gasps of surprise, and you felt a hand landing on your shoulder as if to stop you, but zamrey was standing near enough that she had no way to avoid your attack.

you bared your teeth at her before grabbing a fistful of her hair. zamrey immediately lost her footing and tumbled in the sand, screaming in pain. you overheard from kiri that she was a fine singer in their clan, but it was clear that zamrey underestimated your strength. to add on, the girl did not know was that you have been trained to be a warrior of the metkayina before you chose to be a teacher instead. zamrey tried to pry your fingers off her in panic, but your grip on her hair never loosened as you dragged her by the hair on the sand.

“let me go, you bitch!”

you managed to straddle her torso and yanked her hair some more, getting close to her face. she stopped moving, but still clung onto your wrist that held her in place. you stared into her eyes that showed you only fear, but you were not satisfied yet.

you managed to strike her face once before hissing.

“stay down.”

in hindsight, it was barely even a fight and it did not last long at all. you let go of zamrey with another shove into the sand before releasing her hair. once you were apart, you walked away without a scratch, but you had a feeling that you left her with a few bald patches that day. it was never your intention, but it was a relief to know that zamrey would leave you alone after seeing what you were capable of. you ended up excusing yourself from everyone, who looked to be in proud and in awe. instead, you spent the rest of the day swimming around with yiren.

shaking your head at the memory, you approached ao’nung’s home.

there was a buzz that settled under your skin, and it was hard to admit that a small part of you was excited to see him. the bigger part of you tried to ignore it. when you opened the flap of his marui to announce your arrival, the buzz vanished into thin air.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

the sight of his lips on her’s paralysed you, and your breath caught in your throat. clumsily, you let go of the flap and took a staggered step back. you did not want to alert the couple that you saw them, so you moved as quickly as your body allowed.

in your haste, you must have made more noise than you thought, because there was suddenly a rustling sound that came from inside. your legs were not moving fast enough for your liking, and you hated the thought of being caught in this way. so, before anybody could spot you, you jumped into the water below.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

you were grateful that ao’nung chose a hut that was close to the water, and you were far enough from the main village that the area was not as well lit. swimming as fast as you could, you easily made it to a nearby rock, and hid behind it in time to hear ao’nung’s voice call out.

“who’s there?”

the waves crashing around you were loud enough that you knew it would be impossible to hear your laboured breathing from his position. quietly, you rested your forehead on the cool stone, and thanked the great mother for keeping you hidden.

once again, you were alone with your thoughts, only this time it did not bring you peace. instead, it led to your throat tightening and your eyes beginning to burn.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

your vision blurred, and you did not understand why. you tried to swallow the lump in your throat, yet it only hurt you more. you brushed your hair out of your face in an attempt to clear your head. it was hard to tell if ao’nung left already or if he said anything else, but you stayed where you were. there was no reason for you to feel so affected by what you saw.

you had no idea why you were struggling to take deep breaths. each inhale you took was too shallow. you were certain that you were not keeping any air in your lungs at all. your fingers gripped the rock harder, your nails digging into it. you were trying to find something stable enough to ground you and bring you back to your senses.

nothing was working.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

why was nothing working?

shutting your eyes tightly, you began to pray to the great mother. everything was hurting and you were beginning to panic. the tightness in your chest was not easing even as you rubbed a shaking hand over it. the waves around you did not feel soothing as they usually did, and the night’s breeze did not cool your skin like you wished it would.

you were foolish to even think about seeking ao’nung out.

it was reckless of you to let your heart lead you there. the two of you were barely even friends. you were not mated, and your arrangement was only there because of the elders’ persistence. it should not have mattered to you what he did with other women. even if it was a woman who showed you disrespect countless of times since her arrival. you meant it when you told zamrey that she could have him. there was some part of you assumed ao’nung would never want her, but you were wrong.

you forgot that it was you that he never wanted.

ao’nung was kissing zamrey.

you recalled all of the lessons that you grew up being taught by the matriarchs of your family. they only ever mentioned and told you about how stupid men could be. now, you wondered why they never told you the second part of their advice. nobody spoke about the ways that women could be stupid too.

you had to find out on your own that women were stupid when it came to love. your grandmother still loved your grandfather despite his shortcomings. your mother still loved your father despite his flaws. love was stupid in itself, and this is what troubled you now. ao’nung did not love you, and the feelings you had for ao’nung could not be love either.

you knew that love was not supposed to feel like this.

all of your prayers to the great mother were answered after some time, and soon enough your breathing returned to normal. with a small peek around the rock, you saw that the light in ao’nung’s marui was gone. relieved, you swam away until you were far from the shore with no specific place in mind.

that night, you tossed and turned with an aching heart, and you were forced to see the image of ao’nung’s lips on zamrey’s every time you closed your eyes.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

ao’nung woke up the next morning with the plan to finally give you the necklace he made. he easily made his way through the village without any interruptions, which he was grateful for. he could feel the pearl bouncing around in the small pouch by his hips as he took confident steps towards your family’s marui.

when ao’nung arrived, your mother was just about to leave.

“good morning, ao’nung,” she did not expect to see him alone.

“good morning, ma leyokoakte,” he greeted her, noticing the surprise on her face. “is something the matter?”

“oh, it is nothing!” your mother’s eyes met his. “i just assumed that my daughter would be with you this morning.”

“why would you think that?” ao’nung asked in confusion.

“she did not come home last night, ao’nung,” she replied, slowly becoming confused too. “and i know that she had slept in your marui before?”

“ma leyokoakte, i came here because i have not seen your daughter since the day i left.”

for as long as ao’nung has known you, there was rarely a time you ever slept anywhere apart from your home. the night your mother was talking about, when you slept in his marui, was spontaneous and unplanned. that was different to now because you were with him and ao’nung knew that you were safe. this time, you clearly did not bother to inform anybody about where you went. your mother’s words made him frown, and caused dread to slowly fill his stomach.

your mother could see where ao’nung’s thoughts were going based on how his face changed.

“i am sure my daughter will show up during the day,” she tried to comfort him. “let us not worry, ao’nung.”

“yes, i will try,” ao’nung sighed in defeat, and your mother patted him on the shoulder as she walked away to the weavers hut.

ao’nung knew the older woman was right, but still, he spent the rest of the day like a lost child.

all of his friends came him and ao’nung thought that you would too. they filled him on different news, and when he asked them, they told him about you. childishly, ao’nung thought it was unfair how everybody saw more of you than he did, and it did not help him feel any better about not seeing you in the morning.

pril told him about how fun your lessons were yesterday, and all the new things she learned about different reef creatures.

tsireya told him that she kept you company during his week away, and that you were kept busy by the elders who asked for help around the clan. she told him about how zamrey picked a fight with you few afternoons ago when the omatikayan girl felt brave. ao’nung was more than happy to hear that you walked away unscathed.

neteyam and lo’ak told him that zamrey kept to herself since the fight, and the girl did not bother you. additionally, kiri shared that zamrey had left awa’atlu at dawn, claiming that she missed the forest.

lastly, rotxo told him that during recent mornings, he heard some of the other hunters teasing do’uram about his feelings for you again.

despite all the stories involving you, ao’nung still had not seen your face for himself. he went to all the places he thought he would find you, like the teachers’ huts or the hunters’ sheds, but you were nowhere to be found.

even during the evening meal, ao’nung attended in hopes of catching a glimpse of you, but he was disappointed to see that you skipped it as well.

he ate quickly and made his way to your family’s marui for the second time with a plate of food, in case you had not eaten. to his dismay, you were not home still. ao’nung was wondering if even ate at all while he was began his walk to his marui. he was silently praying that eywa would show him the way to you, but he knew not to get his hopes up.

just when he was about to accept defeat, ao’nung suddenly heard your laugh in the distance. with hopeful strides that his eyes would finally meet yours after so long, he immediately followed the sound and thanked the great mother for answering so fast.

ao’nung easily found you on the beach, but all of the hope he felt was replaced by a sinking feeling in his chest.

you were laughing in the water, splashing to’arum. he was far enough that he could not hear what you were talking about, but he could see your wide smile and round eyes invested in what your friend was saying. ao’nung thought back to what rotxo told him earlier, and the teasing hunters. did this guy think a single week away would be long enough to get rid of ao’nung?

he hated that the thought of you sleeping in ru’ormo’s marui last night crossed his mind.

suddenly, ao’nung’s feet moved before he realised, and he began marching towards the two of you. both of your ilus popped out of the water, and ao’nung knew he would not reach you in time. you quickly left, another laugh trailing behind you in the sea breeze. it took everything in his body not to jump into the water and swim after you. when it came to you, ao’nung had a feeling that he would be able to do it.

for a moment, he could have sworn he saw your eyes flicker in his direction as you sped away, but ao’nung considered that maybe his eyes were only playing tricks on him out of pity.

the walk home was silent to the point that ao’nung wondered if his ears were blocked because they still had water in them. the image of you laughing before you were submerged in the water kept replaying in ao’nung’s mind, and he wondered how he went a week without you at all.

ao’nung laid in his hammock, and began counting all the stars he could see outside his window. it was something that he often did when he could not find the peace to sleep. the method worked since he was a child, and he thought that it would work for him again.

that night, ao’nung gave up on the stars. instead, his focus drifted to the weight of your pearl necklace feeling heavier in his hand than it did that morning.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

for the next two days, ao’nung thought it was just a coincidence that you became so busy that it was impossible to get even just a few minutes of your time.

he found out from your mother that you took on more lessons with the teenagers of the clan. it surprised him that the lessons involved hunting, a task that you only enjoyed as a pastime. ao’nung tried not to think about it too deeply, but since your midnight escapade with ru’atmo, he hated that there was a small chance that this new project of yours had to do with the hunter.

by the fourth day of your avoidance, your little game of hide and seek was not so little anymore. what began as something amusing turned into a nightmare for anybody who had to spend time around ao’nung.

his father noticed that ao’nung’s mind wandered during their meetings. his mother noticed that ao’nung was not eating as much as usual. tsireya noticed that ao’nung did not speak unless spoken to. pril noticed that ao’nung always had a frown on his face.

to say the least, everybody noticed that ao’nung was moping.

you, however, were oblivious to the fact. having thrown yourself in your duties, you managed to find a way to ignore the slight dull ache that lingered in your heart.

this is not to say that evading ao’nung was easy. the man was as persistent as a moth to a flame. you left your home early and arrived late at night, just to make sure he would not catch you there. during your lessons with the children, you made sure that you left early before some parents came to pick them up. there was a chance that ao’nung would try to use pril as an excuse, so you made sure to keep her at arms length too. it was wrong, but it was necessary. there should be no favourites in the classroom anyways.

what brought you joy during this time were the teenagers.

they were lively, and they were fun to be around. they were fearless, and you knew that the future of the clan would be in safe hands because of them.

funnily enough, you also enjoyed teaching your lessons because kotxa and lei’ara were great entertainment. the boy seemed to have followed your advice because there was a sudden lack of violence from lei’ara. the two of them appeared to have reached some sort of mutual agreement as well, if you were to judge the way the girl no longer pushed him away when he stood too close.

you never had a teenage romance for yourself, but you liked watching theirs bloom in front of your eyes. if you never gave him any advice, kotxa would have been stupid enough to keep annoying poor lei’ara. when they end up mated in the future, you planned to take all the credit.

the sudden shift did not go unnoticed by your family either.

your grandmother wondered why you rose with the sun, and why you returned when the moon was bright. your mother wondered if you were eating enough food, and if you were getting enough sleep. your father wondered why you began hunting more frequently again, and why you were spending more time with tu’amro.

when the sixth day came, ao’nung was unbearable to be near.

despite his moody attitude, his friends forced him to come with them to their favourite cove. they said it would be good for him to be away from the village for a few hours. it took a lot of coaxing, but eventually they all left before noon. when the group finally arrived, ao’nung kept to himself.

after a few hours, ao’nung sat on one of the tree stumps near the edge of the cove just watching the waves crash against the rocks. neteyam decided to finally step in when he watched his best friend throw something in frustration. he walked over slowly, not wanting to startle the other man, and picked up the object from the sand.

“this is a beautiful necklace, brother,” neteyam settled down on the rock beside ao’nung. “why throw it?”

it was a pearl necklace. the light blue colour of it reminded neteyam of the matching seashells you and ao’nung still wore in both of your hair. neteyam did not need to be a genius to know what ao’nung intended to do with it.

“because i don’t want it anymore.”

“why is that?”

ao’nung did not give him answer. truthfully, he did not know what to answer or where to even begin. his inner turmoil was so obvious that neteyam decided that it would make things easier for his friend to open up by hearing a story.

“did i ever tell you that when i first started courting my mate, i thought she did not like me,” he asked, watching the ebb and flow of clear blue waters on the shore.

“weren’t you two best friends before you mated?” ao’nung found himself asking, though he did not even plan on giving neteyam a reply. he knew exactly what his friend was trying to do.

“we are still best friends,” neteyam corrected him with a laugh. “but yes, i fell in love with her when i was just a boy.”

at that, ao’nung looked away from the sea and turned to his friend. he took note of how neteyam’s eyes were glossed over at the mere thought of his mate. she was no stranger to ao’nung, having met her multiple times over the years, and he knew her to be the light of neteyam’s life. outside of his duty and responsibility, neteyam had a mate who accepted him simply as he was. it brought a small smile to ao’nung’s face. his friend did not have an easy life, and he was happy to know that someone took care of him when he neglected himself.

ao’nung’s smile dimmed when he imagined you getting along with neteyam’s mate. you would probably like her.

“we were eighteen when i decided to act on my feelings, but i almost gave up when i thought she did not reciprocate,” neteyam shook his head at his own stupidity as he recalled memory. “remember that feather zamrey gave you?”

“what about it?”

“in our clan, the women give a feather to the suitor that they claim,” neteyam explained, watching ao’nung’s expression. “and my best friend gave one to me on the day i almost gave up.”

ao’nung wondered what would have happened to neteyam if he gave up. would his best friend have fallen in love with someone else by now? then again, ao’nung knew that eywa never made any mistakes. neteyam and his best friend were destined to be together. they would find their way back to each other, and that was beautiful. was your mating arrangement with him the will of eywa too? or did your families meddle too much, and forgot that the great mother had the final say in the end?

in the middle of his pondering, ao’nung realised what neteyam actually revealed.

“bro, you should have told me!” ao’nung exclaimed. “i wouldn’t have accepted it if i knew.”

“well, i thought there was no need. i was not sure if you were claimed by another,” neteyam teased his friend. “until you showed up with blue seashells in your hair.”

his comment shut ao’nung up.

he knew that neteyam was right. ao’nung never courted you, and you never actually chose him. he was handpicked for you by the elders, and you obediently accepted it because you believed it was the right thing to for the clan. the way you were gentle with his hair and let him sleep on your lap was because you were kind. even if ao’nung annoyed you endlessly, you were still kind to him. the seashells were just a fluke. you only did it because zamrey gave him that feather, and you wanted to prove something to her. you never wanted ao’nung since the beginning.

it suddenly dawned on him that he wished you did claim him. ao’nung hoped that since he fell in love with you, you would eventually feel the same for him.

“now tell me, brother, what weighs on your heart?” neteyam wanted more than anything to help his friend. he saw the heartache in ao’nung’s eyes, and how much pain he was in. he did not want to pry, but he knew that ao’nung needed a push in the right direction.

“you wouldn’t be asking me that if you didn’t know.”

“i would not be asking if you just admitted it to yourself.”

“my heart belongs to her,” ao’nung sighed. he could feel his chest constricting as he spoke, “but she does not want it.”

“how are you sure about that if you never said it to her?”

neteyam was looking into the distance when he felt ao’nung finally turned to face him. he met his eyes with a knowing look. it was all ao’nung needed to see before taking the necklace from neteyam’s hand.

“you’re too wise for your own good.”

“and you’re too stupid, brother.”

while ao’nung poured out his heart to neteyam, you were just finished wrapping up your morning lessons.

for the first time in days, you allowed yourself to linger in the teachers’ hut. you knew that ao’nung and his friends went to the cove before noon, and you could breathe freely for the next few hours.

“ma karyu?”

pril could tell that something was wrong.

she might have only been ten years old, but she has known you her whole life. whether it was in the classroom or in her house, you were around. almost every day, your mothers would have breakfast or tea together, and you joined whenever you were free. she did not know much about mates yet other than what she learned from her parents. from eavesdropping on your mothers, when she should not have, pril knew that you and ao’nung were going to be mates too.

she could tell something was wrong, especially when pril realised that you and ao’nung were both sad.

“yes, ma paskalin?” you fretted instinctively. “is everything alright?”

“you don’t smile as much as you used to.”

“i’m smiling at you right now, ma paskalin!” you chuckled. it was easy to forget that pril was no longer a baby who could not form her own thoughts, but you could not deny her words made you nervous. you taught your classes without a hiccup or stumble, thinking the children would not see past your mask.

you thought that you hid your broken heart well.

“that’s only because you have to,” pril shrugged. “ao’nung does not smile like he used to either.”

“maybe your brother is just tired from his duties, ma paskalin,” you soothed, tucking a braid behind her ear. “he is busy becoming our next chief.”

“i heard mama and reya say his heart is broken,” pril said innocently. “but i don’t know how you can break a heart if it’s inside of your body.”

you felt guilty hearing her words, knowing that you had a part to play in his misery just as he did in yours, but you refused to let it show on your face.

“i have to go, mama will be looking for me,” she spoke before you could reply. “i’ll see you tomorrow, ma karyu!”

pril’s words stuck with you for the rest of the day.

during your hunt with the teenagers, her voice echoed in your mind, and you hated it. in fact, you kept all of your conversations over the past week lighthearted and only stuck to surface level topics to prevent this from happening. there was too much on your heart and mind that you had not spoken to anyone outside of your family or students, but yiren and pril got to you. their words made the dull ache in your chest feel heavier than it did the past few days, almost like it was begging to be heard.

you should not have gotten comfortable.

you also should not have assumed that kotxa and lei’ara’s truce would last longer than a few days.

to be fair, the boy had every right to be angry. kotxa spent the whole class watching lei’ara help ayvon, one of the other boys in the group. you found it strange, seeing as ayvon showed himself to be well capable in all your lessons, but you did not say anything. kotxa kept to himself during the hunt, seemingly unaffected, but you should have known better. he eventually snapped when ayvon blocked his shot, and took the hammerbrow that kotxa was hunting.

by the time the group returned to the beach, it was a full blown fistfight. kotxa threw the first and second punch, then ayvon threw the third.

“you’re a fucking asshole, man,” ayvon wiped blood from his lip.

“takes one to know one,” kotxa taunted the other boy.

some of the boys’ friends tried to pull them apart, but they were much stronger and too angry at each other to care.

“kotxa! ayvon!” you were shouting as you broke through the crowd gathered around them. “that is enough!”

lei’ara was the only one that heard you.

“ma karyu, just let them just kill each other,” she said, rolling her eyes at the scene. “at least then we’ll have two less stupid boys in the world.”

“lei’ara, i cannot just stand here and allow this,” you tried to keep a serious tone despite finding her comment amusing. “how did this happen?”

“kotxa yelled something about ayvon breaking bro code,” the girl snorted. “and now, they’re there.” she gestured half heartedly to the boys rolling around with each other.

shaking your head in disbelief, you took a step forward to finally intervene, but an arm blocked you from going further.

your gaze wandered up the arm of familiar tattoos, and landed on ao’nung who looked every bit the chief he was raised to be. you nearly kicked yourself for letting his mere presence stun you, but it had been more than two weeks since you saw him so close.

he looked as sad as pril said.

you did not know that ao’nung saw you even when he was still in the water. if he was being honest, ao’nung had no idea what to expect when he left his friends at the cove. he only had thoughts of getting to you on his mind. neteyam’s advice made ao’nung realise that he would never know your true feelings for him as long as you never knew his.

when he came closer to the beach, ao’nung saw you surrounded by a group of rowdy teenagers. upon closer inspection, you were actually shouting at two of them who were punching each other on the sand.

eywa, what the fuck were you teaching in these classes?

once he made it close enough, he instantly saw how you were about to put yourself in between the boys’ fight. the possible risk of you getting punched in the process led to ao’nung moving on instinct, and using his body to shield you. he took another step forward while his eyes stayed on the wrestling teenagers.

“boys, i believe ngeyä karyu said that is enough.”

your trance on his face only broke when ao’nung’s voice boomed over the crowd of students. the hard lines of his face and the crease in his forehead were enough to make a seasoned soldier cower, let alone a seventeen year old. at the sight of him towering over them, all of your students scattered with mumbled apologies and respective bows towards the chief’s son.

the way he commanded attention so easily was not lost on you.

ayvon snarled at kotxa one last time before listening to ao’nung’s orders, and the boy stomped away behind his friends. before kotxa even thought about going after him, you stepped around ao’nung and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“kotxa,” you attempted to pacify him. “it is not worth it.”

“you wouldn’t get it,” he scoffed at you. “ayvon’s a dickhead.”

“watch your mouth, boy.”

you rolled your eyes at ao’nung’s sudden tough act.

ao’nung did not mean to step in, but he also did not appreciate the boy’s language whilst speaking to you. he recognised kotxa as one of the older warriors’ son. ao’nung would have no problem mentioning kotxa’s bad language in the presence of his teacher to his father at their next meeting.

he swiftly bowed towards you apologetically, but it was easy to detect the hurt in kotxa’s eyes when he looked up. he unconsciously glanced at lei’ara’s lingering figure, and you knew that the boy just needed someone to see through him.

“do not mind him,” you ignored ao’nung and patted the younger boy on the shoulder. “maybe i wouldn’t get it, kotxa, but lei’ara is waiting for you. she did not leave with ayvon.”

kotxa’s jaw slackened as he met your eyes, understanding what you were trying to imply. you only gave him a sly wink in return, and called the girl over.

“lei’ara, please take kotxa to the healers,” you asked politely. “i will see you both for our lesson tomorrow.”

she nodded obediently, and the two of them quickly bid you and ao’nung farewell before lei’ara shoved kotxa along. you watched in amusement as you heard the girl nagging him for getting into trouble, and observed how kotxa happily accepted all of her scolding in silence.

with the beach empty, you were officially alone with ao’nung.

he felt weak in your presence. you had not even looked at him, but seeing you so near was causing ao’nung physical pain. to anyone else who did not know you, you might have looked completely fine, but ao’nung saw through it all. your posture was rigid, your ears stood up as if on high alert, and you moved as if you could feel him watching you. ao’nung wanted to step closer, but he had a feeling it would only push you further from him so he stood still.

you did not speak a word as you began to gather the hunting equipment that your students left behind.

“why are you avoiding me?”

without looking up, you answered smoothly.

“i am not avoiding you.”

“if you are not avoiding me, then why have i not seen you at all since i came back?”

ao’nung did not want to assume that you would miss him as much as he missed you, but he hoped that you would have at least felt his absence. it was a silly fantasy that ao’nung had, praying to the great mother that distance would make your heart would grow fonder of him.

you were still avoiding eye contact, busying yourself with the nets and spears you used during your lesson. usually this would be a mindless task, but having ao’nung hovering over you made it slightly more difficult.

“we are both busy people,” you retaliated lightly. “this is not as absurd as you are making it out to be, ao’nung.”

“ma sevin.”

“stop calling me that.”

ao’nung was frustrated by the evident way you spoke so calculatedly. hearing you say his name as a way to show you were keeping him at arms length was frustrating. you made it clear through a few words that you planned for everything to work in your favour alone. you wanted this conversation to happen under your terms and while you were a mastermind at work, ao’nung planned to thwart your efforts of keeping control.

“ma sevin, can you please look at me?”

just as it did earlier, his voice commanded your attention.

though you wanted to ignore him, your eyes briefly met his. the teal of his eyes were full of curiosity, and something else you could not name.

“why are you avoiding me?” ao’nung repeated his earlier question. when you did not reply, he hesitantly added, “is… is it because of du’onro?”

without a second thought, you slapped him across the face.

your self control and patience only went so far, and you let yourself explode. his mention of tu’amro reminded you too much of zamrey insinuating that you were a snake who went around with different men behind his back. whilst you were not mated yet, you held enough respect for ao’nung and your arrangement to not even consider other men. you would be damned if you were to allow either of them speak to you in that manner. they deserved each other if they both thought this way about you. breathing heavily, your eyes widened as you realised what you had done.

across from you, ao’nung could feel his cheek throbbing.

“you slapped me!”

“because you do not get to ask me about who i keep in my company, ao’nung,” you hissed. “i certainly do not ask you.”

“i can’t believe you slapped me!” he childishly exclaimed again. “i was only asking!”

“we are not each other’s keepers,” you threw the spear you were holding into the sand. “we are both adults who can spend time with whoever we wish.”

“okay, fine. you’re right, ma sevin,” ao’nung agreed. “but i want to know why you suddenly do not wish to spend time with me.”

you were struggling to hold back from speaking your mind. you wanted to lash out at him. you wanted to tell him why you felt so irritated with him. you wanted to scream at him for being so stupid. you wanted to confess that you did want to spend time with ao’nung. all of the words were on the tip of your tongue.

“because you vex me!”

“i vex you?” ao’nung did not mean to yell the question. “do you really think that you do not vex me? with all your running away?

“hm? but what do i have to run from, ao’nung?” you countered dismissively, bending down to pick up an arrow.

“you’re scared of something real happening between us.”

ao’nung might as well have physically slapped you back, and it would have hurt less than his bold statement. you hated that he was able to see right through you. whatever messy feelings you felt for him were not even real to you until you saw zamrey in his arms almost a week ago. avoiding him was the best thing you could do to protect yourself from facing the truth.

“i simply do not wish to be humiliated by you any further.”

“humiliated by me?”

the both of you were going around in circles. ao’nung had no idea what you were even talking about. he tried to remember anything he recently did to embarrass you and came up with nothing. he was incredibly pleased that the two of you were actually speaking now, but this was not what he expected. at this point, neither of you were going to get any proper answers if all you did was continue to speak in riddles.

“if you want to speak to the elders to change our arrangement, then please just do so,” you sighed defeatedly. “i will not stand being your second choice.”

“what do you mean by ‘second choice’?” nothing you said was making sense anymore, but ao’nung saw how your words were tumbling out of your mouth like water breaking through a dam.

“you should know exactly what i mean, ao’nung!” you turned and angrily jabbed him in the chest. “that woman has been nothing but awful towards me, and you still kissed her!”

ao’nung knew he had a track record of being stupid, but this topped everything else he had ever done in his life.

he was stupid for not realising what you were trying to say until now. you wanted him to end your mating arrangement. you did not want to be his second choice. you were the person he heard outside his marui. you saw him the night zamrey kissed him.

his mind focused on the admission that you sought him out the day he came back from the ta’unui clan.

ao’nung deduced that you must have not intended to reveal that you witnessed the kiss. with the way you looked at him with wide eyes and took a small step back after your outburst, ao’nung could tell that you had meant to keep it to yourself. you quickly dropped the weapons you were holding, and began walking away with your tail giving away your distress.

you did not have to deal with this confrontation if you did not want to, but ao’nung was not going to let you go so easily.

“sevin, listen to me,” ao’nung was well aware of how desperate he sounded and looked, but he did not give a fuck. “i pushed her away as soon as it happened! you have to believe me.”

“i actually do not have to believe anything, ao’nung!” you called behind your shoulder. “it does not matter to me what you do with other women, but i want no part in it.”

“zamrey came onto me, and i pushed her away. i swear to you, sevin. i would never touch her,” ao’nung was beginning to panic seeing you shake your head in disbelief. “i do not want her.”

he had no desire to speak to zamrey since the night she called you a bitch, much less kiss the girl. when she came unannounced to his marui, ao’nung immediately asked her to leave, but she managed to plant one on him as he was directing her towards the door. it lasted less than a second because ao’nung shoved her away from him, and told her that he never wanted to see her face again.

everything he had already said to you was true, but you were more stubborn than all the women in his family combined. you continued walking away from him, and ao’nung knew he had to say something to make you understand.

“oel ngati kameie.”

you slowed in your tracks, your ears flattening against your head at ao’nung’s vulnerable confession. the words he said were not to be taken lightly, and despite your prior hurt and anger, you found yourself softening. ao’nung took your slight pause as a chance to run in front of you, and block your path.

still, you kept your hands to your sides and you forced yourself to study the sand beneath you. ao’nung’s voice was still ringing in your mind, and you knew he would not say them if he did not mean it. you could not deny that your curiosity was piqued. your eyes slowly trailed up his frame, and landed on his fingers clumsily fussing over the pouch hanging on his hip.

in his state of panic, since he did not want you to walk away again, ao’nung was struggling to both breathe and unfasten the small bag at the same time. when ao’nung finally untied it, he let its contents fall into his palm.

it was breathtaking.

the pearl looked almost like the blue of the sky peeking through a white cloud, or like the blue of sea foam when it crashes against a rock. it was one of the reasons why you loved the colour so much. it always reminded you of the great mother’s creations all being connected to each other.

the shape of it was different too. smooth, but not round. not too small, not too big. it fell flat on his palm. you could only imagine how pretty it would look falling in between someone’s collarbones. it reminded you that flawlessness did not always mean something would be beautiful.

the cord that held the pendant was delicate, but strong. it was obvious that whoever made it did not have all the skills to make it flawless, yet you could see the intention behind it. there were similarities to metkayinan jewellery, though there were indicators that it was of another clan.

it was imperfectly perfect as it was.

“look at me.”

your eyes snapped up from the pearl necklace that glinted in the sunset’s warm light. you were met by ao’nung’s eyes shining with unshed tears.

you two spent your whole lives together, but this was the first time you ever saw ao’nung show this kind of honesty. you knew that he was the type of guy who always put others before him, and when he wanted something for himself, he never said it outright for fear of asking too much. ao'nung often played the role of the jokester, the role of the chief's son, or any role that was expected of the future olo'eyktan. seeing ao'nung bare his heart to you now was enough to make your own heart crack in your chest. you felt your own eyes beginning to water, and closed them so he would not see.

gently, ao'nung leaned his forehead on yours, closing his own eyes. matching your deep breaths, he slowly felt how your body relaxed and leaned into him too.

“ma sevin,” he spoke softly. “i only want you.”

at last, you opened your eyes.

you understood the weight of his words, the warmth of his touch, the meaning of the necklace in his palm. you understood that as the waves crashed against the rocks and sand, and as the sky changed from orange to purple, ao’nung kept his eyes locked on yours.

ao'nung looked at you like he could not see anything else that eywa created, and you believed him with all your heart.

⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄ ⋆.𓆝.ೃ࿔ ݁𓆟:･𓆞༄

“i’ve been looking everywhere for this!”

your mother held up the reddish brown basket for her friend to see.

“oh! that is why it looked so familiar," ronal replied as she prepared tea. "i thought it might have been yours, or your mother's."

"did i forget it here this whole time?" your mother frowned as she set it down beside her. she had plenty of baskets to choose from, but she had not seen this particular one in weeks.

"ma 'eylan, we truly are getting old!" the tsahìk chuckled. "ao’nung gave it to me thinking that i left food in his marui when he returned from the ta'anui."

ronal was thankful that her dearest friend had the foresight of feeding her son upon his return from his travels.

"i give you my thanks for thinking of my son when i did not.”

“but ronal,” your mother responded to her friend wearily. “it was not me who brought ao'nung food that night.”

"if it was not you," ronal tilted her head in confusion. "then who did?"

the two women sat in silence with their tea for a few moments, before your mother gasped in realisation. ronal was used to her friend's dramatics, but she was guilty of equally matching them. it was why they remained such good friends after all these years.

"what do you know?" ronal gasped, and pointed accusingly.

"you are not going to believe me, ma 'eylan."

~~~~~

credits to @uzmacchiato (divider)

The sun hangs low over the reefs of Awa'atlu, casting a warm golden shimmer across the water that laps gently at the woven platforms of the village.

You sit cross-legged on a mat of dried kelp, your form draped in a simple top of woven fibers that clings lightly to the gentle swell of your breasts, the fabric shifting with each breath. Your wide hips settle comfortably against the mat, a natural curve that draws lingering glances from the warriors passing by. Their eyes tracing the smooth teal skin of your thighs before they force themselves to look away. However,!you pay them no mind, your reserved nature a quiet shield. Your pretty face, framed by loose waves of dark hair adorned with small shells, turned toward your best friend.

Tsireya.

She's perched beside you, her laughter bubbling up like the foam on the waves. She’s the only one who can coax the playful spark from you, drawing out giggles and shared secrets that make the world feel lighter. Today though, her expression carries a mix of exasperation and fondness as she leans in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"You won't believe the earful my brother got from Mother and Father last night. They were pacing the marui going on about his... habits."

You tilt your head, a soft smile tugging at your full lips, though your wide eyes hold a flicker of disapproval. Ao'nung, Tsireya's brother, the future Olo'eyktan, has always been a topic laced with complexity for you.

"What did they say this time?" You ask, your voice gentle as your fingers idly twisted a strand of seaweed while you listen.

Tsireya sighs rolling her eyes with dramatic flair, her tail flicking against the platform.

"The usual. That he's too old for this nonsense, that as the eldest and heir, he needs to be mindful of his actions. Ever since he passed his Iknimaya, it's like he's on a mission to bed half the village. Father said why must he tarnish his reputation with such recklessness and Mother was just staring him down."

She mimics Ronal's glare and you can't help but chuckle softly, the sound light and rare, reserved for these moments with her. You nod as your expression turned thoughtful, the sea breeze lifting strands of your hair to brush against your high cheekbones.

"I think he's handsome. However, it annoys me how he... how he takes women without any real feelings behind it. Sex is sacred, meant for mating, for tsaheylu, for binding souls under Eywa's gaze. Using it for anything less feels wrong, disgusting even." Your words come out measured, laced with a quiet conviction while your fingers stilled on the seaweed as you glance toward the path leading to the village center. "That's why I steer clear of him."

Tsireya's eyes widen slightly, a teasing glint in them, but before she can respond, movement catches your eye.

Speak of the devil, there he is.

Ao'nung striding past, his legs carrying him with effortless poise, the muscles in his thighs shifting beneath his loincloth. A giggling Metkayina woman clings to his arm, her hand trailing possessively over the intricate tattoos that mark his status. Her body pressed close to his side, her laughter high and breathless. His arm is slung around her waist, pulling her nearer as they walk.

"See?" Tsireya murmurs, her voice dripping with exasperation as she nudged your shoulder lightly with hers.

You feel a flush creep up your neck but you hold your gaze steady, watching as Ao'nung's eyes meet yours for a fleeting moment. There's a spark there, recognition flickering across his handsome features, the sharp line of his jaw tightening just a fraction.

Ao’nung finds you pretty, the way your delicate features and voluptuous form stand out even among the clan's beauties. But that's all it is, a passing appreciation, nothing more. His life is a whirlwind of duties as the future leader and the parade of women who vie for his attention. Tsireya's quiet best friend barely registers his mind amid the chaos of his everyday life.

A memory however surges in his mind, pulling him back to the night before. The marui had been thick with tension, the air heavy with the scent of healing herbs from his mother’s stores.

Tonowari sat on the woven bench, his massive frame hunched forward, arms crossed over his broad chest, the weight of leadership etched in the lines of his face.

"Son." He had rumbled, his voice deep and steady like the ocean's undertow. "You are to be Olo'eyktan. The clan looks to you for strength, for example. These... actions of yours is a headache we cannot afford. They respect you and follow you without question. Do not taint it."

Ronal had stood nearby, her posture rigid, hands clasped over her pregnant belly as she fixed Ao'nung with a gaze that could pierce kelp. "You are great at everything and yet this rendezvous of yours? It dishonors the path Eywa has set for you. Settle on one. Choose a mate. Be done with this foolishness before it stains our family's name or so help me Eywa, I will forget you are my son."

Her words had cut sharp, worry and frustration simmering beneath her calm for her eldest.

Ao'nung had leaned against the wall, his tattooed arms folded, a tilt to his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll settle when Eywa wills it, Mother, Father. Not a moment sooner. I'm no skxawng, I know my duties but love? That's not something you command."

His tone had been firm, edged with unwavering resolve, though a shadow of doubt had lingered in the way his tail twitched.

Tonowari had sighed rubbing his temple while Ronal's lips pressed into a thin line, the conversation dissolving into uneasy silence.

The memory fades as quickly as it came, Ao'nung's gaze sliding away from yours back to the woman in his arms.

She whispers something in his ear, her fingers dancing along his chest and he smirks pulling her closer as they vanish around the bend of the path, their forms swallowed by the cluster of maruis.

You exhale softly turning back to Tsireya, your voice barely above the waves. "Your brother will probably never change unless a miracle happens."

She bursts into laughter, the sound bright and unrestrained, clapping a hand over her mouth as she nods vigorously. "Oh, you're right, (Y/N). A miracle indeed. But Eywa works in mysterious ways, doesn't she?"

You smile faintly, admitting to yourself the truth of your words earlier.

He is handsome, undeniably so.

The way his towering body moves through the water during hunts, spearing fish with unerring accuracy. Or how he's always been kind to you in passing, offering a steady hand when you stumbled on the reefs or sharing a quiet nod during clan gatherings. You've seen him help mend nets after storms, his strong arms hauling heavy loads without complaint. A great hunter whose prowess earns respect from even the elders. The only flaw, the one that sours it all is his reputation as a womanizer, leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake.

The girls in the clan chatter endlessly about it, their voices hushed during weaving sessions. "One day, I'll be the one to change him, to make him see me as more than a night's diversion."

They dream of taming the untamable but you shake your head at the thought. The day Ao'nung officially courts someone or Eywa forbid forms tsaheylu and mates, that would be the miracle of the ages.

Tsireya shifts closer, her expression turning curious, a playful lilt in her voice.

"Speaking of miracles... have you thought any more about those courting proposals? Narku from the hunting party left that beautiful shell necklace for you last week and Kiri'ka's been sharpening his spear extra sharp hoping you'll notice." She waggles her eyebrows, her tone light but probing with a genuine concern for your happiness threading through it.

You duck your head shyly, purple heat blooming across your cheeks as your fingers traced patterns in the mat.

"No, Reya. I refused them all. The necklace, the carved ilu figurine from Teylan, even the rare pearl from Vo'lek. They're fine warriors, strong and honorable but... it doesn't feel right." Your voice is soft and laced with that deep-seated reservation you always have, your body language closing in slightly with your shoulders hunched as if to ward off the idea.

She pouts but her eyes sparkle with affection. "Why? You're the prettiest in the clan. You'd make someone so happy!"

You laugh quietly shaking your head, the motion sending your hair cascading over your shoulder. The day you finally accept a courting proposal or mate with someone, that will be a miracle.

"I'm not in a rush, Reya. If Eywa wills it, love will find me when the time is right. For now, I'm content being by myself hanging out with you like this." Your words carry a peaceful certainty, your light smile genuine as you meet her gaze, the bond between you unbreakable.

She groans theatrically flopping back onto the mat, but her grin betrays her. 'Fine, fine. But I won't stop pestering you. I just want you happy, you know that.'

Her persistence is born of love, the kind forged since you were both tiny wriggling infants in the maruis.

Your mother, Riki'ea, had been best friends with Ronal. The two of them inseparable through hunts and healings, sharing secrets under the stars. When Riki'ea died bringing you into the world, her last breath a plea to the Tsahik. Ronal had sworn on Eywa's light to care for you as her own.

"She will be my daughter too." Ronal had vowed, tears streaking her face, her hand on Riki'ea's cooling one.

Tonowari and Ronal had stepped in without hesitation, helping your father, Ar'von, raise you amid the clan's rhythms.

Ar'von had never taken another mate, his heart tethered to your mother's memory, pouring all his devotion into you. Teaching you to swim before you could walk, his deep voice singing lullabies of the ancestors. He was a great warrior, Tonowari's steadfast comrade, until that fateful storm when you were thirteen. The winds howled like anguished spirits, waves crashing against the outriggers as he dove into the churning sea to save injured hunters, his strong arms pulling them to safety one by one. But the sea claimed him in the end, his body lost to the depths, leaving a void that echoed in your young heart.

Since then, Ronal had drawn you under her wing, training you in the healings arts. The careful grinding of herbs, the soothing chants over the wounded. She watched over you with maternal protectiveness, her guidance a balm to your grief of losing two parents. And through it all, Tsireya had been your constant, the two of you attached at the hip, exploring tide pools and whispering dreams late into the night.

Ao'nung had always been there on the periphery, hovering like a shadow. Offering a hand to steady you during your first free dive or quietly mending a tear in your fishing net without fanfare. He never crossed that line to true closeness, not like Tsireya. He was too absorbed in his own world of friends and rigorous training to forge deeper bonds but he was nice in his distant way, his presence a reliable hum in the background of your life.

Then came his Iknimaya, the rite that transformed him. He returned from the trials with those striking tattoos, bold lines curling over his biceps tracing the planes of his chest and back, symbols of his maturity and prowess. Women had flocked to him immediately, drawn to his newfound poise, the air in his step as he flexed those marked arms during communal feasts. You found it annoying, the way he toyed with their affections, careless with hearts that beat for him in earnest.

You've no experience yourself, no knowledge of the heated tangles of bodies or the raw urges that drive such encounters. The elders' teachings have painted it as sacred. A profound union reserved for the one you love, the partner with whom you'll form tsaheylu, weaving your kurus in Eywa's eternal bond. You believe in that love, pure and enduring, the kind that honors the spirit as much as the flesh.

For that, Ao'nung's actions disgust you. A perversion of something so holy and in quiet moments like this, you hope faintly that he finds someone who can pierce through his armor, someone to change his ways and lead him toward the man he could truly be.

Hours later, the afternoon sun beats down on the turquoise expanse of the reef, turning the water into a glittering mosaic of light and shadow as you guide your ilu through the currents.

Your body moves in harmony with the creature's powerful undulations, legs wrapped firmly around its sleek form, the cool rush of water caressing your bare skin where your loincloth rides up slightly against your thighs.

Beside you, Tsireya calls out with a laugh, her voice carrying over the splashes of the group of other gatherers from the clan who had nets at the ready to scoop up schools of fish darting through the coral. Ao'nung leads the way ahead, his broad back cutting through the waves, tattoos rippling with each stroke of his arms, his ilu responding to his commands with effortless precision.

You're focused, eyes scanning the vibrant underwater world for the telltale shimmer of a catch, your hair streaming behind you like dark ribbons in the flow. The ilu beneath you surges forward suddenly, chasing a cluster of plump fish and you lean into the turn, heart quickening with the thrill.

But then, chaos.

A rogue current twists unexpectedly, slamming your ilu against a jagged outcrop of coral hidden just below the surface. Pain explodes in your skull as your head connects with the sharp edge in a white-hot flash that blinds you. The world tilts as the water swallowed your gasp and darkness rushes in pulling you under.

Tsireya's scream pierces the haze first, raw and frantic as she wheels her ilu around, eyes wide with terror. "(Y/N)! Eywa, no. Ao'nung! Help her!"

Her voice cracks, hands trembling as she reaches for you but you're limp. Your body floating adrift, blood threading faintly into the water from the gash on your temple.

Ao'nung is there in an instant, his ilu powering through the water like a spear.

He dives off without hesitation, strong arms wrapping around your waist to haul you against his chest, one hand cradling the back of your head to staunch the bleeding. Your unconscious form molds to him, soft curves pressing into the hard planes of his torso, your chest rising and falling shallowly against his ribs, wide hips settling against his as he kicks toward the surface. Water streams from your lashes, your pretty face pale and slack, lips parted in silent vulnerability.

This is the first time he's held you so close and under such a grim twist of fate. He thinks you're clumsy, always have been in your quiet way but seeing you like this, so breakable and fragile, stirs an unfamiliar knot in his gut.

"Tsireya, head to Mother’s marui!" He barks, voice edged with urgency he's not used to feeling as he surfaces with you in his arms, your head lolling against his shoulder.

Tsireya nods, tears streaking her cheeks, urging her ilu toward shore while Ao'nung swims quickly. Your weight no burden to his warrior's build. He doesn't let go until they're at the shallows, scooping you fully into his arms to carry you the rest of the way. Your legs dangling over his forearm, the warmth of your body seeping through his damp skin.

The path to Ronal's healing hut blurs in a rush of worried murmurs from the clan but Ao'nung pushes through with Tsireya at his side, her hand clutching your trailing arm. Inside the dim marui, the air thick with the scent of medicinal pastes and smoldering herbs, Ronal looks up sharply from her worktable, her expression shifting from calm to alarm.

"What happened?" She demands, gesturing to the woven pallet as Ao'nung lays you down gently, your hair fanning out like seaweed across the fibers.

"Coral strike, head injury." Ao'nung says tersely, stepping back but not leaving, his eyes fixed on the slow rise of your chest.

Tsireya hovers, wringing her hands. "She was gathering then just... gone under."

Ronal works swiftly, cleaning the wound with cool water, applying a poultice of ground leaves that smells sharp and earthy, her fingers deft and sure.

Ao'nung lingers uncharacteristically still, concern etching his features. You're his sister's shadow after all and up close like this, you seem so soft, your supple form curled slightly even in oblivion.

Hours slip by in tense vigil, the light outside fading to the soft glow of eclipse. You stir finally, eyelids fluttering open to the thatched ceiling, a dull throb pulsing in your temple.

Tsireya gasps, leaning over you, her face a mask of relief and worry. "(Y/N), oh thank Eywa you're awake. How do you feel? Does it hurt that badly?"

Her voice wavers, hand squeezing yours tightly as her fingers interlaced with your slender ones.

Ao'nung stands nearby, arms crossed over his tattooed chest, a hint of relief flickering in his teal eyes at your awakening. He's still here, against his usual instinct to bolt after crises, drawn by some pull he can't name.

You blink up at them, vision clearing, and your gaze lands on him. His strong jaw, his piercing stare, the faint scar on his lip from a hunt gone wrong during your teen years. A warmth blooms in your chest, instinctive and sure.

"Ao'nung... why are you so far? Come here, ma muntxa."

The words tumble out soft and earnest, your head tilting in innocent confusion as you shift on the pallet, wincing slightly at the pull of your wound.

The room falls silent, shock rippling through them. Tsireya's mouth drops open, her grip tightening.

"W-what? (Y/N), that's... you can't mean—" She's stammering, eyes darting to her brother, remembering all the times you've whispered your disdain for his ways, how you've avoided him like a tainted current.

Ao'nung's lips curve into a smirk at first, a low chuckle escaping, thinking it's delirium or a jest to lighten the mood. "Cute but save the teasing for when you're not half-drowned."

But you only frown deeper, propping yourself up on one elbow, your free hand reaching toward him, the curve of your arm revealing the gentle swell of your breast beneath your top.

"Why would I tease? And why am I lying here like this? We should be together..." Your voice trails off shy but puzzled, eyes searching his face with a trust that feels utterly natural to you.

Ronal steps forward, her presence commanding as she kneeled beside you with a gentle hand on your shoulder. "Child, tell me your last memory. What do you recall before waking up?"

Her tone is calm and probing, eyes sharp as she assesses the blankness in yours.

You pause searching inward but there's only fog, a void where days and details should be. "I... I don't remember. Nothing's clear."

Your fingers twist in the edge of the pallet, vulnerability etching your features making your wide eyes seem even larger.

She nods unperturbed then leans closer. "And these words, you say Ao'nung is your mate? Explain, little one."

A shy smile graces your lips, cheeks warming as you glance at him again, seeing Ronal's son but overlaid with the certainty of your mating bond.

"Yes, Tsahik. We've mated, haven't we? For months now. Tsaheylu and all." Your voice holds a quiet joy, hand still extended toward him ignoring the stunned stares.

Ronal's gaze flicks to Ao'nung, catching the way his smirk falters into wide-eyed disbelief, his tail flicking sharply. A subtle smile tugs at her own lips, something knowing in her eyes.

Eywa's hand perhaps, weaving threads in unexpected ways.

As Tsahik, she senses the fragility of your state, the selective amnesia a veil over your true memories, and stressing it now could shatter the delicate recovery. "Rest now, child. Your body's mending."

Sleep tugs at you already, eyelids growing heavy, though not before you murmur with a soft and pleading voice. "Ao'nung... closer, please?"

He hesitates then steps forward under his mother’s piercing glare, kneeling beside the pallet so your reaching hand can brush his arm, the contact sending a faint spark through you both.

As your breathing evens into slumber, Ronal straightens, turning to her children with a stern whisper. "She must not be overwhelmed. No stress as her mind is healing, piece by fragile piece. This is my best friend's daughter, I swore to Riki'ea I'd guard her like my own blood."

Her words carry the weight of that old vow, eyes softening briefly before hardening on Ao'nung.

He opens his mouth as frustration bubbled in his chest but Ronal's sharp glare silences him.

Tonowari, who has entered quietly, places a heavy hand on his son's shoulder, voice rumbling low. "Just until she gets her memories back, son."

Ao'nung groans rubbing a hand over his face, the muscles in his jaw clenching.

Ronal presses on unyielding as she met his stare head-on. "You'll care for her, Ao'nung. She believes you're mates, pulling away now would wound her deeper than any coral. Stay by her side and let her heal in that belief until she remembers on her own."

Tsireya sighs deeply crossing her arms, her protectiveness flaring like a sudden tide.

"That means you stop your flirting, stop chasing every girl who bats her eyes. Don't hurt her Ao’nung, not while she's like this, vulnerable. She's my best friend and I won't let you play with her heart." Her tone is fierce as her eyes narrowed, a sister's warning laced with genuine concern for you.

Frustration coils in Ao'nung's chest at this situation he did not ask for.

You're pretty, always have been. That face like carved coral, body a temptation of soft curves and inviting lines but he's woven into the fabric of attention, the eager presses of other women against him, their whispers and touches a constant rhythm.

This? Pretending a bond that doesn't exist? It chafes against his freedom.

Ronal nods firmly. "Carry her to your marui. Mates wouldn't sleep apart, keep the illusion steady for her sake."

He sighs a long and defeated one, bending to slide his arms beneath you. One under your knees, the other supporting your back. Your body lifts easily, light in his hold, head nestling instinctively against his chest, your breath warm on his skin.

Tsireya glares daggers at him as she crossed her arm. "Take care of her Ao’nung or you'll answer to me."

He nods curtly just so they can all shut up, striding out into the cooling evening, your form cradled close to his chest.

You've always turned heads but now, with your lashes fanned against your cheeks, lips softly parted, he lets his gaze trail. Over the inviting line of your neck, the gentle rise of your chest with each breath, the way your hair clings damply to your shoulders. Something stirs unbidden as he enters his marui, the space sparse but his own, the woven walls of it fluttering in the breeze.

Carefully, he lowers you onto his sleeping mat, arranging the soft hides around your form, your legs curling slightly in repose. He stares for a long moment conflicted, the quiet of the space amplifying the thud of his pulse. Then shaking his head, he turns and walks out, needing to blow off some steam.

Not diving into beds this time but still, perhaps some flirting or a stolen kiss in the dark, something to reclaim the ease he's losing with this new situation at hand.

The first rays of dawn filter through the woven walls of Ao'nung's marui, casting a soft pearlescent light over the space.

Your head throbs with a persistent ache like the dull echo of waves crashing far offshore, pulling you from sleep. You shift on the sleeping mat, the hides warm beneath your bare legs as you blink against the haze, instinctively reaching out for the familiar solid presence that should be beside you.

Your gaze lands on him.

Ao'nung seated cross-legged a few paces away, his broad back to you, shoulders rolling with the rhythmic scrape of stone against metal. He's sharpening his spear, the weapon balanced across his thighs, its tip gleaming sharper with each precise stroke. The muscles in his arms flex subtly, tattoos shifting like shadows over his teal skin, and you can't help the sleepy smile that curves your lips. A surge of warmth blooming in your chest at the sight of your mate tending to his tools so early.

Quietly, you push yourself up, ignoring the twinge in your temple and shuffle forward on your knees. The mat whispers under you as you close the distance, your arms sliding around his waist from behind, palms pressing flat against the firm ridges of his abdomen through the thin weave of his loincloth. You nuzzle into the warmth of his back, inhaling the clean masculine scent of him, more of a sea spray and sun-warmed skin.

"Good morning, 'Nungie." You murmur, voice thick with lingering drowsiness yet still laced with an adoration that feels as natural as breathing.

He stiffens instantly, body going rigid under your touch, the spear pausing mid-stroke.

The nickname hits him like a sudden current, intimate in a way that sends an unexpected jolt through him. Your voice wrapping around it the nickname with such unguarded affection that it’s almost cute to him. Memories of his mother's stern command and Tsireya's warnings flash in his mind. No stressing you, no pulling away, or face the fallout if you break down in tears to his sister.

He exhales slowly, forcing the tension from his frame, and leans back into your embrace, the solid weight of his shoulders settling against your chest.

He tells himself in a few weeks, your memories will resurface and he'll slip back into the life he knows. Surrounded by eager women, their hands on him, their laughter filling his nights. A free man and away from this tangled obligation.

"Good morning, (Y/N)." He replies in a casual tone, almost offhand as if this is just another dawn.

Your forehead creases in confusion, a flicker of hurt tightening your features. You pull back slightly, rising to your feet with a soft rustle then circle around to sit in front of him, your knees tucked under you. Your lips form a cute pout, full and downturned, drawing his eyes despite himself. The way it plumps your mouth, making you look endearingly petulant in his eyes.

"What's got your lips in a pout, (Y/N)?" He asks, curiosity edging his voice as he sets the spear aside, the stone clinking lightly against the floor.

The pout deepens as your eyes narrowed just a touch, hands folding in your lap where your fingers twist together.

"See? There it is again. Did I do something wrong?" Your words come out soft but insistent, a thread of worry weaving through them.

He chuckles, low and puzzled, head tilting as he studies your face. "Huh?"

"You keep calling me by name. Are you mad at me?"

The question hangs between you, your gaze searching his, vulnerable in its directness, the morning light catching the subtle glow of your eyes as you gaze at him.

Ao'nung's chuckle fades as realization dawned on him like the sun cresting the horizon.

Your amnesia has rewritten your dynamic into something far more personal and that probably includes nicknames. He has no clue what endearment your fractured mind has invented for itself but stressing the truth now would only invite chaos.

Playing it safe, he leans forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Oh, then what is it you want me to call you so you can stop pouting?"

This way, he fishes information without revealing the gap and he can keep the illusion intact.

You glare at him playfully, the expression making you resemble a sulking child. All wide eyes and stubborn chin which only pulls another laugh from him, genuine this time as it rumbled deep in his chest.

"Yawntu." You declare, crossing your arms over your chest, the motion accentuating the gentle swell of your breasts beneath your woven top which he tries not to look at.

Instead he nods, suppressing a smirk at how easily you've handed it over. "I'm sorry, yawntu. I was just messing with you."

You scoff, a light huff escaping as you uncross your arms, but the pout eases into a reluctant smile, his words smoothing the wrinkle from your forehead.

He thinks his ploy worked seamlessly, you buy it without question and the trust in your eyes a quiet weight he hadn't anticipated. Shifting gears, he scans your face as concern flickered briefly when his gaze drifts to the bandaged gash on your temple, the skin around it still faintly bruised.

"Are you hungry? Does your head still hurt?"

You nod, one hand drifting to clutch your stomach, the faint growl audible in the quiet marui. "I am hungry but my head only hurts slightly now. A dull ache, nothing like before."

He rises fluidly as he extended his hand palm up, visible calluses are seen, rough from years of handling weapons.

"Let's get breakfast then." His voice carries a casual warmth, masking the internal tally of how long this charade might last.

Your face lights up, a beam spreading across your features as you slip your hand into his, fingers interlacing with a natural ease that sends a subtle warmth up his arm. The contact lingers as you both stand and he moves to withdraw once you're steady on your feet but your grip tightens, holding firm as your thumb brushed absently over his knuckles.

He pauses then lets it be, the unexpected cling stirring a faint curiosity in him as you step out into the bustling morning of Awa'atlu.

The village hums with life, weavers calling to each other over glowing braids of kelp, children darting between maruis with laughter trailing like bubbles. Heads turn as you walk hand-in-hand toward the communal eating area, the sandy paths crunching softly underfoot.

Ao'nung, the clan's notorious charmer, linked with you. The elusive beauty who's turned away every suitor, always shadowed only by Tsireya's side. Whispers ripple through the air like wind over water. He's never paraded his flings like this. With them, it's waists gripped possessively or arms draped around his, only fleeting and bold.

But you?

Your hand in his feels different, your steps syncing with his in a rhythm that draws more eyes than he'd like.

You shrug off the stares with a soft inward smile, assuming it's lingering surprise at your mating bond, the clan still adjusting to the idea of you and Ao'nung as one.

He knows better.

Their gazes carry judgment, speculation, the sting of his altered habits hitting close. Yet he doesn't pull away, his fingers flexing slightly around yours, the warmth of your palm a steady anchor against the growing murmur.

Your eyes sparkle as you spot the sacred table ahead, elevated on a woven platform overlooking the reef, where Tsireya sits with Ronal and Tonowari. Fresh fruits and smoked fish steam in shallow bowls, the air rich with the aroma of roasted roots. Without hesitation, you tug Ao'nung forward, your pull gentle but determined, leading him like it's the most natural path in the world.

Ronal's sharp eyes soften at the sight, a pleased curve touching her lips as she watches you draw her son along. It warms her to see him yielding, even if temporarily. It was adorable really, the way your fingers stay laced with his, your body leaning slightly into his side as if seeking his strength.

Perhaps Eywa's guidance after all.

She muses stirring her tea with a subtle nod of approval.

Tsireya looks up, her smile bright and genuine as she waves you over. She says nothing about the hand-holding, though her gaze flicks to it with a mix of relief and caution, keeping the fragile peace.

"Come sit, (Y/N)! We've saved spots for you both." Her voice bubbles with forced normalcy, hiding the protective undercurrent as she pats the mat beside her.

The table draws every eye in the eating area. Clansfolk pausing with utensils halfway to mouths, conversations dipping into hushed tones. Especially the women, clustered in groups, their whispers sharp and envious.

You remain oblivious, focused on the spread, but Ao'nung feels the heat of their stares like prickling sunlight on his skin, a reminder of the attention he's traded for this pretense. Still, he doesn't release your hand until you're seated, the circle complete around the sacred space. In fact, as the meal begins, he reaches for the platters with his free hand, selecting pieces you favor. The tender strips of fish grilled with sea herbs, the juicy segments of reef fruit that you've shared with Tsireya on countless mornings he's observed from afar.

He piles them onto your plate, the motion deliberate, his arm brushing yours in the close quarters.

"Here, eat what you like." He says, voice low and almost gruff, masking the odd satisfaction in providing for you.

You glance up, a shy smile blooming as color touches your cheeks, your free hand covering his briefly in thanks before you finally let go to pick up a piece of fruit.

"Thank you, 'Nungie." You whisper, the nickname slipping out again, soft and intimate amid his family's chatter.

The sudden absence of your touch leaves his hand feeling oddly cool, fingers curling absently as if chasing the warmth. He shakes it off, turning to his own plate, spearing a chunk of meat with more force than needed.

The women's heated glares bore into him from across the way, longing and accusation in it but he ignores them. His jaw set, focusing on the flavors bursting on his tongue, the easy flow of conversation around the table pulling him into the moment despite the frustration simmering beneath.

After that, the days blur into a rhythm that's both unfamiliar and oddly comforting with your steps shadowing Ao'nung's through the winding paths of Awa'atlu. You trail him from the training sands where he drills with the younger warriors, your presence a quiet constant at the edge of the circle, to the marui where he repairs nets under the afternoon sun.

He doesn't shoo you away.

In fact, he slows his pace sometimes, glancing back with a nod that invites you closer. Your sweetness wraps around him like the gentle swell of tides. Your small gestures like brushing sand from his shoulder after a spar or offering a woven cord to tie back his hair when the wind tugs at it. Affection flows from you towards him, evident with a hand grazing his arm as you pass a water gourd or leaning into his side during quiet moments by the fire pits. Each time, surprise flickers in his eyes, a brief widening before it softens and he's starting to lean into it, the warmth of you seeping past his guarded edges.

It's a stark shift from the woman the clan knew. You were always so reserved, your laughter only for Tsireya's ears alone, your body language a careful veil of distance around everyone else. Now, you're blooming in his orbit, the very man whispered about as too wild to tether and it stirs something in the onlookers.

For Ao'nung, it's disorienting at first, this clingy devotion from someone who'd barely spared him more than polite nods before. But as the sun arcs higher each day, he finds himself anticipating your approach, the way your fingers seek his in passing crowds.

Nights have transformed too.

The first evenings after your accident, you'd curled against him on the sleeping mat, your limbs seeking his heat while he lay stiff, allowing the contact but withholding his own. His arms were folded and breath measured to avoid entanglement with you. Now, as twilight deepens the marui's glow, you press close with your cheek nestling into the crook of his neck, legs tangling with his under the hides.

He hesitates only a beat before his arm drapes over your waist pulling you flush, his palm splaying wide across the dip of your lower back. The difference settles over him like a sigh. Your softness molding to his harder lines as breaths synced in the dim light and for those hours, the world narrows to the steady rise and fall of your shared rhythm.

Time weaves you together in stolen pockets. Mornings breaking fast with shared glances across the communal mats, afternoons where you sit nearby as he carves bone tools, and evenings mending gear side by side. He's growing fond and undeniably, your quiet care chipping at the walls he's built, making the days feel less like a duty and more like... something real.

Yet beneath it, a pull tugs at him with the memories of his old freedoms. The rush of new skin under his hands, the electric chase of fleeting nights with women who knew the game as well as he did. He misses that spark, it was the variety that kept his blood humming.

And always, the question lingers in his mind, when will the fog lift from yours? When will those clear eyes remember the truth and shatter this fragile illusion?

Today finds you both at the beach's edge where the reef kisses the shore in frothy whispers. The sun hangs low painting the waves in molten gold and you've knelt in the shallows as water laps at your thighs.

Ao'nung stands a few paces back with his arms crossed over his chest, watching you with a gaze that's grown habitual.

You're gathering shells, fingers sifting through the damp sand, unearthing iridescent treasures that catch the light. A beam lights your face, wide and unguarded, with cheeks flushed from the salt spray and your hair cascading in loose waves down your back, clinging slightly where the mist has touched it.

He looks down at you, the angle framing your features in a way that steals his breath for a moment.

He silently admits you're pretty, the curve of your jaw soft under the dying light, your lips parted in concentration as you examine a find. He's long grown accustomed to seeing you in Tsireya's wake, a shadow of gentle poise. Your interactions with him limited to courteous words and that undercurrent of disappointment in your eyes whenever he'd stride past with another woman draped on his arm. Growing up in the same guidance of his parents, you'd shared spaces but never closeness. Your reserve a barrier he'd never bothered to breach, assuming it matched his own disinterest in anything.

Now though, your amnesia has rewritten the script. You cling to him with a faith that's both bewildering and intoxicating, your body seeking his like it's always belonged there.

Is this what mating truly means?

He ponders it as the waves curl at his feet, the warmth of your proximity a steady hum against the chaos of his past.

It's not the wild pulse of conquests, the quickened hearts and whispered promises that dissolved by dawn. This is quieter, a constant tide that’s reliable and enveloping, pulling him under without the crash. Before the accident, he'd been certain that his life of freedom was the only one worth living, no chains of commitment to dull the edge. But standing here, watching the joy radiate from you, doubt creeps in.

Which existence holds more? The fleeting highs or this deepening anchor?

You glance up suddenly, eyes sparkling like the foam around you. You were holding aloft of a shell in your palm, a flawless teal curve that’s veined with subtle pearlescence.

"Look, 'Nungie." You say, voice bright with delight, the nickname tumbling out with that endearing lilt, your smile stretching wide enough to crinkle the corners of your eyes. "It's the color of your eyes."

Adorable. Eywa, you're utterly adorable beaming up at him from the sand, water droplets tracing paths down your neck, soaking into the edges of your top where it clings to the swell of your breasts.

He crouches slightly to meet your gaze, a half-smile tugging at his lips despite the internal whirl.

"It is very pretty, yawntu." He murmurs, voice low and warm, the endearment slipping out smoother now and laced with a teasing affection that masks the way his pulse quickens.

Your smile widens, satisfaction glowing in your expression as you tuck the shell into the woven pouch at your hip, the motion swaying your hips subtly. Rising from the shallows, sand sluicing off your legs in rivulets, you close the distance in two fluid steps, the wet fabric of your loincloth darkening against your skin. Without warning you lean in, pressing a smooch to his lips, tasting of salt and the faint sweetness of the fruit from breakfast.

He freezes, body locking as your supple mouth softly molds to his, the unexpected press sending a shock of heat straight through him.

But resistance crumbles fast as instinct takes over, he kisses back with one hand rising to cup the nape of your neck, fingers threading into your damp strands. He deepens it, tilting his head to claim more, tongue brushing yours in a slow exploratory glide that draws a soft hum from your throat. His other arm snakes around your waist, hauling your frame against his, the contrast of your curves to his solid build igniting a low burn in his gut. Your body so pliant, pressing into him with innocent eagerness.

You smell incredible too, a heady mix of ocean brine and the faint floral trace of your skin, clean and inviting. And your form... it's a torment, all softness where he is taut, your breasts flattening against his chest, hips slotting perfectly into the V of his thighs. It was fucking delicious the way your waist nips in before flaring to those wide hips, the subtle give of your flesh under his grip, promising depths he hasn't explored but now craves with a sharpening edge.

You pull back first, a shy smile curving your lips against his, breath mingling in the scant space between you as your cheeks bloomed with a deeper flush.

He looks so handsome like this, up close. Tattoos curling over his shoulders like living vines, framing the sharp lines of his jaw, his full mouth still parted from the kiss. Those piercing eyes, half-lidded now with a hunger that's new and unchecked, drop inevitably, tracing the path down your body.

It lingered on the way your top strains over the full mounds of your tits, nipples pebbling faintly against the damp weave then lower to the shadowed cleft where your loincloth hugs the mound of your pussy, the fabric clinging just enough to hint at the warmth beneath.

The gaze sends a shiver through you but you hold his stare, the air thickening with unspoken want, the waves' murmur the only sound as tension coils between you like a gathering storm. The pull of your lips lingers like a brand but Ao'nung draws back anyway, his breath ragged against your skin. Every fiber in him screams to dive deeper, to chase the heat blooming between you, but he reins it in sharply.

In your mind, this is the bond of mates, sacred and sure, but he carries the weight of reality. The accident's cruel twist, the amnesia that paints him as your everything when he's just the brother of your closest friend. He's bedded plenty, chased pleasure without strings but you... you're untouched, a purity he won't tarnish, not like this. Not when it's all built on fog and forgotten truths.

His thumb brushes your jaw once, a fleeting anchor before he straightens, voice roughened at the edges. "Come on, let's go back."

You nod as the afterglow softened your features and slip your hand into his, fingers lacing with a giddy squeeze that tugs at something deep in his chest.

The path back through the village feels charged, the air thick with the scent of salt and blooming night flowers as maruis glow softly in the dusk. Eyes follow you from the women of the clan, their gazes sharp and lingering on the man at your side, the one they've known as untamed, always slipping away before dawn. A sour twist knots in your gut, unfamiliar jealousy flaring as you catch their stares, possessive in a way that surprises even you.

One in particular stands out, leaning against a woven wall with arms crossed, her form silhouetted by the firelight inside.

Saraye.

Her name surfaces from the haze of your altered memories, a woman you'd glimpsed more than once in Ao'nung's company before everything shifted, her laughter echoing from his marui on restless nights. Her eyes narrow now tracing the joined hands, her lips pressing into a thin line of what might be envy or resentment. But Ao'nung doesn't spare her a glance; his focus stays forward, thumb absently stroking the back of your hand as he leads you onward, the simple act easing the bitterness in your throat into a faint relieved smile.

Inside his marui, the space feels more like home with each passing evening. The low ceiling draped in nets, the faint tang of sea air mingling with the herbs Ronal left for your healing. He settles you on the mat with a gentleness that belies his warrior's build, broad shoulders flexing as he portions out dinner of fresh fish grilled over a small flame, its flaky flesh steaming beside woven baskets of fruit. You eat side by side, his knee brushing yours, the quiet broken only by the distant crash of waves.

When the meal ends, you shift closer, drawn by the solid warmth of him, sprawling across his chest like it's the most natural place in the world. His arms encircle you without hesitation now, one hand resting at the small of your back, the other tracing idle patterns along your arm in skin to skin motion, the contact a steady pulse that lulls you.

Sleep heavily pulls at you contentedly but not before you nuzzle into the curve of his neck, lips brushing a soft drowsy kiss there, right over the ridge of his pulse. The spot tastes of salt and him, warm under your mouth, and you feel the vibration of a stifled groan rumble through his throat, his grip tightening fractionally on your hip. It's enough to send a lazy spark through you but exhaustion wins as your eyes flutter shut, breaths evening out and you drift off with your body lax atop his.

He lies awake longer staring at the woven ceiling, the echo of that kiss replaying in his mind. The unintended tease of your lips on his skin. Eventually, sleep claims him too, his hold on you loosening into something protective and instinctive.

Hours later, the morning light filters through the marui's entrance, a soft glow that stirs you from the depths of rest.

Ao'nung's movements rouse you full with the shift of his weight and the quiet rustle as he rises. His form looms in the half-light, tattoos stark against his blue skin, muscles coiling under the early chill as he straps on his gear.

"I have to leave early." He says, voice low and gravelly from sleep, patting your head with a large palm that lingers a beat too long as his fingers combed through your tousled hair. "Hunting party."

You nod rubbing sleep from your eyes, the mat cool where his warmth had been. He's turning away when your hand shoots out, catching his wrist in a loose but insistent grip.

"Kiss before you leave, 'Nungie." You murmur, voice thick with lingering drowsiness, lips forming a sleepy pout that tugs at the corners of your mouth. "It's our thing, remember?"

His heart stutters a heavy thud against his ribs. This simple request, so earnest and routine in your fractured world, hits like a spear's tip.

He imagines it then, the life of true mates, your lips meeting his each dawn before the hunt. A warm body waiting in the marui upon his return, steady and waiting. No more empty nights, no chasing shadows. But no, he shoves the thought down, clinging to the wilder memories, the freedom that still calls like an old habit.

This can't be it, not when it's all illusion.

Still, he leans in cupping your face with one hand, his mouth pressing to yours in a firm lingering kiss. Soft at first then deepening just enough to taste the sweetness of your breath, tongues brushing in a slow slide that leaves heat pooling low in his gut. He pulls back before it can ignite further, eyes dark with restraint.

"Go hang out with my sister to kill time." He says, voice steady despite the internal storm. "I'm sure she misses you."

You nod again, a sleepy smile curving your lips as you watch him slip out, the flap of the entrance falling shut behind his retreating form. The marui feels emptier without him but you burrow back into the hides, sleep reclaiming you for a few more hours, your dreams laced with the phantom press of his mouth.

When you wake properly, the sun climbs higher, warming the air. The pouch of shells from yesterday sits nearby, a colorful bundle that draws your eye.

You've missed Tsireya fiercely, your days swallowed by Ao'nung's orbit and the thought of her pulls you to your feet. Dressed in your simple coverings, the fabric light against your skin, you make your way to her family's marui, the village humming with midday activity of children splashing in shallows and weavers calling out rhythms.

You spot her on the deck outside, perched on a low stool with a basket of healing herbs in her lap, her frame relaxed as she sorts leaves, curls swaying gently in the breeze.

"Reya!" You call, voice lifting with genuine joy as a beam broke across your face when you approach.

She looks up, her expression brightening into a wide smile, waving you over with an enthusiastic sweep of her arm.

"Come, sit." She says patting the space beside her, eyes crinkling at the corners with warmth.

You settle close, the wood creaking under you, and the words tumble out. How you've missed her laughter, her stories, the ease of your shared silences now overshadowed by the pull toward her brother.

She pouts playfully, sticking out her lower lip in mock offense though her eyes sparkle.

"My brother's stealing you away." She teases nudging your shoulder with hers, the contact light and familiar. "I barely see you anymore."

You giggle, the sound bubbling up light and free, covering your mouth with one hand.

"Well, he's my mate now so my time has been consumed." You reply, the words matter-of-fact in your altered certainty, laced with a shy affection that colors your cheeks.

A flicker crosses her face, it was hesitance, brief but there like a shadow over clear water. She wonders in that split second if your memories will return before Ao'nung's old ways resurface, before he crosses a line that could shatter you both. But she masks it quickly, nodding with a soft hum.

"I know." She says, voice gentle, steering the conversation onward.

You smile shyly pulling out your weaving tools and the shells from your pouch, fingers deftly beginning to thread them into an armband. It was of teal and pearlescent strands twisting around a base of supple vine, each piece chosen for its luster.

"I can't believe I'm mated to him, Reya." You confess, eyes focused on the work but voice dreamy, a soft wonder threading through it. "It feels like yesterday when we were talking about how he'd never be tied down."

Tsireya's smile stiffens at the edges, the irony twisting in her chest. It is only several days ago, those same conversations where you'd wrinkled your nose at his reputation but you can't recall. She forces a light laugh, reaching over to tuck a loose strand of your hair behind your ear.

"I know." She echoes, tone careful. "My brother has been so soft with you. It's... different. Good different."

Your face lights up at that, a bright flush warming your skin as you glance at her, pride and happiness mingling in your gaze.

She gestures to the armband taking shape in your lap, the shells catching the light like captured stars.

"For my brother?" She asks, curiosity tilting her head.

You nod shyly biting your lower lip as your fingers pause, the vine curling under your touch.

"I haven't given him anything yet." You admit, voice dropping to a murmur as a touch of embarrassment heated your ears. "It feels right though. Something to show... him."

She giggles then, the sound genuine and light, easing the tension in her shoulders.

"He'll love it." She assures, watching your progress with an approving nod but her mind races ahead, and she adds almost casually. "I'm also surprised he hasn't made his advances."

The words catch you off guard, a subtle warmth stirring low in your belly at the implication. Tsireya's eyes widen slightly at her own boldness but she recovers with a quick smile.

"He's respecting your purity and innocence." She explains softly, choosing her words like steps on uneven ground. "You have no experience, remember? Maybe he doesn't want to pressure you."

You bite your lip harder, the plump flesh whitening under your teeth, a flicker of uncertainty mixing with desire. Ao'nung's restraint has been a quiet frustration. The way he responds to your touches but never pushes, always drawing the line just beyond your reach.

"Maybe I should give a hint?" You muse, voice tentative as you glanced at her for guidance. "It's okay because we're mated. Sex must be for my mate only."

Nervousness tightens her features, a subtle crease at her forehead. She knows your true stance, the disgust you'd voiced for casual unions, the reverence you hold for bonding. And worse, you're not truly mated, a truth she can't voice yet without unraveling everything. She swallows reaching for your hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I think you should wait first until you're really ready." She says gently, her tone laced with concern masked as sisterly wisdom. "I know how much you cherish yourself. Don't rush what feels sacred."

She's right, the words settling like a cool wave over your heated thoughts. Ao'nung has been nothing but patient, mirroring your pace, his responses a mirror to your affections without overstepping.

But still, what if you try?

"I guess so." You agree, a small sigh escaping as you resume weaving, the shells clicking softly.

By the time the armband is finished, the sun dips toward the horizon, the piece a delicate band of color and texture, perfect for wrapping around his strong forearm. You hold it up admiring the way it shimmers, a shy anticipation building within you.

Tonight when he returns from the hunt, you'll give it to him as a token, a step closer in this life you believe is yours.

The sun hangs low over the reef, painting the waves in strokes of molten gold as you stand at the shore's edge, the damp sand cool between your toes.

You've taken care with your appearance today, the beaded necklace top clinging just enough to accentuate the gentle swell of your breasts, each strand of shells and pearls shifting with your breaths, drawing subtle outlines against your skin. The loincloth hugs your hips tighter than usual, the woven fabric tracing the curve of your thighs leaving your legs bare to the breeze that carries the tang of salt and distant kelp.

Inside Ao'nung's marui, tucked safely away, waits the armband you've crafted with a quiet promise and woven with intention.

Your gaze scans the horizon, heart quickening with each passing moment until the silhouettes emerge from the sea. The hunting party with their ilus gliding through the shallows, riders dismounting with spears in hand and hauls of fresh catch slung over shoulders. Your eyes lock immediately on him, Ao'nung, his broad frame cutting through the water like a shadow given form.

He's already watching you, those intense eyes narrowing with a heat that sends a rush of warmth flooding your cheeks, turning your skin a deeper shade of turquoise.

You smile widely up at him, the giddiness bubbling over as your stare roams his body.

The intricate tattoos swirling across his teal chest and arms, inked lines that speak of battles won and rites passed, his muscles still taut from the hunt, glistening with seawater that traces rivulets down his abdomen.bIt dips lower, your gaze trailing to the low-slung loincloth that barely conceals the powerful lines of his hips and your thoughts scatter as heat pooled low in your belly.

You haven't crossed that final threshold yet, the bond in your mind sealed only by the memory of tsaheylu, a spiritual tie without the physical claim. But tonight, after you present the armband, perhaps you can offer more. Your first time given freely to the mate you know him to be. The idea makes you bite your lower lip in a sharp tug of anticipation as he strides toward you, the other hunters trailing behind with knowing glances.

Without a word, you step into his space, arms wrapping around his waist in a tight hug, your cheek pressing to the damp warmth of his chest as you inhaled the mingled scents of ocean and exertion.

"I've missed you, 'Nungie." You murmur against him, voice soft but laced with that earnest longing that's become your rhythm.

He chuckles low, the sound vibrating through you, a rumble that eases the ache of the day's separation, even as the men around you exchange teasing smirks and elbow nudges, their laughter muffled but present.

Ao'nung's arm curls around your shoulders, pulling you closer for a beat before he guides you away, your hand finding his naturally, fingers intertwining as you walk the path to his marui. You feel his stare on you the whole way, heavy and appraising as it lingered on the way your top sways with each step, the tighter cloth molding to your form and highlighting the sway of your hips.

Inside, the space is dimmer now, lit by the fading light filtering through the entrance, the air still carrying the faint spice from earlier meals.

You've prepared ahead, knowing the toll of a hunt. A spread of roasted stingray, its flesh tender and spiced with reef herbs, alongside sliced fruits and a bowl of fermented root drink.

His eyes widen slightly as he takes it in, surprise flickering across his features before softening into something appreciative, a nod of thanks as he sinks onto the mat beside you.

You eat together, the flavors bursting on your tongue and you fill the quiet with tales of your day. Tsireya's laughter over shared shells, the way she braided a new strand into your hair, her gentle probes about your budding life with him.

He listens intently, fork paused midway to his mouth, his gaze steady on your face, absorbing every detail with a quiet intensity that makes your pulse skip.

But you're bolder tonight, touchier, your knee pressing against his thigh under the pretense of closeness, fingers brushing his arm as you gesture. Each contact deliberate, a slow seduction woven into the mundane. When the meal ends, he clears the remnants with efficient movements, stacking the mats and rinsing the bowls in a nearby basin, his back to you for a moment, his tattoos flexing with the pull of his shoulders.

You wait heart thumping until he turns back and then you rise, holding out the armband with shy fingers, the shells catching the low light in a shimmer of teal and white.

"For you." You say softly, eyes lifting to meet his as a flush creeped up your neck.

Surprise etches his face, deepening the lines around his eyes but he takes it gently, turning the piece over in his large hands, admiring the careful weave and the way the colors echo his own markings.

"It's... beautiful." He muttered, voice rough with unexpected emotion as he slipped it onto his forearm where it fits snugly, hugging the curve of muscle and inked skin like it was made for him.

A symbol of him taken, bound to you in the eyes of the clan.

You beam at him as joy lightened your face and before he can settle, you move straddling his lap with a fluid grace, the heat of his body seeping through the thin barriers of cloth.

A surprised grunt escapes him, his tattooed hands instinctively settling on your hips, fingers splaying wide to steady you, the grip firm against the softer give of your flesh.

Leaning in, you capture his mouth with yours, tentative at first. Your tongue parting his lips clumsily, exploring without the map of experience, driven only by instinct and the rightness of it all. He responds in kind but deeper and hungrier, his kiss consuming you like a tide pulling under, tongue stroking yours in slow deliberate sweeps that draw a whimper from your throat. Emboldened, you guide one of his hands upward, pressing his palm over the soft mound of your breast, the beaded top yielding under the pressure.

He squeezes unable to resist, the flesh molding to his touch and you moan into the kiss, the sensation sharp and electric, unlike anything you've known. His fingers delve further, slipping beneath the strands to find your nipple, rolling it between thumb and forefinger with a teasing pinch that sends sparks racing down your spine. You mewl against his lips, the sound muffled but needy, the foreign pleasure coiling tight in your core.

Good, so achingly good as his mouth claims yours again deeper.

Your hips move on their own, grinding forward in a slow roll against the growing hardness beneath you, the massive bulge straining his loincloth. He bucks up to meet you, a low growl vibrating in his chest, the friction building a slick ache between your thighs.

"'Nungie." You mewl breaking the kiss just enough to breathe his name, your usually soft voice husky with want.

He freezes beneath you, body going rigid, and then his hands clamp on your hips, stilling your movements with unyielding strength. He pulls back from the kiss, breath coming in harsh pants, eyes dark and conflicted as they search yours.

"We should stop, yawntu." He says with a strained voice like it's costing him everything to form the words.

You frown in confusion, chest heaving as the heat lingers unanswered.

"But we're mates." You protest softly, a plea edging your tone as your hips shifted again in a desperate grind seeking that lost rhythm. "I want to be close... like this. That’s what mates do, right?"

A deep and tortured groan rips from him, his forehead dropping to rest against your shoulder, his hot breath fanning your skin as his body trembles under the restraint.

The confusion swirls in you, thick and stinging.

Is he not drawn to you this way? Your lack of skill, the women he's known who move with practiced ease, their bodies honed for pleasure, do they eclipse you? Does he find your untouched form lacking, unworthy of the warrior he is?

You bite your lip hard, the doubt twisting like a knife as he lifts you off him with careful hands, setting you aside on the mat as if you're fragile glass. Your heart aches at the distance, the blatant pullback leaving a raw sting in its wake, the rejection blooming cold in your chest.

"We should sleep." He mutters, voice flat now, heavy with fatigue he didn't show moments ago. "I'm tired from the hunt."

"Oh." You whisper, the single word hollow, echoing the sudden emptiness as you watch him stretch out on the sleeping hides with his back to you, the armband a stark band against his skin.

You follow quietly curling onto your side without reaching for him, the usual urge to nestle close withered under the weight of hurt.

He doesn't turn, doesn't seek your warmth, his breathing evens into sleep's rhythm, his broad shoulders rising and falling leaving you staring at the expanse of his back, the tattoos a blurred pattern in the dimness.

Doubts flood in relentless waves. Your inexperience a barrier, your body not enough to hold him, the bond you feel so surely perhaps one-sided in its fire. You bite your lip again tasting the faint metallic tang and curl tighter into yourself, willing sleep to come.

Tomorrow, you hope the morning light will mend this fracture, chase away the shadows clinging to your thoughts so cruelly.

Hours later, the first rays of dawn filter through the woven walls of the marui, casting soft patterns on the sleeping hides where you stir awake, your body heavy with the remnants of uneasy dreams.

You reach out instinctively, fingers seeking the familiar warmth of Ao'nung's side but your hand meets only cool empty space. A frown tugs at your lips as the events of last night crash back. The tentative touches, the heat building between you only for him to pull away, his voice clipped and distant. And now, he's gone before you even open your eyes, slipped out like a shadow before the light could catch him. The sting lingers sharp in your chest but you push it down shaking your head slightly.

No, you won't let doubt fester. He's your mate, bound to you in ways that transcend fleeting moments. There must be a reason, maybe hunting duties or perhaps early chores. You repeat it to yourself like a mantra as you rise, smoothing the hides and stepping out into the morning air, the scent of dew-kissed fronds mingling with the ever-present salt of the sea.

Your steps carry you toward the cluster of maruis where Tsireya's family resides, her presence a beacon you crave, always knowing the right words to untangle the knots in your mind.

The path winds past the communal fires, still smoldering from last night's embers and your gaze drifts idly toward the distant stretch of beach where the waves lap gently at the shore. There, two figures stand close, their forms silhouetted against the rising sun. One broad and commanding, the other slim and poised.

Your breath catches as recognition hits.

Ao'nung, your mate and beside him, Saraye, the woman whose stare had burned into you days ago from across the sands.

She's the one the clan whispered about, the beauty who everyone believed could finally tether Ao'nung's wandering spirit. Unlike the others he'd discarded after a single night, she'd been seen with him more than once—twice, three times, her laughter echoing in his wake, her touch lingering on his arm during feasts.

A cold knot twists low in your stomach as you watch her tilt her head, her long braids swaying with the motion, her skin a smooth canvas of teal that catches the light just so.

She's pretty in a way that commands attention, her body honed by years of knowing exactly how to move, how to draw eyes and hands alike. She knows his body in ways you don't. Maps of pleasure you've only begun to imagine, experiences that make your own innocence feel like a barrier rather than a gift.

The rejection from last night floods back sharper now, your advances met with his sudden withdrawal, his hands lifting you away as if your touch burned. Maybe that's it, he isn't drawn to you like that, not with the fire he must have shared with her. Perhaps he's trapped in this bond with you by circumstance, his heart pulling toward Saraye, the one who fits his old life seamlessly.

You see it in the way he laughs now, an easy sound carrying on the breeze, his head thrown back slightly as she gestures animatedly, their familiarity a knife's edge against your resolve. They stand close, shoulders nearly brushing, her hand hovering on his forearm, the very arm now adorned with the band you wove for him as he converse with another woman.

Your heart fractures under the weight, the pieces scattering like shells on the tide. The cold shoulder of his rejection, waking to an empty cot, and now this, him seeking her company while you ache alone. Hot and unwelcome tears prick at your eyes as you tear your gaze away, hurrying along the path before the sight can carve deeper.

Tsireya's marui comes into view soon enough, its entrance draped with fresh kelp weaves and you call out softly, your voice trembling just at the edges.

She emerges quickly, her face lighting with a warm smile that fades the moment she takes in your expression. The downturned mouth, the shadowed eyes, the way your shoulders hunch inward.

"What's wrong?" She asks stepping close, her hand reaching for yours with that instinctive gentleness. "You look like you've seen a storm. Did you give my brother the armband?"

You nod, whispering the words as if they might shatter if spoken louder. "Yes, I gave it to him."

Her brows knit in confusion, head tilting as she searches your face. "Did he not like it?"

"He liked it." You reply, voice barely above a breath, the confirmation twisting the knot tighter.

"Then why the sadness?" Tsireya presses gently, guiding you to sit on a nearby log, her body angling toward yours protectively, the morning light gilding the fine tattoos on her face from her Ikinimaya.

A sniffle escapes you and you lean into her side, the solid warmth of her shoulder a small anchor as the words tumble out in a rush, it was laced with the raw edge of hurt.

"Last night... I tried to be close to him, Reya. I sat on his lap, kissed him, touched him like mates do, and for a moment it felt right. He was responding but then he just... stopped. Froze and pulled away, said we should sleep because he was tired from the hunt."

Your voice cracks on the last word, fingers twisting in your lap.

"And this morning he was gone before I woke, no note, no warmth left behind. I thought maybe it was nothing but then I saw him on the beach with Saraye. They're laughing so easy together like they share secrets I don't know. She's the one who was with him more than once, the only one who could tame him, everyone said that before. She's experienced, knows how to please him in ways I don't. I offered myself, my first time, and he rejected it. What if he doesn't want me like that? What if he's cheating or worse trapped with me when he wants her, wants his old life of many women instead of this bond? I feel so... unworthy, Reya. Like my body isn't enough, my innocence a curse instead of something to be cherished."

Tears spill now, tracking warm paths down your cheeks and Tsireya pulls you into a full embrace, her arms wrapping tight around your trembling form, one hand stroking your back in slow soothing circles.

"Oh, syulang." She murmurs against your hair, voice thick with empathy, her own eyes glistening as she holds you close. "You're not unworthy, not even close. My brother... he's an idiot sometimes but that doesn't mean your feelings aren't valid. He shouldn't have left you doubting like this. You're beautiful inside and out, any man would be lucky to have you. Ao'nung's just... complicated with his past and all. Give it time, he'll come around. And Saraye? She's just a shadow from before. You're the light he needs right now."

She doesn't spill the truths she guards of the amnesia and the false bond but her words weave comfort without deceit, her tone fierce with protectiveness. Internally, anger simmers in her usually cheery demeanor. She'll corner him later, give him the earful he deserves for hurting you this way despite her warnings. She thought he was changing, softening under your genuine affection, but this? It stings her too. And Eywa, she hopes your memories return soon, to shield you from this pain.

You pull back slightly, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand, managing a watery smile at her.

"Stay with us tonight in our family marui. You need space from him, a night to breathe without the weight. My parents would not mind, you're like another daughter."

Gratitude swells in your chest, warm amidst the ache, and you nod squeezing her hand. "Thank you, Reya. You're more than a friend, you're my sister."

The day unfolds in her company, a deliberate distraction by weaving new nets by the lagoon, her laughter pulling reluctant smiles from you as she splashes water your way. Sharing midday fruits under the shade of a sprawling mangrove, her stories of childhood antics lightening the shadows in your mind. Even a quiet swim, her hand in yours as you glide through the clear shallows, the cool water easing the tension from your limbs.

She doesn't pry further, just fills the hours with easy companionship, her presence a balm that soothes without erasing the hurt.

As night falls, the family marui envelops you in its familiar hush, the sounds of the ocean a lullaby through the walls. You settle onto a spare mat near Tsireya, the hides soft beneath you but sleep evades at first. She told Ronal you were just here for a girly sleepover to avoid letting them know of the troubles with Ao’nung but there was a knowing glint in her eye even if she nodded.

Your thoughts circle back to Ao'nung, of his strong jaw, the way his tattoos shift with his breaths, the brief fire in his kiss before it all crumbled.

Why must he wound you like this, with silences and distances that cut deeper than words?

But you're not one to cling selfishly.

If space is what he craves, if his heart pulls elsewhere, you'll grant it even as it splinters yours further. Tomorrow you'll step back, let him roam without your shadow, the bond in your mind a fragile thread you won't force anymore.

The decision settles heavy in your chest, a quiet resolve mingled with sorrow and finally exhaustion claims you, pulling you into a restless slumber with a heart weighed down by unspoken fears.

Hours later, the sun climbs higher the next morning, its light spilling across the village paths like spilled honey but you linger in the family marui folding a spare wrap with deliberate slowness, your fingers tracing the woven fibers as if they hold answers. Returning to the shared space with Ao'nung feels like stepping into a trap, the air there thick with unspoken regrets so you avoid it entirely.

"Come gather with us, it’s our schedule." Tsireya says linking her arm through yours, her touch light but reassuring, the faint scent of sea blooms clinging to her skin from an early rinse.

You nod, grateful for the distraction though a quiet hope flickers that Ao'nung won't be leading the group, his presence would only sharpen the edges of your hurt.

The shore buzzes with quiet energy as you arrive, ilus shifting restlessly in the shallows, their sleek forms cutting through the lapping waves. Your eyes scan the assembly briefly, heart sinking when you spot him.

Ao'nung stands tall among the gatherers, his broad shoulders squared under the weight of command, the armband you crafted glinting on his bicep like a mocking token. And there, pressed too close to his space is Saraye as if it’s her righful place and maybe it is, since Ao’nung was letting her be there.

You force your gaze away fixing it on the horizon where the sea meets the sky in a hazy line, pretending the space he occupies is empty air. No glance and no acknowledgment, the rejection still burns too fresh, a bruise you won't prod.

Tsireya senses the shift in you immediately, her fingers intertwining with yours in a subtle squeeze, her thumb stroking the back of your hand as she shoots a sharp glare across the group toward her brother. It's a silent warning, her teal eyes narrowing, lips pressing into a thin line that speaks volumes of her frustration.

You feel Ao'nung's stare then, heavy and probing like a current tugging at your edges but you keep your face turned, climbing onto your ilu with steady grace, the creature's warm hide flexing under your thighs as you settle into it.

The group surges into the water, ilus plunging forward in a synchronized rhythm, foam cresting around their flanks as you ride toward the reef. The salt spray mists your skin, cooling the flush of unease rising in your chest and you urge your mount faster hoping the task ends swiftly so you can retreat to the shadows of avoidance, away from prying eyes and tangled bonds. The rocks loom ahead soon enough, jagged outcrops alive with clinging anemones and darting fish, the water deepening to a vibrant turquoise.

You guide your ilu close, fingers dipping into the currents to pluck iridescent shells, the cool flow soothing your palms but then a presence draws near, the subtle displacement of water signaling another rider as your pulse quickens.

Please let it be Tsireya.

Her familiar chatter a shield against the world but instead, a voice slithers through the air, low and laced with a sultry edge that sets your teeth on edge.

"Do you still have that selective amnesia?" Saraye's words hang there, her ilu gliding parallel to yours, her body leaning slightly forward.

Confusion knots your forehead and you turn to her, the question spilling out sharp and bewildered. "What?"

She smiles coyly, her full lips curving as her sharp and assessing eyes lock onto yours. "You hit your head a week ago. Woke up with selective amnesia thinking Ao'nung is your mate."

Her tone is casual and knowing, almost conversational as if discussing the weather or the tide's pull but it lands like a spear to your gut.

Your mind reels, the world tilting as fragments of her words clash against the fragile reality you've built.

"What are you talking about?" You manage, voice thin over the rush of water, your grip tightening on the ilu's reins until your knuckles pale.

Saraye shrugs lightly, her shoulders rolling with effortless poise, guiding her mount closer for a moment before easing back.

"Ao'nung told me. I was wondering why he's spending so much time with you so suddenly. He mentioned it yesterday, how he's being forced by their mother to be there for you because of your selective amnesia."

She delivers it without malice, just fact, her gaze flicking toward the group ahead where Ao'nung leads, his form cutting through the waves like he owns them.

Your breath hitches, ragged and caught as the currents around you stir growing choppier, the sea mirroring the storm brewing inside.

Forced.

The word echoes, unraveling everything. The kisses, the touches, the armband that now feels like chains.

"I hope you get your memories back." She adds patting your arm with a smile that's almost sympathetic, her fingers cool against your heated skin. "So Ao'nung can go back to his life."

With that, she steers her ilu away, veering smoothly back toward him, her laughter trailing like a taunt as she rejoins his side.

Tears sting your vision blurring the reef into a watercolor haze, hot tracks threatening to spill as the truth crashes over you.

So that's why he rejected you. It was pity, obligation, nothing more. He doesn't like you, not in the way your amnesia-woven dreams painted. You're not mates, it was all an illusion. A cruel trick of the mind, the tsaheylu you'd imagined nothing but vapor of fake memories.

The waves swell rougher now, unforgiving, mirroring your inner turmoil and in a blink disaster strikes again. Your ilu bucks against a sudden surge throwing you forward, your head slamming against the unyielding rock with a crack that echoes in your skull.

"(Y/N), hold on!" Tsireya's voice pierces the chaos, frantic and distant but the world fades to black, pain blooming sharp and consuming before swallowing you whole.

When consciousness returns to you hours later, it's in fragments. A dull throb pulsing at your temples, vision swimming in blurry edges, your mind a whirlpool of lost pieces slotting back into place.

Memories flood out of nowhere, the accident that started it all, the disdain you'd once felt for Ao'nung's careless ways, the rejections of suitors you'd turned away with quiet resolve, Tsireya's unwavering loyalty through orphaned years. And him, not your mate but a reluctant guardian, his kindness a mask for duty.

"(Y/N), you're awake!" Tsireya's voice breaks through laced with relief, her face hovering close, eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears, her hands gentle on your shoulders.

Your vision clears gradually, sharpening on the familiar confines of Ronal's healing marui. The low ceiling woven with healing herbs that release a faint earthy aroma, the soft glow of bioluminescent pods casting blue shadows.

Ronal stands nearby, her presence steady and authoritative, her arms crossed as she watches you with measured concern. Tsireya is at your side but no Ao'nung. His absence makes a bitter kind of sense now as the illusion shattered, though a faint sting lingers in your chest. You'd grown accustomed to his solid warmth, the way his gaze had softened in those fabricated moments, fond of the role you'd played as his.

You blink the lingering ache away, pushing down the hollow echo of those false affections as Ronal approaches, her steps measured, the beads in her hair clicking softly.

"How are you feeling?" She asks, voice calm but probing, settling on the edge of the mat, her cool hand pressing lightly to your forehead. "You've been unconscious the whole day. It's night now."

Silence stretches for a beat, your thoughts settling like sediment after a storm before the words emerge, steady despite the tremor in your core. "I remember everything now."

They share a look, a fleeting exchange heavy with unspoken relief and apology as Ronal's eyes softened and Tsireya's widening further.

"You do?" Tsireya whispers leaning in, her fingers squeezing yours.

"Yes." You confirm, the truth settling like a weight lifted and replaced by another.

Ronal nods slowly, her grip on your hand firm yet tender, calluses from years of healing rough against your skin.

"We are sorry for lying to you when you didn't remember." She says, her tone laced with genuine regret, eyes holding yours with the weight of her role as Tsahik. "But your recovery was fragile, it was matters of the brain that demanded caution and Eywa guided us to protect what was mending."

You nod, the understanding coming easy, gratitude threading through the sorrow. They had shielded you, woven a temporary truth to cradle your healing mind. Yet the ache persists, a quiet throb for the emotions you'd nurtured in that haze. The pull toward Ao'nung, the vulnerability you'd offered freely now exposed as fleeting shadows.

"It's okay, Tsahik." You reply softly, managing a small weary smile. "I understand."

Tsireya shuffles closer then, her body curling protectively around you in a hug, her cheek pressing to your shoulder, warm and trembling slightly with her own relief. You meet her gaze as she pulls back, the bond between you unbreakable, forged in shared secrets and losses.

"Can you get my things from Ao'nung's marui?" You ask, voice even, though the request carries the finality of severance. "I'll move back to my own now that I remember the truth."

She bites her lip as a flicker of hesitation crossed her features, guilt perhaps for the part she played before nodding softly, her hand lingering on yours. "Of course. I'll bring them right away."

Ronal rises, her expression resolute as she places a hand on your shoulder.

"Come see me every day so I can check on your wound." She instructs, the command softened by care.

Leaning down, she presses a kiss to your forehead, her lips dry and warm, a blessing in the gesture. She watches as you and her daughter rise unsteadily supporting each other toward the entrance, the night air cool and starlit beyond the flaps.

"I hope Eywa grants you healing, child." Ronal calls after you, her voice a quiet anchor in the darkness.

Tsireya's arm wraps around your waist as she guides you through the village paths, her grip firm yet tender, the warmth of her body seeping through the thin fabric of your wrap against your side. The night air carries the distant hum of waves crashing against the reef, mingling with the soft rustle of leaves overhead but neither of you speaks, the silence heavy with the weight of the day's unraveling.

Her steps are measured syncing with yours though you can feel the tension coiled in her frame, the subtle clench of her jaw, the way her free hand fists at her side. Guilt gnaws at her, evident in the downward tilt of her gaze, shadowed by the bioluminescent glow of nearby maruis and beneath it simmers a fury directed at her brother, her breaths coming a touch sharper than usual.

You both slip into your marui, the familiar space feeling both sanctuary and echo chamber, the woven walls curving protectively around the simple cot piled with soft hides. Dust motes dance in the faint light filtering through the entrance flap and the scent of dried sea grass lingers, a reminder of quieter days before the illusions took hold.

Tsireya leads you to the cot, her hand lingering on your elbow as you lower yourself onto the edge, the hides yielding under your weight with a faint creak, your body heavy with exhaustion, muscles aching from the twin blows of injury and revelation.

"I'll sleep with you for the night." She murmurs, her voice soft but resolute, eyes meeting yours with a depth of protectiveness that eases the knot in your chest just a fraction.

You nod, gratitude swelling warm and wordless. The thought of solitude tonight, a vast echoing void, too much to bear. Your limbs feel leaden, the throb in your head a dull pulse syncing with the hurt radiating from your core, memories now sharp and unrelenting crashing against the fragile peace you'd clung to.

"Thank you, Reya." You whisper, your voice cracking faintly at the edges.

She nods settling beside you, her form curling close as she draws you into a sisterly embrace, arms encircling your shoulders, her cheek pressing against your temple. The steady rise and fall of her chest against yours grounds you, her skin smooth and sun-kissed carrying the faint salt tang of the sea.

You grow quiet in her hold, the silence stretching until words bubble up unbidden, raw and vulnerable.

"I grew feelings for him, Tsireya." You confess, the admission hanging in the dim air, your fingers twisting into the edge of a hide. "Even if it was built on a lie at first."

"Oh, (Y/N)." She breathes, her voice thick with empathy, pulling back just enough to cup your face in her palms, thumbs brushing away the dampness gathering at the corners of your eyes.

Her touch is gentle yet it conveys the depth of her sorrow for your pain.

"It's okay." You continue, forcing a steadiness into your tone even as your throat tightens, the illusion's warmth now a cold void. "I know he doesn't see me that way. I've robbed him of his freedom, his life, because of the amnesia I had."

The words taste bitter, self-recrimination lacing each one, your hips shifting uncomfortably on the cot as you draw your knees up, the curve of your form folding inward protectively.

She holds you closer, her embrace tightening, body heat enveloping you like a shield, though you sense her own turmoil. The way her breath hitches, her mind racing. She'd harbored quiet hopes that this twisted path might weave you and Ao'nung together.

You, with your steadfast rejections of every suitor, waiting for Eywa's true sign. Him, the restless future Olo'eyktan, chained by his wandering appetites, unable to root himself. But now, the threads snap, her optimism crumbling like dry kelp, leaving only frustration and a fierce protectiveness for you.

"Before I hit my head." You add, voice dropping lower, the memory fresh and stinging like salt in a wound. "Saraye talked to me. She said Ao'nung told her he's just being forced to pretend, that she hopes I get my memory back so he can be free."

Your words tumble out, laced with the disorientation of that moment, the sea's roar drowning your thoughts.

"My vision blurred and I was so overwhelmed I didn't register the waves until it was too late. Until I hit my head. I guess in a way, they both were the reason for me getting my memory back."

A hollow laugh escapes you, empty and brittle, echoing off the marui walls, your supple chest rising and falling unevenly with the force of it.

Tsireya's fury ignites anew at the revelation, her body stiffening against yours, eyes flashing with outrage. Saraye's careless barbs rendering you vulnerable, a catalyst for yet another injury, her brother's indiscretions the spark. She bites back a retort, jaw working silently choosing instead to hold you tighter, her fingers threading through your hair in soothing strokes until exhaustion claims you both, sleep pulling you under in tangled limbs, the night's quiet broken only by the distant call of nocturnal creatures.

The next morning, sunlight filters through the cracks in the marui weave, painting golden streaks across the floor and Tsireya stirs first, her movements careful not to disturb you.

She shakes your shoulder softly, her touch light as a breeze, voice a gentle murmur. "I'll leave now to get your things."

You nod sleepily, eyes heavy-lidded, the remnants of dreams of fleeting images of shared warmth now soured clinging like mist.

She rises fluidly, her form silhouetted against the entrance, curls swaying as she pauses to press a quick sisterly kiss to your forehead before slipping out, the flap falling closed with a soft whisper.

It's time I talk to my brother.

She thinks, resolve hardening her steps as she weaves through the village toward Ao'nung's marui, the morning bustle a blur around her. Fury simmers in her veins, a protective fire for you, mingled with the sting of dashed hopes. She pushes aside the entrance flap without ceremony, finding him seated on the low bench, his broad frame hunched slightly, tattooed arms resting on his knees, gaze fixed blankly on the woven floor.

The space feels emptier already, the absence of your presence a subtle shift in the air, his handsome features etched with something unreadable, regret perhaps or the weight of solitude returning.

"I'm getting (Y/N)'s things." She announces with a clipped voice, teal eyes locking onto his with unyielding accusation as she moves to the corner where your sparse belongings wait.

Ao'nung looks up slowly, his jaw tightening, the muscles in his neck cording briefly under the teal sheen of his skin.

"Why?" He asks calmly though his tone carries an undercurrent of defensiveness, rising to his full height, the armband you'd woven still circling his bicep, its beads catching the light like reluctant stars.

"She remembers everything now, Ao'nung." Tsireya retorts, her hands swift as she gathers your wraps and trinkets, folding them with precise angry motions, the fabric rustling sharply. "You can be free to do whatever you want now. Be with Saraye and all those women."

The words bite, laced with sarcasm, her glare piercing as she straightens, bundle clutched to her chest.

He scoffs, a low, rough sound rumbling from his throat, stepping closer to watch her dismantle the traces of you from his space, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean Saraye?"

"(Y/N) saw you the other day all close with her." Tsireya shoots back, her voice rising with frustration, cheeks flushing with the heat of her anger.

"And?" He presses arms crossing over his chest, the play of muscles under his skin a testament to his warrior build, though his stance holds a flicker of unease.

Tsireya glares undeterred, her body tensing as she continues packing, fingers trembling slightly with restrained fury.

"I know we've forced you to play a part but you didn't have to hurt her like this. She came to me that day almost in tears, telling me how you rejected her the night before, how she woke up the next morning to you gone, only to find you with another woman. A woman you've been so intimate with countless times." Her words hang heavy, charged with the pain she'd witnessed in your eyes, the vulnerability you'd bared to her alone.

Ao'nung's jaw clenches visibly, a shadow crossing his sharp features, his breath escaping in a controlled hiss.

"She misunderstood." He mutters, voice low and edged with irritation, though doubt flickers in his gaze, the realization of the chasm he'd widened settling like lead.

Tsireya rolls her eyes, the gesture sharp and dismissive, slinging your gathered items over one shoulder.

"It doesn't matter anyway. You've already hurt her. Also, you're free now, you don't have to play the part anymore." She turns toward the entrance but pauses, voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Thank Saraye for (Y/N) getting her memory back. If she hadn't told (Y/N) yesterday how you're being forced because of the selective amnesia, (Y/N) would still be believing she's mated to you. In a way, that bitch of yours made (Y/N) hit her head, literally and figuratively."

Ao'nung stiffens at her words, his form going rigid as fury bloomed across his face, eyes darkening and fists balling at his sides as the true catalyst of your accident yesterday slams into him.

Saraye's meddling, his own careless confidence spilling secrets, the rough waves claiming you in your distress, it all converges a storm he hadn't anticipated, his pulse thundering in his ears.

Tsireya pauses at the entrance, your things balanced in her arms, her expression softening just a fraction with sorrow.

"She really did like you, Ao'nung." She says quietly, the words a final arrow. "And I thought you did too."

With that she slips out leaving him in the hollowed quiet of the marui, the space echoing with absence.

The cot where you'd slept undisturbed, the faint imprint of your scent on the air, the way sunlight now slants across empty corners without your form to soften it. His eyes drift to the armband on his bicep, fingers tracing its weave absently, the beads warm from his skin.

He'd grown used to you, to the rhythm of your shy smiles lighting the dim interiors, the press of your body against his in stolen moments, the idea of being yours, of being binded solely to one woman. The freedom you’d handed back feels less like release and more like a void, his chest tightening with the unfamiliar ache of what might have been.

That night, when your body pressed against his in the dim confines of the marui, your hips grinding instinctively in the haze, Ao'nung's resolve had cracked but held just barely.

He pulled away not out of disinterest but a respect for the innocence you held sacred, the purity you guarded like a hidden cove, untouched by the casual waves of fleeting encounters. He knew the bond you believed in wasn't real, woven from the fragile threads of amnesia and he wouldn't be the one to shatter it with his touch, to claim what wasn't truly offered in clarity.

Your wide hips had curved invitingly against him, the soft swell of your breasts brushing his chest through the thin barrier of hides but he turned from it all, forcing his body to face the woven wall, the cool night air doing little to quell the heat pooling low in his gut.

His cock throbbed insistently, hardened to an ache from the friction of your warmth rubbing against it, the slick promise of your untouched folds teasing through the fabric. If he'd pulled you close, wrapped his arms around your supple form and buried his face in the crook of your neck, he wouldn't have stopped.

He imagined it then in the dark.

His mouth descending to feast on your virgin pussy, tongue delving into the sweet uncharted heat, lapping at your folds until you arched and whimpered beneath him. He pictured plunging deep inside your tight hole, the velvet grip yielding to him inch by inch, breeding you with a primal urgency, marking you as his in the most irrevocable way.

The thought clawed at him but he denied it, breaths ragged and controlled until sleep finally claimed him in fitful fragments that night.

In the morning light, filtering soft through the entrance flap, Ao'nung stirred before you, his gaze lingering on your sleeping form. Your face, framed by loose strands of hair, held a serene beauty of full lips parted slightly, lashes casting faint shadows on your cheeks, the gentle rise of your chest a rhythm he'd come to anticipate.

"So beautiful." He murmured, voice a low rumble and thick with unspoken apology, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your lips, lingering just long enough to taste the warmth of your breath. "I'm sorry, yawntu."

The endearment slipped out heavy with the weight of what he withheld before he rose quietly, his broad shoulders rolling as he slipped out toward the beach, the sand still cool underfoot.

He needed to do something—anything—to bridge the gap he'd enforced so he crouched by the tide pools, fingers sifting through the damp grains for shells that caught the dawn's glow. Iridescent spirals, smooth pebbles veined with color, each one selected with care for the necklace he'd craft as an apology, a token to adorn the column of your throat.

The water lapped gently at the shore when Saraye emerged from the shallows, her form cutting through the waves, water sluicing off her teal skin in rivulets that traced the curves of her hips and the swell of her breasts. She approached with a sway, braids dripping, a knowing smile curving her lips.

"Ao'nung, I haven't seen you in a while." She said, voice lilting with feigned casualness, eyes flicking over his tattooed arms as she drew near.

He shrugged not pausing in his search, the muscles in his back flexing under the morning sun.

"Been busy." He replied evenly, tone neutral, his focus on a cluster of tiny pearlescent shells half-buried in the sand.

Saraye's smile deepened, stepping closer until her shadow fell across his hands, her scent wafting toward him.

"With (Y/N)? I thought you didn't settle down." She teased, a glint of challenge in her gaze, her fingers trailing idly along the edge of her loincloth.

Ao'nung straightened slightly, wiping sand from his palms, seeing no harm in the truth, it wasn't a secret to unravel.

"She has selective amnesia." He explained, voice steady, meeting her eyes without warmth. "She believes we're mates. My parents asked me to take care of her until she recovers her memory."

Her eyes glinted sharper, a flicker of opportunity crossing her features as she tilted her head, lips pursing in mock sympathy. "So you're being forced? I feel sorry that you're stuck with taking care of her when you can spend your time with me."

The words dripped with invitation, her body angling toward him, one hand resting on her hip to accentuate the dip of her waist.

He laughed then, a short bark of sound escaping his chest, genuine amusement bubbling up at her presumption, the sheer audacity of assuming his chains were so easily chafed. It wasn't interest fueling the chuckle but the irony of her misread, the way she painted his days with you as a burden when they'd become something he guarded.

That was the moment you glimpsed him from afar, the sound carrying on the breeze, twisting in your mind into flirtation, a dismissal of the fragile world you'd built.

"She's not a duty to me." Ao'nung said firmly, shaking his head as the laughter faded, his expression hardening with sincerity. "I would have left already if I didn't like taking care of her. No one can force me to do anything I don't want, Saraye."

His words cut clean, leaving no room for her advances and he turned back to the shore dismissing her with the set of his shoulders as he resumed his hunt for more shells, each find a step toward mending what he sensed fraying.

The day stretched on without your return to the marui, the empty space gnawing at him as the sun climbed high then dipped toward the horizon. Worry coiled in his gut, a tight knot that had him pacing the woven floor, his bare feet silent on the hides. He ventured out as dusk painted the sky in bruised purples, scanning the paths until he spotted you near the edge of the village, your laughter ringing soft and clear as you leaned into Tsireya's side, her arm slung companionably around your shoulders.

The sight eased something in him, your face animated, the tension in your posture loosening in her company, and his heart softened, a quiet understanding blooming at how you must have missed her steady presence.

He wouldn't intrude, wouldn't crowd the space you clearly needed. Instead he retreated to the marui, the bundle of shells clutched in his fist.

Night fell but sleep evaded him, his mind replaying the curve of your smile, the way you'd murmur “Nungie” in those unguarded moments, your voice a balm he craved.

He sat by the low table, fingers fumbling with the materials. Rough cord from dried vines, the shells he'd polished smooth against a stone. Weaving wasn't his skill, his hands moved clumsily, the strands twisting unevenly, beads slipping before catching. But he persisted, the necklace taking shape as a simple adornment, its asymmetry a claim mirroring the armband you'd given him.

Yours on his skin, this for your neck, a silent vow to the bond he hadn't dared voice.

Daylight crept in again, the marui warming with the sun's rise and Ao'nung finally set the finished piece aside, its weight light but meaningful in his palm. He headed to the beach for the gathering, his role as leader pulling him to the water's edge where ilus bobbed in the shallows, their sleek forms glistening.

He knew your schedule intertwined with Tsireya's today, gathering kelp and pearls from the outer reefs and he waited, eyes scanning the horizon, the necklace tucked into a pouch at his hip.

Saraye steered her ilu closer, her mount brushing his with deliberate proximity but he paid her no mind, gaze fixed on the approaching figures, jaw set in quiet focus.

You appeared then, mounted gracefully on your ilu, the wind tugging at your braids but your eyes slid past him without pause, the avoidance a sharp twist in his chest, your posture rigid as you guided your creature to join Tsireya's side.

He swallowed the pang, figuring the distance was necessary, that he'd speak to you later in private. Away from the eyes of the clan, no pressure to you in the open where whispers could wound. The group set out, ilus slicing through the waves in formation, the sea's rhythm steady under him as he directed the paths, his commands barked low and efficient.

Silence wrapped around his thoughts until Tsireya's voice shattered it, a shout laced with panic of your name tearing from her throat.

He whipped around, heart slamming against his ribs, the world narrowing to the sight of you slumped forward on your ilu, blood trickling from a gash on your forehead, staining the teal of your skin in stark rivulets. Terror gripped him, cold and visceral, a echo of that first accident replaying in brutal clarity.

He urged his ilu forward in a surge, closing the distance in seconds reaching out to gather you from Tsireya's trembling arms, her face pale, tears streaking her cheeks as she passed you over.

Your body felt limp and fragile against him, the warmth of your form seeping into his chest even as the metallic tang of blood filled his nostrils, soaking into his skin where he cradled your head. It was déjà vu, the rush of waves blurring as he kicked his ilu toward shore, holding you secure, one arm banded around your waist, the other supporting your neck, your blood smearing across his torso in warm streaks.

"Eywa, please." He whispered fiercely to the wind, pulse thundering. "Let her be okay."

The village blurred past as he barreled toward his mother's marui, Tsireya's ilu splashing close behind, her sobs carrying over the surf. He burst through the entrance flap, the space dim and herbal-scented, laying you gently on the healing mat as autopilot took over. His ears ringing, vision tunneling to the pale cast of your features, the shallow rise of your chest.

You looked so vulnerable, lashes fluttering weakly against your cheeks, the curve of your lips slack, blood matting a strand of hair to your temple.

Ronal moved swiftly, her hands steady as she took you from his grasp, assessing the wound with practiced eyes. Tsireya tumbling in behind to explain in halting bursts of the rogue current, the hidden coral outcrop, your focus lost in the moment.

His chest and arms glistened with your blood, sticky and cooling, but his eyes never left you, fixed on the fragility of your form, the way your fingers twitched faintly at your side.

"Go clean yourself up, Ao'nung." Ronal commanded, her voice firm yet laced with concern, glancing at him briefly before turning back to you, her fingers already mixing a poultice.

He nodded numbly, rising on unsteady legs, the weight of hope and fear pressing down as he backed away whispering to himself. "She'll be okay. She has to be."

As the memory fades and Tsireya left, alone in the dim hush of his marui, Ao'nung paced the woven floor. His broad chest heaved with a sigh, muscles taut under his teal skin as he raked a hand through his braids, the beads clinking softly.

What he'd once craved of nights tangled with whoever caught his eye, the thrill of no strings, the freedom to chase the next wave has now twisted into something hollow, a shadow against the vivid pull you exerted on him.

"Fuck." He growled low, the word rough and edged with frustration, fists clenching at his sides as he sank onto the mat, staring at the armband you'd woven for him, its fibers a constant press against his bicep.

Tomorrow he'd corner you, lay bare the truths gnawing at him.

How your innocence had hooked him deeper than any fleeting liaison, how pulling away that night wasn't rejection but a desperate bid to honor the purity you valued even if the bond was born of fogged memory. He'd explain the laugh with Saraye, the shells he'd gathered just for you, the necklace burning a hole in his pouch. But doubt coiled in his gut, sharp as a spear tip.

Would she listen or had the recovered memories sealed me out for good?

Sleep came heavy and reluctant, his body curling into itself, dreams fractured with visions of your curves arching under him, the slick heat he'd denied himself leaving him waking with a insistent throb between his legs.

Dawn broke with a soft glow over the village, the reef's colors bleeding into the sky as Ao'nung slipped from his marui, the clumsily woven necklace clutched in his palm. The shells strung unevenly, a pearl at its center catching the light like a promise. He made his way to your dwelling, the path familiar now, his steps measured but urgent, heart pounding a steady rhythm against his ribs.

You emerged just as he approached, your form silhouetted against the entrance flap, the sway of your wide hips accentuated by the tight weave of your loincloth, the supple swell of your breasts rising with each breath under a beaded top that clung to your skin. Your face, that exquisite blend of soft features and wide guarded eyes, turned away before locking on him, lashes lowering in deliberate avoidance.

"(Y/N)." He called, voice low and laced with a plea stepping closer, the pouch at his hip swaying.

But you didn't pause, shoulders stiffening as you veered toward the communal path, bare feet padding silently over the packed earth, your long hair swaying like kelp in a current.

He thought of Saraye's bold assumptions, how you'd twisted his laughter into betrayal and it fueled him. You believed him reverted to old habits, tangled with her perhaps, chasing skirts while your heart mended elsewhere. The idea ignited a possessive fire in him, his gaze tracing the line of your spine, imagining pinning you against a palm, hands gripping those birthing hips as he ground against your ass, showing you exactly who consumed his thoughts.

He followed at a distance, shadowing your steps like a hunter tracking elusive prey, the thrill of the pursuit sending heat coiling low in his belly.

You headed to the weaving circle where women gathered under shaded fronds, their hands busy with fibers and dyes. dTsireya was there, her frame bent over a half-finished mat but she glanced up as you approached, her eyes flicking past you to Ao'nung lingering at the edge, his tattooed arms crossed and jaw set. You settled beside her, fingers deftly twisting cords but your movements were tense, the curve of your neck exposed as you leaned forward, oblivious or pretending, to his presence.

"Tsireya." You murmured, voice soft with forced lightness, though your cheeks flushed faintly. "Pass me the red fiber? I need to finish this band before the tide turns."

She obliged, shooting him a warning glare over your shoulder but he didn't retreat.

Instead crouching nearby pretending to inspect a nearby basket, his eyes devouring the way your thighs pressed together as you shifted, the faint sheen of sweat tracing a path down your collarbone into the valley between your breasts. Obsession bloomed sharper as images flashed of your legs parting for him, that virgin slit glistening, begging for his tongue to trace its folds, to taste the sweetness he'd only fantasized about while denying himself.

"(Y/N), wait." He said finally, voice rougher now, edged with the strain of restraint as he rose and closed the gap, ignoring Tsireya's sharp intake of breath.

You stiffened hands pausing mid-twist but kept your gaze on the weaving, the fiber snapping taut under your grip.

"I need to talk to you. About everything." His words hung heavy, charged with the undercurrent of desire he barely leashed, his body heat radiating as he knelt beside you, close enough that his knee brushed your outer thigh sending a jolt through him at the contact.

You exhaled sharply, a flicker of hurt crossing your features before you masked it, lips pressing into a thin line.

"There's nothing to say, Ao'nung." You replied coolly, though your voice wavered, betraying the storm beneath your shy reserve. "You've made your choices clear. I thank you for taking care of me but you can now go back to... whatever life you had before me."

The words stung laced with accusation, your wide and shimmering eyes finally meeting his for a heartbeat before darting away, the beauty of your face twisting his gut with regret and want.

He leaned in, breath warm against your ear, the scent of your skin stirring his cock to half-hardness beneath his loincloth. He really doesn’t know what’s wrong with him and why his body is like this with you now.

"It's not what you think." He murmured, low and insistent, fingers itching to trace the shell of your ear, to tilt your chin and claim your mouth until you melted against him. "Saraye means nothing. Let me explain yawntu, please."

The endearment slipped out raw with longing but you pulled back rising abruptly, the sway of your hips hypnotic as you excused yourself to Tsireya with a murmured apology, heading toward the shore path.

He trailed you again, the sun climbing higher, warming the sand underfoot as you reached the water's edge, bending to rinse your hands in the shallows, the waves lapping at your ankles.

Your loincloth rode up slightly, revealing the firm curve of your ass and he bit back a groan, vision blurring with the urge to drop to his knees behind you, hands spreading your cheeks to bury his face there, tongue delving into your untouched heat until you buckled moaning his name. Obsession clawed deeper within him, a thrilling ache that made his pulse race.

He couldn't let you slip away, not when every glance, every avoidance, only heightened the carnal hunger building like a storm.

The beach wasn't empty, a few hunters sparred nearby, their grunts echoing but he ignored them, matching your pace as you wandered along the tideline, picking at driftwood absently.

"(Y/N)." He tried again, voice dropping to a husky timbre, stepping into your path this time, his taller frame blocking the sun, casting a shadow over your form.

Water droplets clung to your skin tracing lazy paths down your arms and he followed one with his eyes, imagining licking it away, his mouth exploring the soft underside of your breast, teeth grazing the peak until it hardened under his assault.

You halted, chest rising faster, the beaded top shifting with the motion, outlining the pert tips beneath.

"Why are you doing this?" You demanded, frustration bleeding into your tone, eyes flashing with a mix of anger and something softer, a vulnerability that made his heart clench. "Following me like I'm some obligation? Just like before when I thought... when I was wrong about us. Leave me be, Ao'nung. Go find Saraye, she seemed to make you laugh."

The bitterness twisted the last words, your hands fisting at your sides as your knuckles paled.

He reached out, fingers grazing your wrist, light and tentative but electric, the contact sending sparks up his arm straight to his groin, where his length strained fully now, tenting the fabric obscenely.

"That laugh wasn't for her." He said fiercely, thumb stroking the pulse point there, feeling it flutter wildly. "She assumed I was trapped with you, like caring for you was a chore. I laughed because it's absurd, being near you is the only thing that feels right anymore. I pulled away that night because I respect you, (Y/N). Your innocence, what you hold sacred. I won't corrupt it with half-truths. I wouldn’t fuck you knowing your mind is under a haze even if I badly fucking want to."

His gaze dropped to your lips, full and parted on a shallow breath, imagining them wrapped around his cock, sliding down inch by inch, your shy eyes watering as you took him deep.

You yanked your hand free but didn't flee, the tension crackling between you like lightning over the reef, your body leaning imperceptibly closer despite yourself.

"Respect?" You echoed voice trembling, a flush creeping up your neck. "Or regret? Now that I remember, you're free again. Back to your ways."

The words were a challenge, laced with the pain of your shattered illusions but your eyes betrayed the lingering pull, the way they traced the hard planes of his chest, the V of his hips.

The thrill intensified, his obsession a living thing now urging him to close the distance, to press you against the nearest rock and rut against your core until you felt his undeniable raw need.

But he held back, voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. "No regrets. Only want. For you, all of you. Let me show you, not with words but... give me a chance."

He lifted the pouch, the necklace glinting as he drew it out, holding it toward you like an offering, the uneven weave a testament to his fumbling devotion.

You stared at it, conflict warring on your feature. The pretty bow of your mouth softening, eyes widening at the shells that mirrored the ones you'd admired together. But then Tsireya's call echoed from afar, pulling you back and you turned away once more, leaving him standing there, arousal throbbing unmet.

The chase far from over, each step you took only drawing him deeper into the intoxicating web of desire and denial.

You walked away from him on the sun-warmed sand, the waves whispering at your heels like secrets you weren't ready to hear, your heart a tangled knot of doubt and lingering ache. The necklace he'd offered glinted in your mind's eye, a fragile thing that tugged at the edges of your resolve but you pushed forward, your hips swaying with each determined steps.

Behind you, Ao'nung stood frozen for a heartbeat, the shell strand clutched in his fist, its edges biting into his palm as resolve hardened in his chest like coral forming over time.

No more holding back.

With your memories restored, the fragile veil of your amnesia was gone and so was the restraint he'd imposed on himself out of some misguided respect for the innocence you'd carried like a sacred flame. He never saw your purity as a barrier to shatter but a canvas to paint with his touch, to draw out moans and shudders until you craved him as fiercely as he burned for you. He'd use every whisper of pleasure and every slide of skin on skin to weave you into his world making the bond real, sealing it with the heat of your bodies joining.

His old ways called to him, that shameless pursuit of ecstasy but this time it was singular, laser-focused on you. On the curve of your spine, the plush give of your breasts, the untouched warmth between your legs that he'd claim inch by aching inch.

His parents' words echoed faintly, a nudge he'd ignored for too long.

Settle, mate, build a legacy.

Fine. He'd do it, but only with you.

Filling you until your belly swelled with the promise of their grandchild, your wide hips cradling the life you'd create together. But first, he had to break through that shy wall you hid behind, tease it down with lips and fingers until you begged. Gripping the necklace tighter, the pearl warm against his skin, he started after you again with his strides longer and more predatory, the throb in his loincloth a insistent drumbeat urging him on.

You veered toward the village center, where the midday bustle hummed.

The hunters sharpening spears under woven awnings, children darting between legs with laughter like splashing water, women carrying baskets of fresh catch from the reef. The air hummed with the scent of smoked fish and blooming vines but your focus narrowed to escape to the cool shade of the gathering pavilion where Tsireya might be waiting. Your bare feet sank into the soft path, each step sending a faint tremor up your legs, your breasts shifting gently with the motion, nipples pebbling against the beaded strands from the breeze off the sea and Ao’nung's advances earlier.

He caught up before you reached the pavilion's edge, his hand wrapping around your upper arm, not rough but firm and halting you mid-stride. The contact seared, his callused fingers pressing into the soft flesh and you felt the heat of him radiate through your skin, stirring an unwelcome flutter low in your belly.

"(Y/N)." He breathed, voice a low rumble that vibrated against your back as he pulled you slightly aside into the partial shelter of a broad-leafed plant, its fronds casting dappled shadows over your faces.

His body crowded yours, his chest nearly brushing your shoulder blades but the hard line of his arousal was evident against your hip when he shifted closer unashamed.

It was a whole 360 from the restraint he had when you were under the selective memory loss and was humping him like you were in heat. Still, you twisted in his grip, cheeks heating as you met his gaze. Those intense teal eyes darkened with hunger, his pupils blown wide like the deep sea at night.

"Let go." You whispered, voice trembling with the effort to sound firm though your body betrayed you, leaning just a fraction into his warmth.

Innocence cloaked you still. You knew the basics of mating from hushed talks with Tsireya, the sacred joining under Eywa's gaze but the raw mechanics of the stretch, the slick slide, the overwhelming fullness remained a hazy mystery, one that made your pulse skitter when his thumb traced a slow circle on your arm.

Ao'nung didn't release you.

Instead he stepped nearer, his free hand rising to cup your jaw, tilting your face up so your lips hovered perilously close to his. His breath fanned hot over your mouth, carrying the faint tang of salt and desire.

"I can't." He admitted, the words rough and laced with a yearning that twisted his features, brows furrowing as if the confession pained him. "Not anymore. You think I'm chasing Saraye? That laugh was at her foolishness, nothing more. She's a shadow, (Y/N). You... you're the one pulling me under."

His thumb brushed your lower lip parting it slightly and you felt the damp heat building between your thighs, unfamiliar and insistent, making you clench instinctively.

Your breath hitched, eyes fluttering as you fought the pull, the way his touch ignited sparks along your nerves.

"Prove it." You challenged softly though your voice cracked, body arching subtly toward him despite your words. "Words are easy for you. You've said them to others."

The accusation hung between you, your free hand pressing against his chest as you feel the rapid thud of his heart beneath the firm muscle, his tattoos curling like waves over his pecs. He groaned low, the sound vibrating through his chest right into your palm, his grip on your jaw tightening just enough to hold you steady as he leaned in with his nose brushing yours.

"Easy? This is torture." He murmured, lips grazing the corner of your mouth in a tease that sent liquid fire pooling in your core. "Every night with or without you in my marui, I ache hard from the thoughts of burying deep inside you, feeling your walls clench around me for the first time. Your innocence drives me mad, yawntu. I want to ruin it, show you how good it can be, how you'd drip for me, beg for my cock to fill that sweet virgin pussy but I had to hold back because I do not want you to hate me once you got your memories back. I did not want you to think I’m taking advantage of your selective amnesia just to get my dick wet."

The words were filthy, explicit, yet honest as it painted pictures that made your knees weaken and your heart soften in understanding.

You shoved at him harder though your push lacked conviction, fingers splaying over the ridges of his abs, tracing the dips involuntarily.

"Stop." You gasped but it came out breathy, your hips shifting restlessly, the friction of your loincloth against your swelling clit a new torturous sensation.

He was obsessed, you could see it in the way his eyes raked over you as it devoured the swell of your tits straining the beads, the flare of your hips he wanted to grip while thrusting home. Blooming festering love simmered beneath the lust making his yearning palpable like a tide dragging you under its pull.

But you held firm, barely, the doubt about Saraye a anchor keeping you from melting. "Not like this. Not when I see you with her in my mind."

Your eyes shimmered with unshed tears and it only fueled his determination, his hand sliding down to your waist, thumb dipping just under the edge of your top to stroke the soft skin there. Ao'nung's jaw clenched, frustration and adoration warring in his expression as he pulled back slightly enough to scan the growing crowd nearby.

The villagers milling about the pavilion, conversations dipping as eyes turned toward your secluded spot. Tsireya lingered at the edge, her gaze sharp while Saraye hovered further back, arms crossed watching with narrowed eyes.

Perfect. If words weren't enough, action would be.

He straightened, keeping one hand possessively on your hip, the necklace still fisted in the other and raised his voice, letting it carry over the hum of the village like a hunter's call.

"(Y/N) is mine as I am hers." He declared, the words booming with finality, drawing gasps and murmurs from the gathered clan.

Heads turned, whispers rippling like waves as Ao'nung, the untamed future Olo'eyktan, announced a courtship? He'd never done this, never laid claim publicly, always keeping his entanglements fleeting and private. No woman worthy enough to be considered to be courted yet here is he now.

"I am courting her officially under Eywa's light. No other. She is the only woman I see, the only one who stirs my blood, who I'll bond with body and soul." His eyes locked on yours pleading as he pressed the necklace into your palm, closing your fingers around it. "Prove it? This is proof. You're it for me."

The crowd erupted in stunned chatter, faces alight with surprise as hunters exchanged wide-eyed looks and women clutching their baskets tighter in envy. Tsireya's lips curved into a knowing smirk, her gaze sliding to Saraye who paled, shoulders slumping as the implications sank in.

You stood there with the necklace warm in your hand, heart pounding wildly, the lewd promise in his earlier words still echoing making your body hum with unspent tension. You hadn't given in fully, not yet as the hesitance in you held you back demanding more time to believe but the public vow cracked something inside leaving you trembling on the edge, his obsession a thrilling current pulling you closer.

The murmurs of the clan still swirled around you like the eddies in a tidal pool, eyes lingering on the two of you with a mix of awe and curiosity but Ao'nung's declaration hung in the air like a claimed territory.

You searched his face, those sharp features etched with a sincerity that cut through the haze of your doubts.

He wasn't a liar, no.

The future Olo'eyktan might chase skirts and leave hearts in his wake but deceit wasn't his vice. He was transparent with everything. His words had weight, forged in the heat of his affections for you and they settled over you, heavy yet oddly reassuring.

Hesitantly you nodded, the motion small, your chin dipping just enough to signal surrender to the moment.

A wide triumphant grin split his face, his teeth flashing white against the teal of his skin as he stepped closer, the crowd fading into a distant hum. His fingers brushed the nape of your neck sending a shiver racing down your spine. The necklace's cool pearls slid against your collarbone as he fastened it, the shell pendant nestling between the soft swell of your breasts right where your beaded top parted slightly with each breath.

"You're so beautiful, yawntu." He murmured, voice dropping to a husky timbre that vibrated through the scant space between you, his gaze tracing the way the light caught the curve of your jaw and the full pout of your lips. "I'll court you every day, even after we're mated. I always will."

His thumb lingered at the clasp, a gentle press that made your pulse stutter, the warmth of his body invading your senses of musk and sea salt mingling with the faint earthy scent of his arousal.

You bit your lower lip, the plump flesh caught between your teeth as uncertainty flickered in your chest, words caught in your throat like fish in a net. The public vow was one thing but the intimacy of his promise tugged at something deeper, a shy ache that made your thighs press together subtly.

Ao'nung's eyes darkened at the sight, his breath hitching as he leaned in, forehead nearly touching yours.

"Come home?" He asked, the plea raw in his tone, laced with a vulnerability that cracked his usual bravado. "The marui doesn't feel like home without you in it anymore."

His hand found yours, fingers interlacing with a possessiveness that sent heat blooming across your skin, his calluses scraping lightly against your palm. Warmth flooded your chest, a gentle tide washing over the remnants of your resistance, easing the knot there. You nodded again, more firmly this time, letting him lead you away from the pavilion's edge, his stride confident as he wove through the thinning crowd.

The path to his marui wound along the lagoon's fringe, bioluminescent vines glowing faintly in the late afternoon light, their tendrils swaying like silent witnesses.

Behind you, Tsireya's voice cut through the air, sharp and laced with satisfaction as she turned to Saraye who stood rigid with her arms still crossed over her chest. Tsireya's smirk was a blade, her eyes gleaming with protective glee.

"He was never yours to begin with." She said, voice low but carrying the weight of finality, her posture straight and unyielding. "You better be glad my brother is too busy with her right now or you would have been punished for what you did."

Saraye's face drained of color, her lips parting in a silent retort but Tsireya turned away leaving the words to fester like an open wound.

Ao'nung was all smiles as he guided you up the familiar woven steps to his marui, the entrance draped in kelp curtains that parted with a soft rustle. The space inside enveloped you as he pulled you deeper, his hand never leaving yours until you stood in the heart of it, the low platform bed piled with soft furs in the corner.

"I'm taking your things back from your marui tomorrow." He declared, his grin softening into something warmer and more intimate as he faced you fully, his broad shoulders filling the doorway behind. "You belong here."

His free hand rose to trace the necklace's path along your throat, fingers dipping lower to skim the edge of your top where the beads clung to the underside of your breast. You nodded, the motion automatic, your body already yielding to the pull of his presence, the way his tattoos seemed to shift with each flex of muscle under his skin.

He exhaled slowly, stepping closer until his chest brushed yours, the hard planes pressing against your softer curves.

"I cannot erase my past, (Y/N). I was a skxwang." He said, voice rough with earnestness, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your breath catch. "But I will do everything in my power to shield you from it. You... changed me. I want to be better for you and I will."

The confession hung between you, his hand sliding to your waist, thumb circling the dip above your hipbone igniting a spark that traveled straight to your core.

Your lips parted, a soft exhale escaping as you searched his face, the sincerity there chipping away at the last barriers.

"How?" You whispered, voice trembling with a mix of fear and curiosity, your fingers tightening in his grip. "You've always been... free with your affections. What makes this different? Me?"

Ao'nung's jaw tightened, a low growl rumbling in his throat as he pulled you flush against him, the rigid length of his cock pressing insistently against your belly through his loincloth.

"Everything." He breathed, his mouth hovering near your ear, breath fanning the sensitive shell. "You make me burn, yawntu. Not like the others who were just fleeting fires. With you, it's a storm, crashing and endless. I dream of tasting you, of making you writhe under me until you forget anyone came before you."

His words were a caress, filthy and direct, stirring an unfamiliar heat between your legs, a slick warmth that made you shift restlessly. You swallowed hard, cheeks flushing as naivety mixed with the budding ache.

"Tasting?" The question came out breathy and innocent, your wide eyes meeting his unaware of the depths he meant.

A feral glint entered his gaze, his grip on your waist firming as he guided you backward toward the bed platform, the furs yielding under your calves.

"Let me show you." He urged, voice dropping to a gravelly whisper laced with hunger. "No further than this, not yet. Just... let me worship you. See how it binds us closer than words."

His free hand trailed down your side, hooking into the tie of your loincloth loosening it with deliberate slowness, the fabric whispering as it fell away exposing the smooth expanse of your thighs and the untouched mound between them.

Your heart hammered with a shy protest rising but it died on your tongue as he knelt before you, his strong hands parting your legs gently, thumbs stroking the inner skin until gooseflesh prickled.

"Ao'nung..." You murmured, half plea and half wonder, your hands clutching his shoulders, nails digging into the firm muscle there.

The air felt charged and heavy with anticipation, your body trembling as he looked up at you, eyes dark with obsession.

"Trust me." He said, the words a vow, his breath ghosting over your core, making you gasp at the sudden sensitivity.

He leaned in, nose brushing the softness above your slit inhaling deeply, the musky sweetness of your arousal hitting him like a drug, his cock twitching painfully against the confines of his cloth, pre-cum beading at the tip.

"Eywa, you smell like sin and salvation. So fucking good." He groaned, the sound vibrating against your skin as his tongue flicked out, tracing a tentative line along your outer fold.

The sensation was electric, a jolt that arched your back, your thighs quivering as you gripped him tighter. You innocence shattered in that first touch of the wet and insistent tongue parting your lower lips to lap at the slickness gathering there. You whimpered needily, your hips bucking instinctively toward the source of pleasure as unfamiliar waves build low in your belly.

He growled in response, feral now, hands clamping onto your wide hips to hold you steady, his fingers sinking into the plush flesh as he devoured you. His mouth was relentless, tongue circling your entrance before delving inside, thrusting shallowly to taste your depths, the lewd wet sounds filling the marui like a forbidden chant.

"So tight, so fucking delicious." He mumbled against you, the vibrations sending sparks up your spine, his nose nudging your swelling clit with each eager press.

You moaned head falling back, the necklace's pendant swaying with the motion and cool against your heated skin. Pleasure coiled tighter, a pressure you'd never known making your toes curl into the furs.

"What... what is this?" You gasped, voice breaking as his lips sealed around your pearl sucking gently then harder, teeth grazing just enough to tease.

"This is you coming alive for me." He rasped, pulling back briefly, his chin glistening with your essence, eyes wild with lust as he stroked himself through his loincloth, the outline of his thick shaft straining.

The sight made your core clench emptily, a fresh gush of wetness coating his waiting tongue as he dove back in, lapping sloppily and nastily like a man starved. His tongue flattened dragging from your entrance to your clit in long deliberate strokes savoring every drop and every quiver.

Minutes blurred in agonizing bliss as he alternated between soft licks and fervent sucks, one hand sliding up to pinch and roll your nipple through the beads, the dual assault making stars burst behind your eyelids. Your breaths came in pants, body slick with sweat and breasts heaving as the tension wound higher, your innocence yielding to the raw ecstasy he coaxed from you.

"That's it, yawntu." He encouraged between laps, voice muffled and desperate, his free hand fisting the furs to keep from touching himself further, cock leaking steadily now, the damp spot growing. "Let go for me. I want to feel you flood my mouth, mark me as yours."

His words pushed you closer, the obsession in his tone mirroring the love that simmered beneath, his mouth working you with single-minded fervor.

The peak crashed over you slowly at first then all at once. A tidal wave of sensation that had you crying out, thighs clamping around his head as your walls fluttered, release soaking his eager tongue. He drank it down, humming in approval, not stopping until you sagged boneless and spent, his kisses turning gentle on your trembling thighs.

Rising slowly, he pulled you into his arms, cock still hard and insistent against your hip but he held back, forehead resting against yours.

"See?" He whispered, voice hoarse with restraint. "This is just the beginning. You're mine now, in ways words can't touch."

Your body hummed with aftershocks, the corruption sweet and irreversible, drawing you deeper into his web.

Since then, your days blurred into a rhythm of relentless pursuit from him. Ao'nung's promises weaving into the fabric of your shared life like vines claiming a trellis. From that charged day in the marui, he hadn't faltered, not once. His courtship unfolded with a shameless fervor that left the clan buzzing with whispers trailing you both like schools of fish in the lagoon. He was a man unashamed, his affections poured out in broad daylight drawing eyes yet there was a steadiness to it now, a depth that silenced the skeptics over time.

Ronal's approval came first, her sharp gaze softening in ways you'd rarely seen.

As the family gathered in the central marui for the dawn meal, the air thick with the scent of roasted fish and fresh ilu kelp, she pulled Ao'nung aside after the others had scattered to their tasks. You lingered near the entrance, adjusting the shell bracelet he'd gifted you the day before, its smooth edges cool against your wrist. Tonowari nodded from his seat by the fire pit, his broad frame relaxed but it was Ronal who spoke, her voice a quiet command laced with warmth.

"Take care of (Y/N)." She said, her hand resting on his arm, fingers pressing into the inked patterns that marked his lineage. Her eyes, usually piercing with the weight of her tsahìk duties, held a rare tenderness, the lines around them crinkling faintly. "As much as you are my son, she is also a daughter to me."

The words carried the gravity of her promise to Riki’ea and Ar'von, her posture straightening as she glanced toward you with a subtle smile curving her lips.

Ao'nung met his mother’s gaze steadily, his jaw set with resolve, the muscles in his neck shifting under the morning light filtering through the woven walls.

He knew the roots of her affection, your mother had been her closest companion, a bond forged in youth and shattered too soon by death. Ronal had watched over you ever since, a silent guardian weaving you into the family's tapestry.

"I will, Mother." He replied, voice low and fervent, his hand covering hers briefly. "She's everything now. I swear it on the ancestors."

Tonowari grunted in approval clapping his son's shoulder with a firm thud that echoed his pride, the clan's future olo'eyktan finally stepping into the role they'd long urged.

The exchange lingered in Ao'nung's mind as he sought you out later that afternoon, the sun hanging high over the reef, casting dappled patterns on the sand. You were at the water's edge, knees drawn up as you watched young na'vi children splash in the shallows, their laughter mingling with the crash of waves.

He approached without preamble, dropping to sit beside you, his thigh brushing yours in a casual intimacy that sent a quiet thrill through your veins. His skin was warm from the hunt earlier, a faint sheen of sweat tracing the ridges of his abdomen where his loincloth rode low.

"Yawntu." He murmured, voice a soft rumble that drew your eyes to his face, to the strong line of his nose and the way his full lips quirked in that shameless grin. He reached for your hand, interlacing fingers with a gentleness that belied his being, thumb stroking the inside of your wrist where your pulse fluttered. "Walk with me? The cove beyond the mangroves, it's quiet there. Just us."

His gaze dipped briefly to the curve of your neck, where the necklace he'd placed there days ago rested against your skin, the pendant rising with each breath.

You hesitated only a moment, the warmth of his touch coaxing a nod from you, your body already leaning into the pull.

As you rose, he kept hold of your hand leading you along the shore, his stride measured to match yours, the sand shifting underfoot. The cove was a hidden gem, enclosed by twisting roots and lapped by gentle currents, the water a crystalline blue that invited submersion. He didn't release you until you both waded in up to your waists, the coolness shocking against the heat of the day.

There with the water buoying your forms, he turned to you, hands sliding to your waist, fingers splaying over the dip of your hips.

"I've been thinking of you all morning." He confessed, his breath warm against your temple as he drew you closer, chests nearly touching.

The water made everything feel weightless, his touch exploratory as palms glide up your sides, thumbs brushing the undersides of your breasts through the thin barrier of your top. It was soft, this affection laced with a darker undercurrent that made your breath hitch as heat pooled low in your belly.

"Ao'nung." You whispered, a shy smile tugging at your lips despite the flush creeping up your neck.

His name felt natural on your tongue again but the old endearment hovered, waiting. You liked this, the way he looked at you like you were the only tide worth chasing, his body responding to yours with an openness that chipped away at your reservations.

He chuckled lowly, the sound vibrating through the water as he leaned in, lips grazing your earlobe. "Say it properly, yawntu. That one nickname I miss hearing from you."

His hands dipped lower, cupping the swell of your ass beneath the surface and squeezing just enough to elicit a soft gasp from you, the pressure firm yet tender, igniting sparks along your nerves.

Softening under his gaze, you let the words slip out, tentative at first.

"Nungie..." It was a murmur laced with affection, your fingers tracing the edge of his jaw.

His eyes lit with triumph, a groan escaping him as he pulled you flush against him, the hard line of his arousal pressing into your thigh through the water's veil.

"There it is." He breathed, voice husky with desire, one hand tangling in your hair to tilt your head back, exposing the column of your throat.

He nuzzled there, lips trailing open-mouthed kisses down to your collarbone, tongue flicking out to taste the salt on your skin mixed with the sea's brine. It was lewd in its intimacy, his free hand roaming to tease the tie of your top, loosening it just enough for the fabric to slip baring one turquoise breast to the cool air above the waves.

You arched into him, a quiet moan bubbling up as his mouth descended capturing the peaked nipple between his lips, sucking with a slow deliberate rhythm that sent jolts straight to your core. The water lapped around you, heightening every sensation of the swirl of his tongue, the gentle scrape of teeth, his hips rolling subtly to grind against you.

"Nungie, please." You whimpered, hands clutching his shoulders, nails leaving faint crescents on his teal skin.

He pulled back slightly, eyes dark with lust but tempered by reverence, his thumb circling your wet nipple.

"I could do this forever." He said, voice rough, forehead pressing to yours. "Taste every inch, make you feel how deep this runs."

But he reined it in, retieing your top with careful fingers, the promise lingering in his touch as he kissed you deeply, tongues tangling in a dance that left you breathless.

Word of his devotion spread like ripples from a dropped stone. The clan noticed the change, the way Ao'nung no longer lingered at gatherings with wandering eyes, his attention fixed solely on you. During a communal hunt preparation the next eve as warriors sharpened spears under the torchlight, he wove through the group to bring you a woven basket of fresh fruits, his hand brushing your lower back possessively as he leaned in.

"For you." He said, popping a ripe berry between your lips, his thumb lingering to wipe the juice from your chin, eyes locked on the way your mouth worked around it.

The gesture was affectionate and public drawing smirks from the others but he ignored them, focused on the spark in your eyes.

Tsireya watched from afar, her nod subtle, approval clear in her relaxed stance as she sees her brother finally making everything right for you.

That night back in the marui, the air hummed with the soft glow of lanterns, furs spread invitingly on the platform. He drew you down with him, bodies aligning in a tangle of limbs, his mouth finding yours in a kiss that started sweet and turned heated.

"You're softening to me." He observed between breaths, his hand slipping under your loincloth to cup your cunt gently, fingers tracing lazy circles over your folds without parting them, just enough pressure to make you squirm.

"Maybe I am." You admitted, voice breathy, calling him "nungie" again as you nipped at his lip, your leg hooking over his hip.

The lewd press of his erection against your thigh was insistent but he kept it teasing and with a drawn line, grinding slowly while his mouth explored your neck, sucking marks that bloomed like bruises of possession.

He proved it daily, to you in stolen touches that left you aching, to the clan in his unwavering focus, to his parents in quiet reports of your growing bond. Ronal's smile grew wider each time she saw you together, her hand often squeezing yours in passing, a silent affirmation.

And as the days stretched, your walls crumbled further which led to the very night he had been praying Eywa for.

The marui enveloped you in its hushed intimacy, the woven walls filtering the distant hum of the reef into a soothing lull. The lights casting a soft ethereal glow across the furs strewn over the sleeping platform, their light dancing on Ao'nung's teal skin as he knelt before you, his broad shoulders tense with a mix of reverence and barely leashed hunger.

Your heart pounded in your chest, a wild rhythm that echoed the waves outside, your wide hips shifting slightly as you sat cross-legged, the thin straps of your top straining against the swell of your breasts with each shallow breath.

His eyes, dark and intense, locked onto yours, the faint scar along his jaw catching the light, making his handsome features sharper and more commanding.

"Yawntu." He murmured, voice a low vibration that sent shivers racing down your spine, his large hand reaching for yours with a gentleness that contrasted the raw power in his frame. His fingers intertwined with yours, thumb tracing the delicate bones of your wrist. "Before anything... we bond. As Eywa wills it. I respect that. Your heart, your ways, your convictions."

There was a earnest plea in his tone, his gaze unwavering, the muscles in his neck flexing as he swallowed hard, the weight of the moment pressing on him like the ocean's depth.

You nodded, a flush warming your cheeks, your full lips parting on a soft exhale. The innocence that had shielded you for so long felt fragile now, cracking under the heat of his stare but trust bloomed in its place nurtured by his relentless courtship, the way he'd shadowed your days with touches that lingered just shy of demanding.

"Nungie." You whispered, the endearment slipping out like a secret, your free hand rising to brush your kuru, the neural tendrils within it quivering in anticipation. "Show me."

He leaned forward, his breath mingling with yours, the scent of salt and earth clinging to him like a second skin.

With deliberate care, he guided your kurus together, the pink tendrils uncoiling from their protective braids, seeking each other in the dim light. They met with a soft electric hum, connecting in a rush that stole your gasp, your body arching involuntarily as the bond snapped into place. Sensations flooded you, not just your own but his.

The fierce protectiveness that had taken root during those quiet mornings by the shore, the frustration of holding back when your laughter had first chipped at his guarded heart, the slow burn of desire that ignited fully in the marui nights, watching your hips sway as you moved. How he found you beautiful even way before the incident and how curiosity and fondness festered when he actually got to know you.

Memories cascaded through the link, vivid and unfiltered.

You saw Saraye's approach that fateful morning, her form pressing close muttering propositions and claims he rebuffed firmly, his mind already tangled in thoughts of you that day. The truth unfolded raw and undeniable, his encounters with her a fleeting accident as he was too determined to gather pretty shells and stones for you to apologize when she interrupted.

No lies, no hidden depths, just the stark honesty of a man remaking himself for one woman.

And then, the love.

It washed over you like a tidal surge, blooming from stolen glances during hunts, to the ache in his chest when you'd called him “nungie” again, to the all-consuming fire that now raged possessive and tender vowing to claim every part of you. You felt it in your bones, the depth of it mirroring the pull in your own soul, tears pricking your eyes as you clutched his hand tighter.

"It's real." You breathed voice trembling with awe, your supple curves pressing forward as you leaned into him, the bond amplifying the warmth pooling between your thighs.

Ao'nung's eyes darkened, a groan rumbling from his chest as the connection deepened, his free hand cupping your jaw, thumb sweeping over your lower lip. "All of it, yawntu. Every beat of my heart, yours now."

The bond thrummed with his arousal, a throbbing heat that matched the slick ache building in you but he held back, lips crashing against yours in a kiss that started fierce and melted into something soul-deep, tongues sliding in a rhythm that echoed the bond's pulse. When he finally pulled away, his breathing ragged, the air between you crackled with intent.

The tsaheylu held you linked, every sensation shared, heightening the anticipation as he eased you back onto the furs, his body following caging yours without crushing.

His hands roamed with purpose now, no longer teasing as his palms slid up your sides to tug at the ties of your top, freeing your breasts to the cool air. They spilled out full and heavy, nipples pebbling under his gaze and he wasted no time, mouth descending to latch onto one peak, sucking with a wet insistent pull that drew a keening moan from your throat.

"Nungie—oh." You gasped, fingers threading into his hair, the bond flooding you with his pleasure at the taste of you that’s salty-sweet on his tongue.

He lavished attention on your skin, teeth grazing just enough to sting then soothing with broad licks, his hips settling between your thighs, the hard ridge of his erection grinding against your core through the thin barrier of your loincloth. The friction was maddening, your hips bucking up instinctively chasing the pressure as wetness soaked the fabric.

He chuckled against your breast, the vibration sending sparks through you before trailing kisses lower, nipping at the soft curve of your belly, hands working to peel away your loincloth. It slid free, exposing the flesh of your folds, already glistening with need. Ao'nung's breath hitched, eyes devouring the sight, his cock twitching visibly against his own cloth, straining the ties.

"So beautiful." He rasped, voice thick with lust, fingers parting your thighs wider as his thumbs brushed the sensitive inner skin. "My innocent yawntu, all mine to ruin."

Through the bond, you felt his thrill. The primal satisfaction of being first, the only one to witness you like this bare and trembling. He dipped his head, nose nudging your clit before his tongue flicked out, lapping at your entrance with a slow deliberate stroke that made your back bow. The taste of you exploded on his senses and shared with you in a dizzying loop, his groans muffled as he delved deeper, tongue thrusting inside your tight heat curling to coax more of your essence.

You writhed legs quaking, the bond amplifying every swirl and every suck on your swollen nub until stars burst behind your eyelids.

"Please, ma muntxa. More." You begged voice breaking, your innocence fracturing under the onslaught of pleasure as your mind fogged with the sheer intensity.

He obliged, one finger joining his tongue, pressing past your virgin barrier with care, the stretch burning sweetly as he pumped slowly, scissoring to prepare you. The bond let you feel his restraint fraying, the way your walls clenched around him driving him wild and his pre-cum beading at his tip.

He rose then shedding his loincloth in a swift motion, his cock springing free as the flushed head leaked, curving slightly toward his taut abdomen. It was imposing, larger than you'd imagined in your shy fantasies and your eyes widened, a mix of awe and trepidation fluttering through the bond.

"This is for you, yawntu. Your first and last cock." Ao'nung's lips curved in a predatory smile, hand wrapping around the base, stroking once to ease the ache. "Gonna fill you so deep, make you take every inch."

Positioning himself at your entrance, he notched the tip against your folds, rubbing through the slickness to coat himself, the drag teasing your clit until you whimpered.

"Breathe for me." He instructed voice husky, leaning down to capture your mouth as he pushed forward.

The breach was slow, your tightness resisting then yielding with a pop that had you crying out into the kiss, nails digging into his biceps. Inch by inch, he sank in, the bond sharing the exquisite burn of your walls stretching around him, molding to his girth like they were made for it.

"Fuck so tight." He growled against your lips, hips stuttering as he bottomed out.

The bulge of his cock visible against your lower belly, a faint outline pressing upward. You felt full, impossibly so, every ridge and vein pulsing inside you, the bond echoing his ecstasy of the way your heat gripped him like a vice, milking him already. He stilled, forehead to yours, breaths mingling as he let you adjust, his hand splaying over the swell, his thumb pressing the bulge.

"Feel that? That's me, claiming you. My cock buried in your sweet little cunt."

Tears of overwhelmed sensation slipped down your temples but you nodded, hips shifting experimentally drawing a hiss from him.

"Move, Nungie. Please." You pleaded, voice dazed, the pleasure coiling tight in your core chasing the high he'd built with his mouth.

He did, pulling back almost to the tip before thrusting in deep, setting a rhythm that started measured, each slide dragging against your sensitive walls, the wet sounds of your joining filling the marui. The bond intensified it all, his building need, the slap of skin, the way your breasts bounced with each plunge.

You wrapped your legs around his waist, heels digging into his ass urging him deeper, your moans turning incoherent as he angled to hit that spot inside, sparks igniting with every grind.

"That's it, yawntu. Take me." He panted, pace quickening, one hand pinning your hip while the other teased your clit with circles matching his thrusts.

Sweat slicked your bodies, his tattoos gleaming as his muscles flexed, the scent of arousal heavy in the air. You felt yourself teetering, the bond pushing you over as your walls fluttered clenching in release, a gush of wetness coating him. He groaned riding it out, thrusts erratic as your orgasm milked him but he didn't stop, flipping you onto your stomach with a possessive growl.

"Not done." He murmured, voice rough with obsession, lifting your hips to enter from behind.

The new angle letting him go deeper, the bulge more pronounced as he rutted into you. His hand snaked around to rub your oversensitive nub, the other tangling in your hair to arch your back, exposing the kuru still linked. Through it, you felt his intent crystal clear, the drive to breed, to flood you with his seed and make it take root.

"Gonna fill this pussy, make you swell with my child. Make you a mama carrying our future."

The words sent a fresh wave of heat through you, your body responding despite the ache, pushing back to meet his hips, the lewd squelch of your combined fluids spurring him on. He pounded harder, balls slapping against your clit, the bond a torrent of his love twisted with feral need. It was nasty and unyielding, pouring into every snap of his hips. You came again vision blurring, mind going blissfully blank, cockdumb and lost in the stretch and the fullness as you mewled his name like a prayer.

Ao'nung followed with a growl, burying deep as he spilled hot pulses painting your walls, the bond letting you feel the rush of his release, the satisfaction of marking you inside out. He collapsed over you still joined, cock twitching with aftershocks, but even as he softened slightly, he rocked gently, ensuring every drop stayed buried.

"Mine." He breathed into your neck, kissing the bite he'd left earlier as his hand cradled your belly. "We'll do this again. Tonight, tomorrow, every day. Until it takes."

You hummed, sated and boneless, turning your head for a lazy kiss, the bond humming with shared contentment. He pulled out slowly after a time, only to flip you back, sliding in once more, already hardening at the sight of your flushed form and the cum leaking from your abused entrance.

The second round built slower, his thrusts languid, drawing out gasps as he worshipped your body anew with kisses to your throat, fingers pinching nipples, whispering filthy promises of the family you'd build.

By the third, you were a wreck of whimpers, riding him atop, hips grinding as he bucked up, the bulge reforming with each deep seat, his hands guiding your wide hips, thumbs digging into the soft flesh.

Hours blurred, the marui filled with your shared cries, the bond sealing not just your souls but your fates as his seed took hold in the fertile ground of your innocence, corrupted and cherished in equal measure.

Soon, sunlight filtered through the woven panels of the marui, casting golden flecks across the furs where you lay tangled with Ao'nung, your bodies still humming from the night's fervor.

Your skin tingled with a newfound warmth, a subtle ache between your thighs a reminder of his thorough claiming and as you stirred, a soft glow seemed to radiate from within, your cheeks flushed with contentment.

He was already awake, propped on one elbow, his tattooed arm draped possessively over your waist, fingers tracing lazy patterns along the curve of your hip. His eyes, usually sharp with command, softened as they roamed your face, drinking in the way your lashes fluttered open and your full lips curving into a sleepy smile.

"Yawntu." He whispered, voice rough from sleep but laced with unbridled joy, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to your forehead then your nose, then the corner of your mouth.

He was insatiable in his affection, nuzzling into the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent mingled with his own. A heady mix that made his chest rumble with satisfaction.

"My mate. Officially, irrevocably mine."

The words carried a triumphant edge, his broad frame shifting to pull you flush against him, the hard planes of his chest pressing into your softer form, his leg hooking over yours to keep you close.

You giggled, the sound light and bubbling up as his hands wandered with tender care, one cupping your breast gently, thumb brushing the sensitive peak until it hardened under his touch.

"Nungie." You murmured squirming playfully, your wide hips shifting against him, feeling the familiar stir of his arousal but basking in the simple intimacy.

He chuckled low and warm, moving to fetch a damp cloth from the basin nearby insisting on tending to you himself as he wiped away the remnants of your shared passion with slow reverent strokes that made your breath hitch.

"Let me." He insisted softly, his gaze locking onto yours with that intense devotion, the tattoos along his shoulders flexing as he worked.

He was happy, truly. Lines of tension smoothed from his forehead, a genuine smile tugging at his lips as he watched your reactions, your giggles filling the space like music. When he finished, he gathered you into his lap, feeding you bites of fresh fruit from the woven basket, his free hand stroking your kuru.

But as the morning deepened, reality tugged at you.

"I have to help Tsireya with something." You said reluctantly, trying to extricate yourself from his hold, your voice tinged with apology.

His arms tightened immediately, a dramatic whine escaping his throat. This towering inked warrior all muscle and scars pouting like a child denied a treat.

"No." He groaned burying his face in your hair, his breath warm against your scalp. "Stay. We just... bonded. I don't want to let you go, not even for a moment."

His voice cracked with mock despair but the clinginess was real, his hands roaming your back in pleading circles, pulling you closer until your breasts pressed against his chest.

You laughed, the sound turning into more giggles as you cupped his face, thumbs tracing the strong line of his jaw. "Nungie, come on. It's just a few hours. You'll survive."

But he shook his head stubbornly, nipping at your earlobe, his teeth grazing just enough to send a shiver down your spine.

"Cruel, yawntu. Leaving your mate so soon after making him the happiest man in the clan." His eyes sparkled with mischief but there was a vulnerable undercurrent, the reluctance of distance after so much closeness.

You pouted up at him, lips pursing in that way you knew melted him, your eyes wide and pleading. "Please? For me?"

He held out for a heartbeat longer, jaw clenching then sighed dramatically, relenting with a grumbled curse under his breath.

"Fine. But I'm walking you there."

He stood pulling you up with him, his hands lingering on your waist as he helped you dress. Tying your loincloth with deliberate slowness, his fingers brushing the sensitive skin of your inner thighs drawing a fresh flush to your cheeks.

The path to the family marui wound through the village, the air alive with the calls of ilu and the chatter of early risers.

Ao'nung kept you tucked against his side, arm around your shoulders, his thumb stroking your arm in absent affection. But as you approached, his expression soured into a frown, forehead knitting when Tsireya spotted you from the entrance, her face lighting up with a knowing grin.

"Tsireya!" You called waving but Ao'nung's grip tightened fractionally, his steps slowing.

She laughed outright, the sound bright and teasing, leaning against the woven frame.

"Look at you two. And you—" She pointed at her brother, eyes dancing. "Frowning like a sulking pup. What's wrong, brother? Can't bear to share her?"

He scowled deeper, crossing his arms over his broad chest, the tattoos shifting with the flex of his muscles. "Shut up, Reya."

But there was no real heat in it, just the playful bickering of siblings.

Tsireya turned to you then, her gaze softening as she took in your appearance. The subtle shine to your skin, the relaxed curve of your smile, the way you carried yourself with a newfound ease.

"You look glowing, (Y/N). Truly radiant." Her voice held genuine warmth, a hint of relief threading through.

Ao'nung's frown lifted into a smug smirk, his chest puffing slightly as he shot her a triumphant glance.

Yes, my cock did that.

He thought, the satisfaction blooming in his chest though he kept it to himself, instead pulling you closer with a possessive hand on your hip.

You swatted at his arm lightly, cheeks warming under the attention. "Go on, Nungie. Shoo. I need girl time with Tsireya."

But he planted his feet shaking his head, his expression turning mulish.

"No. I'm staying." His tone brooked no argument, eyes fixed on you with that unyielding intensity, the broad span of his shoulders blocking the path as if daring anyone to challenge him.

Tsireya snorted, rolling her eyes skyward. "Stubborn as ever. Come on, then. Help or not but don't be a headache Ao’nung."

Inside the marui, the air smelled of herbs and sea salt, mats spread with half-mended nets and beads scattered for weaving.

You settled cross-legged on the floor, Tsireya beside you, passing over a bundle of fibers to start on.

Ao'nung followed dropping down behind you with a huff, his legs bracketing yours, arms encircling your waist to draw you back against his chest. His chin rested on your shoulder, breath fanning your neck as you began chatting, your fingers deftly twisting the materials.

Tsireya watched the pair of you for a moment then shook her head with an exasperated laugh. "You're so clingy, Ao'nung. You do not have to be here, you know? We can handle mending without your brooding presence."

He smirked against your skin, lips brushing your ear in a way that made you shiver, his hold tightening just enough to emphasize his point.

"That's what mates do, right? Stay close. Protect what's mine." His voice was low and teasing but the words carried a deeper truth, the warmth of his body seeping into yours, making it hard to focus on the task.

You could only giggle leaning into him despite yourself, the vibration of his chuckle rumbling through you as Tsireya launched into another retort.

"Protect? From what, loose threads? You're ridiculous." She flicked a bead at him but her eyes sparkled with amusement, the sibling squabble light-hearted, pulling more laughter from you as you mediated with playful nudges.

From the doorway, a distance away, Ronal leaned against the frame, her arms crossed loosely, a soft smile curving her lips as she observed the scene. The three of you, her children and the woman who'd become like a daughter, bickering and laughing, the marui filled with a harmony she'd long hoped for.

Riki'ea.

She thought, her gaze lingering on you with quiet affection.

I hope you're seeing this. Your daughter is truly happy now.

The words were a silent prayer to her best friend and her husband, her heart swelling at the sight of your joy, that selective amnesia started the bond that had finally woven you and Ao’nung together.