Note: This is a family fluff slice of life + continuation of the last slice of life storyline.
~
Despite the seemingly permanent scowl on his face, Jxo sat back contentedly as he sipped on his first cup of brewed coffee, observing the chaos before him.
He gave an appreciative hum at the taste of the bitter concoction he'd grown to love over the years- grateful that the humans were able to find a way to grow the beans in the plenty's. Ever since Jake Sully had introduced him to the odd beverage, Jxo had had a cup or two every morning before starting his day.
And today was no exception.
The tent was loud, and chaotic... Just the way his mate liked it.
This was Salveen's joy.
Jxo however, took another sip.
He needed it...
"Ow! Sa'nok! She's attacking me again!"
"S'rayi, stop hitting your brother!" D'avi scolded, taking away the large, wooden spoon from the two year old. "And Js'avi, stop letting your little sister bully you!"
As if her world was ending, S'rayi screeched in displeasure at having the spoon confiscated. She was seconds away from a full blown tantrum, but YalnĂŻk was quick to scoop her into his lap to distract her.
"Grandmother!" L'eya yelled from somewhere behind one of the privacy screens. "My favourite tewng has a tear in it!"
"Oh dear!" Sal responded a little distractedly. "I am sure it can be fixed, darling!" She dished out a steaming batch of mashed grain. "Boys! Boys!" she chided at the greedy younglings who outstretched their hands and snagged themselves a bowl each. "Careful, careful it's very hot."
L'eo and Zyden didn't seem to care about the temperature. They spooned mouthfuls of the nectar sweetened grain as if they hadn't eaten in days.
Poor Js'avi however, tried to follow the older boys, and burnt his tongue in the process. He yelped loudly and turned to his father for help, frantically huffing and pointing at his mouth.
"Js'av, we've been over this, son," YalnĂŻk said, failing to hide his amusement as he quickly handed the boy a waterskin.
"But they did it too!"
"I know. And if they leaped off the Hallelujah Mountains, would you go jumping too?"
The nine year old's nose wrinkled. "No. That would just be stupid."
"Exactly."
"Grandmother!" A fine voice yelled again. "Can you come mend it for me, please?"
"L'eya! Just put on another one for today!" D'avi called. She skillfully poured plant milk into each wooden cup around the cramped table while holding a very put out Nkio on her hip. The grumpy six month old had just woken up and was not so patiently waiting to be nursed.
"I can't! It has to be this one!"
"L'eya! Get out here and have your breakfast! I'm not going to say it again!"
"Ugh! Sa'nok!"
"YalnĂŻk, do you see what I am talking about? There she goes again with the attitude." D'avi reached around him to pour another cup. "I have no idea where she gets it from."
Jxo's lip twitched at the sight of his son-in-law's face. Thankfully the idiot was smart enough to bite his tongue and avoid eye contact with his feisty mate. That was something not worth risking a man's life to answer.
"She gets it from you, dear," Salveen answered frankly, however.
"Sa'nok!" D'avi exclaimed like L'eya had a mere seconds ago. "If anything she gets it from you!"
Sensing one of her sister's and mother's famous matches brewing, Xi was quick to intervene between the two. "Or, maybe it's an age thing," she suggested from where she was crouched, peeling and slicing fruit.
"I was never like that at that age," D'avi denied.
"Ha!" Salveen laughed in sarcasm.
Whilst the adults continued with their back and forth, L'eo and Zyden snickered between themselves.
"I bet 'Eya just wants to look perfect for Nalshum," L'eo taunted.
"Oh, definitely. They're so gross."
"Who's Nalshum?" Hälja's soft, raspy voice inquired when she overheard them. The five year old happily accepted her bowl of mashed grain that her grandmother had blown on to cool down with a quiet, "thank you" then stared at her brother L'eo expectantly.
Zyden elbowed his cousin with a shake of his head. "I don't think you should say, bro," he cautioned. "L'eya will kill you... and me by extension."
L'eo agreed. "You're too young to understand, baby sis."
"But I wanna know who Nalshum is!" In her eagerness to lean forward, Hälja accidentally jostled Hysik who was seated on her right. Almost half his cup of milk spilled right down his chest when it slipped from his fingers.
"Oops! Sorry, Hys!"
Panicked, Hysik frowned and worriedly looked up, calling for his mama.
"Nalshum is L'eya's boyfriend," Js'avi announced out loud from the other end of the table when his little sister asked him instead.Â
L'eya emerged from the room, brows narrowed and mouth pursed in annoyance. "Shut up, Js'avi!"
"Don't tell me to shut up! You, shut up!"
"He's not my boyfriend!"
Peering into his almost empty cup, Jxo internally sighed. It was far too early for him to be thinking about the best strategies to threaten a pre-teen boy. He watched his granddaughter plant her hands on her hips and give another sassy comeback. If he didn't already know that was his granddaughter standing there, he'd have sworn it was his little D'avi. Fierce and bossy just like his daughter was at that age.
"I sorry mama," Hysik frowned as Xilä dabbed away his mess. "It was a naccident."
Xi kissed his chubby cheeks and tickled his tummy, making him giggle. "Aw. It's okay, baby."
"He is too!" Js'avi yelled over everyone else's conversations in the room. "I saw you holding his hand! And I even saw when your face got all purple when he called you pretty!"
YalnĂŻk's head snapped up from where he was spooning mashed grain into S'rayi's mouth. Admittedly, he hadn't been paying an ounce of attention before. Over the years, he'd grown accustomed to tuning out the constant noise of his children. "Holding whose hand? L'eya you're too young for boys."
"Jxo, dear," Sal called, pulling his attention away from the chaos. "Seconds?"
Jxo grunted in acceptance, leaning into the kiss his mate pressed to his jaw. She poured him a second cup of goodness- seemingly oblivious to the rowdy commotion around her, then hurried away to finish chopping the rest of fruit Xi had been working on.
"But Sempul! I'm twel- Js'avi!" L'eya zeroed in on her brother when she caught him making faces at her behind their father's back. "You're such a sneak! And why would you even tell everyone?"
"Cause you snitched on me first yesterday!"
"Because you ate all of the sari cakes we were supposed to share and blamed it on Nkio!"
"He did eat it!"
"He only has one tooth, you skxawng!"
Zyden, who by now had zoned out his cousins' squabble, mindlessly brushed away the annoying strands of hair that fell in his face. He reached for the little clay pot that always sat on the center of the table, and began to add thick globs of nectar to his breakfast.
"Okay, so we just have to ask my grandpa Jake now," he whispered to L'eo.
L'eo nodded as he chewed. "You think he'll actually say yes? It took us ages to convince our parents."
"Course! Well- hopefully. My Grandpa always keeps his word."
L'eo grinned. As pleased as a twelve year old could be. "I can't wait to finally see Awa'atlu- well from since I was a baby. Everyone in our class will be so jealous I got to go with you."
"Zyden Sully, that's enough nectar," his mother called from across the room.
Zyden gave her a cheeky smile, and slowly pushed the pot back where he got it. Then he turned back to his cousin.
"Even better is the time of year we're going. You'll get to see the tulkuns... Sucks that we have to wait until the end of the year to go though."
L'eo blew out a breath of air, nodding in agreement.
"I hate you!"
"Well I hate you more, stupid!"
"L'eya! Js'avi! Enough already!"
"But Sa'nok-"
"No. You're both behaving worse than the toddlers in this room right now. Give each other a hug, then sit down and eat."
Knowing that their mother meant business this time, the two begrudgingly gave each other a half-assed hug, then slumped to their respective seats.
"Thank y- Ow! Fu-" D'avi bit her tongue when she stepped on a little wooden toy. Milk from the clay jug in her hand spilled all down her legs and tewng in the process.
And of course, Nkio chose that exact moment to burst into tears. He fussily tugged at the beads of his mother's top while his tiny tail flickered in fury.
She looked at her mate. "'NĂŻk-"
"I got him, D'av."
YalnĂŻk stood and pulled the crying babe into his arms while his wife zipped away to clean herself up. Nkio's face had gone purple as angry tears rolled down his face. He sure had a set of lungs on him.
Shaking his head disappointedly, YalnĂŻk turned to the two troublemakers to give them a somewhat calm, but no less meaningful rebuke.
Silently feeling abandoned now, S'rayi began to sob, but before either grandparent or her father could register the sound, Xi was quick to soothe the toddler.
Balanced expertly on her hip, Xi handed S'rayi a piece of fruit that thankfully cheered her right up. Then, despite Nkio's wailing and all the other conversations and noises in the tent, Xi began to hum as she walked around to help Sal share out seconds.
Meanwhile, frowning at his cousin in his mother's arms, Hysik followed behind every step his mama took. He gripped her tail as if needing comfort, not at all happy.
"Mooom," Zyden drawled exasperatedly when he looked up at her. "Dad said you're not supposed to strain yourself."
Sal chuckled at her grandson's bossy tone.
"I'm not!"
Zyden gave his mother a pointed look that so reminded her of his father.
She missed him.
Her boys missed him, and the baby in her belly missed him.
"Mom, please." In a flash, he was in front of her. He took the bowl of berries she'd been passing around and told L'eo to hand them out, then easily plucked S'rayi from her arms. "You should sit and eat, ma."
"Zyden-"
He didn't bat an eye when the two year old in his arms tried to stick a tiny finger in his nose. Gently pulling her arm away, he shook his head firmly at his mother. "Dad said I get to be in charge if you're being stubborn about taking care of yourself. Remember?"
Xilä huffed good heartedly. "Fine, you win this time."
"Thanks, ma," he smiled, putting down a squirmy S'rayi.
His mother kissed his forehead, then did as told. And Hysik speedily plonked himself into her lap within seconds, eyeing S'rayi untrusting-like, as though she'd come to steal his mama away from him again.
"Alright!" Freshly changed, D'avi whipped out from her and her mate's room. "Hand me the crying baby."
The moment Nkio began to nurse, the tent went quiet.
With everyone now seated and served. Only the sounds of sips and slurps and chewing were heard.
That wonderful sound of quiet was Jxo's favorite. He watched his mate seated at the far end of the table. She glowed beautifully, completely in her element as a doting grandmother.
Salveen had S'rayi in her lap as she ate. Hälja was cuddled into her side and with Zyden seated on her right, she kept adding pieces of fruit in his bowl.
And when she caught his eye, and beamed so brightly at him, Jxo couldn't help smiling too.
~
Jake Sully could be an imposing man- this Xilä knew all too well.
When she had first met him, he terrified her just from the sight of his height and wide frame alone. However, being mated to his son, allowed for her to see a side of him most people would likely never see.
From her lounged position in the Sully family's main room, Xilä watched Jake pace the length of the kitchenette.
He should have been imposing right now- given his clear anger. His face was warped in frustration as he told whoever it was on the line of his comms device that "that man is a motherfu- he's a stupid ass idiot if he didn't think he'd be found out!"
But, him having little Hysik tucked asleep on his shoulder, made Xi see that side of Jake few had the privilege to see. She tried not to laugh at his restraint- and failure of using swear words around her boys. She appreciated it nonetheless.
"What happened now?" Xi asked curiously, turning to Neytiri for answers.
The Olo'eykte sighed as she ran her fingers through Zyden's locs. His head was perched on her lap while he and Tuk played a traditional omaticaya game children usually did.
"Dad and Gwyle did one of their spontaneous walkthroughs- this time near the western communities and found out that some schmuck with a title has been smuggling goods from our shipments," Kiri explained. "Someone else got blamed for it last week... got a punishment and everything. And of course dad feels terrible about it."
"Oh."
When Jake returned, he was far more calmer. He was no longer Olo'eyktan. He was; father- husband-Â grandpa.
An over-sleepy Hys momentarily rose from his nap- no longer lulled by his grandfather's pacing. He spotted his mother and reached out for her with a fussy whine, but Kiri intervened.
"Nu-uh. Aunt Kiri deserves some snuggles now," she cooed, adjusting the sleepy toddler in her arms.
At the sight, Neytiri mumbled something grumpily that had Kiri rolling her eyes.
"Mother. You have three grandchildren- two of which are in this room, and another already on the way," she sassed, jerking her head at Xi's pregnant belly.
Tuk snorted. "Is she bitching at you again to get knocked up?"
"Language!"Â Jake and Neytiri hissed, but the teenager merely rolled her eyes in response, making Zyden giggle.
She leaned forward to whisper so only he could hear. "I bet you before the night is up, your grandma is gonna tell me how much of a bad influence I am to you, Z."
"She's being greedy is what she is," Kiri muttered.
"I am not! Can't a mother just want her daughter to be happy?"
"Who says I'm not? Tasam and I are very happy, thank you very much. If it is Eywa's will and when we're ready to have a baby, we will. That's it- end of story."
The tent was silent for almost a full solid minute before Neytiri mumbled, "A baby brings even greater joy. Look at your brothers-"
"Ugh! I can't! Dad, will you reign in your wife?"
"Nope. I learned that lesson years ago. Sorry, kiddo."
Xilä laughed. Then joined by Tuk, Jake and Zyden, as tears rolled down her cheeks. The Sully family, though nowhere near chaotic as her own, never ceased to make her happy.
While the women continued to speak amongst themselves, Jake and Zyden moved the game pieces around to set up a new game.
Zyden tugged his pointed ear and Jake was instantly reminded of his son. Neteyam did the same thing since he could remember. He stayed silent as they played, giving his grandson the opportunity to bring up whatever was making him nervous.
In their second round, Zyden finally spoke. "Hey, grandpa?"
"Yeah, bud?" Jake answered easily as he knocked off one of Zyden's pieces.
"You remember how I told you L'eo's technically never been to Awa'atlu before? Since he was just a baby when he did?"
"Mhm."
"And well, you said he could go with us only if we did what you told us to do?"
Jake smirked. "You did them all already?"
"Yes, sir we did." Zyden sat up- tugging on his ear again. "Both our parents said yes. We've been practicing our breathing and swimming too. L'eo can hold his breath a whole ten minutes now."
"Hm," Jake hummed, impressed- not just at L'eo's breath holding, but at the expert move Zyden had just played, wiping three of his pieces off the board.
"We also use the c'puters at the labs every other week to have lessons with aunt Tsiyera who's been teaching us the hand signs."
Jake cocked his head. "And what about that promise? No stupid shenanigans?"
Watching Zyden and L'eo together was like watching an incoming storm, and stupidly waiting for it to hit.
Zyden nodded vigorously. "We'll be on our best behavior. No shenanigans."
"Well alright then. He can go."
Zyden's head snapped up- moon colored eyes wide as his tail gave away his oncoming excitement. "Really? Like really really?"
"Really, really," Jake confirmed.
Instantly, the ten year old tackled his grandfather into a hug.
~
Later that night, when the boys were both in bed. The five of them remained in the Sully's main room, talking about everything and nothing.
"How's the little one doing in there?" Tuk asked, rubbing the small bump Xi sported.
"Quiet." Xi ran her palms along her sides, hoping to feel a flutter. "Since 'Teyam's been gone, the baby's been very quiet."
"Probably misses him," the teenager mused.
It had been four weeks since Neteyam left for the Wetlands, but it felt like an eternity to Xilä.
She had more than enough support from their families. But, she missed her husband. Her sleep was poor and her spirit was restless... She wondered if he felt it too.
"Did you hear from him today?" Xi asked her father-in-law. "He didn't answer any of my private calls when I visited the labs again."
Jake shook his head. "Communication lines so far out there have been tough to get through to. I'm sure he'll reach out when he can."
"Sucks. I can't reach Tasam either," Kiri sighed.
Xi's heart sank. She nodded anyway.
Not having heard from her husband in the last three days had her worried. They'd both promised to speak at least once every day.
Sensing her emotions, Neytiri squeezed her hand in comfort and Tuk hugged her side.
~
The Sully's had more than enough space for them to stay. Zyden and Hysik shared Lo'ak's old room, while Xi had Neteyam's old room to herself.
Most nights, when it was near impossible for her to fall asleep, she snuck in and cuddled up with Hys on his cot. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was better than sleeping alone.
Tonight was no different however. She tossed from one side of her pile of furs, to the other, but no amount of meditations or words to Eywa helped either.
Feeling unsettled, she crept out of bed and made her way towards the boys' room. She stared at their sleeping forms for a moment, finding peace that they were safe and sound.
Maybe she could try and sleep now.
When she turned to leave however, a shadow startled her. Her gasp was cut off by a warm palm, and then a swift, familiar press of lips.
A kiss.
"Shhh, sorry. I was trying so hard not to scare you."
Xilä blinked up at the smiling man before her. "Neteyam?"
"You should be sleeping, baby. It's late," he whispered, sliding his hand along the side of her belly bump. "Give me one second."
Stunned, Xi watched him slip away and creep towards Zyden's sprawled form.
Neteyam kissed the crown of his head, murmuring words Xi couldn't make out. Her eyes stung with tears as he made his way over to do the same to little Hys.
He was here.
He was home.
When he stood tall and made his way over to her, he gave a soft, tired smile. Pecking her lips once more, he took her hand and led her back to his old room.
The second they were within privacy, a smile tugged at her lips, and she was asking, "Are you real?"
He framed her face with both hands, slowly walking her backwards. He greedily drank in her features, unable to help pressing two quick kisses to her lovely mouth. "Very, very real, sweetheart."
"I don't understand." She squeezed his wrists. "Is everything okay? I thought you weren't returning until-"
"Everything is fine," he promised.
Xilä sniffled. "I missed you."
"Missed you more," he said with a boyish smile. He swiped away her tears. "Sweetheart," he crooned.
"Stupid hormones," she croaked, making them both laugh.
Feeling too distant, despite their closeness, Neteyam bent and lifted her high up his torso. Legs wrapped around his back, Xi leaned down and kissed him soundly- her shoulder-length hair curtaining their faces.
With one arm secured beneath her butt, the other trailed up her spin- palm cupping her nape and thumb swiping along her pulse.
For her, his lips felt like home and suddenly Xi felt like she could breathe again- as if he was her missing breath.
"Mmm. I missed this," he murmured, laying her on the pile of furs, and following closely. He hovered over her, trailing a large palm along her outer thigh, up towards her stomach.
Leaning down, Neteyam kissed Xi's bump. "Hi, little one. Don't worry, I didn't forget about you."
Xilä inhaled, feeling a flutter inside her. "It's like she was just waiting for you to come home."
Her husband stared at her. "She?"
"I think I agree with you. Feels like a girl," she shrugged, fiddling with his hair. She couldn't stop touching him- eyes never leaving him for a second either.
He was here. With her.
"I thought I told you to stay just the way you were until I got back?" he scolded her little tummy. Then at Xi he grinned. "You've popped, baby... I can't wait to feel a kick."
"Too soon she'll be kicking away at my poor bladder too."
He kissed her stomach again.
"Are you back for good?" she couldn't help asking. To her disappointment however, he shook his head.
"So much has happened at Hulanta. I left Tasam in charge for a while but I'll probably- most likely depending on what dad says after I give my update... I'll be needed back." He hesitated. "Maybe even for a couple of months. Two, possibly three."
Unable to hide her reaction, Xilä shifted onto her elbows. "Months?"
Xi knew she'd pushed her husband to go on the trip in the first place but that had been for a single month. And look what that alone had done to her.
Months on the other hand. No. There was no way she could do months without her mate again.
Neteyam grimaced. Propped by his forearms on either side of her, he traced patterns against her skin.
"This isn't just about some aircrafts, is it?"
"No... Norm discovered a rare element at Hulanta. There's tons of it all over a rural patch of land there. He thinks it can be harvested and used to create advanced technology. That means more fuel for aircrafts, and so much more for our world's development. I've been dealing with the negotiations and possible trade deals... But there's a lot unfinished."
Xilä worried her bottom lip. This was big for her husband. So she told him as much.
"'Teyam, this is huge for you."
He finally grinned. "I know. I think dad will be pleased with what I've done so far. It all looks really promising."
She swallowed. "When do you have to return?"
His smile faded slightly. "Once dad and Gweyle agree I should continue to head this thing, a week maybe? It should give me the time to spend with you and the kids while Max organizes a research team to take back with me."
"The boys and I are coming with you then," she decided immediately.
And Neteyam wholeheartedly agreed, but... He parted his lips to respond, and unable to find the right words, he shut them together.
"What?" she frowned at his lack of agreement. "Do you not want us to come?"
"No," he said firmly. "I do. I don't- I can't do two months without you again, Xi."
"Okay," she replied, relieved that they agreed about that point. "But there's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"
He hummed in confirmation. How in Eywa's name could he tell her about that woman?
"I-" Pausing, he crawled up her body to lay beside her instead.
Xi moved with him, turning towards him as he curled an arm around her waist to bring her closer.
"I don't know how to tell you what I have to tell you, baby," he admitted, words soft and saddened.
Xi's frown depended for a moment as she studied her husband's troubled face. "Is it something bad?"
"Depends. But yeah, I think so."
"Then don't tell me yet."
Now it was his turn to be confused. "No?"
She cupped his cheek and hooked a leg over his thigh. "No... Tell me everything good about your trip, and hold me all night, tonight. Tomorrow, you can spend the day with the boys and I and then... then after you've caught up with all our friends and family- and after your meetings... then you can tell me whatever it is."
Neteyam cracked a smile. "Have I ever told you I love you?"
"As of the last three communication-less days? No, you haven't."
He groaned playfully whilst rolling them. Being careful of her bump, he fit between her thighs, and peppered her with apologetic kisses.
Xilä giggled as murmurs of I'm sorry and please forgive me, travelled down her neck with each press of his lips.
And when his lips and tongue found hers to give her exactly what she missed, she sighed happily as she kissed him right back.
~
So much for posting this on the weekend, but better late than never đŹ
At this point I think I have a problem of overwriting. This got too long and did not go the direction I was expecting.
Anywho, as always, lemme know what you think loves.đ
Summery: Pressured by his parents to enter a formal courtship, Aonung rebels in his own way and what starts as a ruse, turns into something real.Â
Note before reading: This is a spin off of my Safe Haven Series.
Reading Safe Haven is not necessary to follow this story.
Some characters have been aged up. Aonung in particular is 25.
Ayelýn is my own creation. *Pronounced Aye-Lin
Warning!! Smut at the end.
WAIT! This part has a tag that contains spoilers. Please scroll to the A/N to read the tag if certain topics may affect you. (still learning about these tag rules)
~
Part 7 - When They Epilogued
A salt scented breeze drifted through the marui, carrying with it the sounds of crashing waves, and in the distance, low rumbles of thunder.Â
Kaii crossed his arms as he stared past the expanse of perfect blue skies, to the dark mass of clouds looming on the far horizon. Ominous and outright annoying, really. Heâd been hoping the TsahĂŹkâs prediction wouldnât have been true.Â
He cursed.Â
âLanguage!â his sister yelled from somewhere behind him.Â
âLĂ˝n, do you not see the storm thatâs coming? I was supposed to go spearfishing with Aonung today!â
âWho says youâre not still going?â Aonung asked, coming from behind the privacy partition of his room.Â
Kaii brightened. âReally?â he exclaimed, the same time his sister gave a firm, âNo.â The teenager looked between LĂ˝n who was seated on the floor as she fixed her hair, to Aonung who fiddled with the sharpening kit in his hands. Â
âAonung.â LĂ˝n tossed her completed braid over her shoulder. âItâs going to storm.â
âGood. He needs to practice in different weather conditions.â
âItâs not safe!â
âHeâll be with me.â
âI donât even want you going out there. And I think heâs too young.â
âIâm thirteen!â
âExactly! Thirteen,â LĂ˝n echoed as she got to her feet.Â
âWhy do you always do this? You do know youâre not saânok, right?â Kaii spat. âIâm a man now. Youâre not in charge of me!â
âWhen you come to visit me here, in my home, I am in charge of you!â
âKaiiff.â Aonung didnât yell, but his voice was strong and firm. âCome here.â Â
Head bowed low like a chided child, the young boy walked over.Â
âI donât ever want to hear you talk to your sister like that again. Understood?â
âIâm sorry.â
âNot to me you should be saying that.â
âIâm sorry, LĂ˝n,â he mumbled, giving her a sincere hug. âI really am.â
She patted his back, marveled at the fact that at only thirteen, he was already almost past her height. âItâs fine.â
âItâs not,â Aonung disagreed. âHere, Kaii,â he handed him the wrapped kit and clapped his shoulder. âTake the rest of the gear down to the beach for me, would you?âÂ
âYeah, sure.â The teenager frowned, but he was more than happy to leave. He didnât want to stick around and watch Aonung fold. The man did whatever his sister wanted anyway.Â
LĂ˝n groaned into the palm of her hands as soon as he disappeared. âHeâs right. Iâm turning into my mother, aren't I?â
Strong, comforting arms wrapped around her. âMaybe a little,â her mate teased, trying to ease the tension. He yelped when she pinched his side.Â
âYou werenât supposed to agree with me.â
Sliding a palm behind her neck, he ducked his head and kissed her. A soft sigh escaped her lips when he eventually drew away.Â
âI donât agree with you, gorgeous.â
âGood...â LĂ˝n clicked her tongue. âBut, you still want him to go, donât you?â
âSweetheart-â
âYour mother confirmed that we will have three days of bad weather! You know what the seas would be like. I donât see why Kaii canât wait a few days.â
âAyelĂ˝n, in two years Kaii is going to complete his rites. He needs to advance his learning from now. I know you think itâs dangerous taking him out there- and I wonât if you tell me no⌠but eventually I will. He asked me to mentor him and your parents approved. That is what I am doing.â Â
AyelĂ˝n frowned. Dammit. He was right.Â
âBesides. In a year and some heâs going to be living here with us when his official training begins.â Aonung made a face. âThough I'm not looking forward to him and Khalhan being on my training team together. Theyâre probably going to drive me mad.âÂ
Yet another truthâŚÂ
âHeâs my baby brother. I worry.â
âGorgeous, heâs not a baby anymore. It is our way of life, LĂ˝n. I need you to trust me. Iâve got him⌠It is time to start letting go. Heâll be a man soon.â
AyelĂ˝n groaned into his chest. âFine⌠He can go.â
They both pulled apart when they heard a muffled, âYes!â
âKaiiff,â Aonungâs gruff voice called, more amused this time.Â
Sheepishly, the teenager ambled in. âSorry.â He couldnât contain his grin. Â
LĂ˝n and Aonung were doing terrible jobs of hiding their own as well.Â
But schooling his features, Aonung folded his arms. âBefore we go, have you completed all of your chores?â
âYep.â
âDid you roll up your sleeping mats?â
âI did.âÂ
âCleaned your teeth?â
âMhm.â
âWhat about the waste?â
Kaii paused. âI forgot about that.â
âOff with it then.â Aonung nudged his jaw in the direction of the basket that held food scraps. âAfter, you head back down to the beach, check over your iluâs harness and sharpen your spear. We head out soon.â
âYes, sir.â Boxy smile stretched across his face, Kaii grabbed up the basket and bounced out of the tent.Â
AyelĂ˝n bit her lip as she pressed up onto her toes and looped her arms over Aonungâs broad shoulders. âYouâre so good with him,â she mused.Â
âHeâs a good kid.â
âAnd Khalhan.â
Aonung arched his brow.
âYouâre mush when it comes to Zyden and little baby Liâwani too.â LĂ˝nâs hormones went crazy whenever her husband held Loâak and Tsireyaâs baby girl.Â
He smirked. âWhat do you want, gorgeous?â
She cocked her head to the side, pretending she didnât know what she was doing. âWhy do you do that? Iâm just-â she shrugged, âcomplimenting you.âÂ
âUh-huh⌠This is the exact conversation we had the last time you asked me to put a baby in you.â He gripped her hips and lowered his head so his lips grazed hers. âBut I already did that, didnât I?â
His palm left her hip and pressed against her stomach that only had a hint of bump- the tiniest little pouch.Â
AyelĂ˝n lowered to her heels and rested a hand over his. Pure happiness washed over her. She was going to start showing soon; some of her tewngs were already starting to feel a tad tight around the waist.Â
Pecking his lips, she hummed contentedly. âI do mean it, you know. Youâre going to be an amazing father, Aonung.â
His face softened. âI hope so.âÂ
LĂ˝n liked to remind her mate of this at any chance she got. She knew he had his own internal fears about being a father. Tonowari, as great a man he was, heâd been hard on Aonung as a child, and Aonung worried that heâd be the same.Â
But AyelĂ˝n had no doubt in her mind that her husband would love and protect their children fiercely.Â
~
âHe is so bossy now too!âÂ
Xilä hid her smile. âHasnât he always been?â
âYes but now itâs worse. Itâs- Donât lift that! Donât go there! Eating too much nectar isnât healthy for the baby! Bah!â AyelĂ˝n scrubbed harder, as though pouring her frustration into the cloth in her hands. âAnd⌠Itâs not only my nectar intake heâs monitoring, the man is constantly judging my food choices!â
âNo!â
âYes! I mean, who cares if I want to eat skrit fish and seaweed wrapped nectar cakes together? Swear Iâd committed some kind of disgrace against the clan with the way heâd stare at me.âÂ
Xilä clicked her tongue. âMen donât understand the force of food cravings.â
âRight? Eywa!â LĂ˝n stretched and shifted into a more comfortable position to accommodate her protruding bump. âWas Neteyam the same way?â
âWorse sometimes, I think. All I wanted when I was pregnant with Zyden was overripe yovo fruit. The more bruised, the better. For an entire month thatâs all I ate.â Xi gave LĂ˝n a look. âNeteyam asked his grandmother every- single- day whether it was healthy for our baby or not.â
LĂ˝n chuckled. âSounds like my Aonung. I bet Ronal is tired of his questions by now.â
As though theyâd somehow summoned him, Aonung appeared from the rock line, deep in conversation with his father.Â
âUgh. How is it that everything he does is so annoying; yet whenever I see his stupid handsome face I just want to jump him⌠Is that normal, Xi? I feel crazy. I think I have gone crazy. My mate thinks so too, Iâm sure. Aonung called me unhinged when I yelled at him for chewing, then,â she lowered her voice to a whisper, âI begged him to fuck me two seconds later. Eywa, now I feel like Iâm oversharing. I bet you think Iâm insane too.âÂ
âLĂ˝n.â Xi pulled the poor piece of fabric from her friendâs mercy, and squeezed her hand gently. âI promise you, everything youâre feeling is perfectly normal.âÂ
AyelĂ˝n swallowed. âIâm not crazy?â
âYouâre not crazy,â Xi assured. âOnce, I yelled at Neteyam because he was breathing too loud. Iâm pretty sure he wasnât but my senses were extremely heightened. The poor man was unbelievably sweet about it though.âÂ
âWell. That makes me feel better.âÂ
âI'm glad,â Xi laughed. She reached for another piece of laundry from her basket, pulled out one of Zydenâs little tewngs and dipped it into the pool of water to wash. âAs for the bossiness, Iâm sorry, but youâll have to put up with it.â
âI figured,â AyelĂ˝n said with an over dramatic sigh as she tossed the wrung out article in her own basket. âAnd the ah⌠jumping him?â LĂ˝nâs cheeks purpled.
âNormal too.â Xi looked away as she shared, âI canât tell you how many times in the middle of the night Iâd wake the poor tired man.âÂ
LĂ˝nâs smile was wide. âCan I just say, Iâm so glad youâre here,â she admitted. âI love Tsireya, but I can never talk to her like this about her own brother.â
They were interrupted by an overly excited voice calling out, âMama!âÂ
The little five year old ran from a distance, then fell full force without a care, right into his motherâs arms. âI caught so many fishes, mama! And I fell out the boat when a big wave crashed us!â
âYou fell out of the boat?âÂ
âYa! And then uncle Loâak had to rescue me! And then I swam so fast- and look, mama!â Zyden proudly showed off the little cut heâd gotten on his elbow.
AyelĂ˝n watched the duo speak with each other with a soft smile. She listened to Zyden tell his tale of fishing as he fiddled with the hanging stone of his motherâs necklace. Her friend was a puddle; all melted love and adoration as she focused on her son. Â
As though reminding her of their presence, LĂ˝n felt a firm kick. Her hand instinctively rested over stomach, feeling another strong hello. She wondered if sheâd be like Xi too when her own little one came around.Â
Doting. Loving.Â
âSprout!â Neteyam called from the far end of the beach. He, Loâak, Rotxo and two others were hauling massive nets onto the shore. Theyâd just returned from their trip.
Zyden scrambled to his feet. âI hafta finish my fishing helping, mama.â He kissed his motherâs cheek then ran back to his father- tiny tail flickering wildly.Â
Xilä laughed. âMy son and all his energy,â she joked.Â
âHeâs adorable. Eywa has blessed you.âÂ
âShe has.â
With matching expressions, the woman watched as Zyden giggled uncontrollably when Aonung intercepted, snatching him up and hanging him upside down as he tickled his tummy.Â
A high pitched squeal and a babble of, âdada! da da!â came from further up the beach.Â
Liâwani was unsteady with her steps. Every couple she took, she fell on her bum or buckled forward on her hands. Little face scrunched in focus, with soft baby grunts, she got back up each time.Â
Tsireya followed closely behind, proudly watching Liâwaniâs arms outstretched as she waddled along the shoreline toward her father. Meanwhile, Loâakâs grin was blinding. Even from her spot, LĂ˝n could see how happy the man was as he cheered on his daughter.Â
Loâakâs hands were still hauling the large net, so Aonung swooped in and stole little Liâwani, keeping her cradled in the crook of his arm. Zyden smiled at his cousin from Aonungâs other arm.Â
âOkay, you can hand me my kid now.â
âIâm good, thanks.â
âAonung, you skxawng-â
âOh, there they go bickering,â Xi laughed, turning away when the men broke out into arguments over the children. âI bet Aonungâs practically counting down the days,â she teased, patting LĂ˝nâs protruding stomach.Â
LĂ˝n hummed in response. âOur baby hasnât even been born yet and heâs safety proofed our home. He even already decided to keep the baby with him on the days heâs not needed out at sea.âÂ
Xilä grinned. âIâm sure like my Neteyam was, heâll have your baby constantly strapped to his chest.â
âIâm sure.â AyelĂ˝n giggled. âHeâs tried on that baby sling that Neytiri gifted him four times now. Iâm starting to wonder when Iâd actually get to hold our baby.âÂ
âWell-â Xi dropped her last article in her basket, then began to help LĂ˝n with the remainder of hers, âlike my sister says, thank Eywa they donât have breasts.â Xi shrugged. âI love that my husband was a snuggle thief, but nothing beats those little moments when youâre feeding your baby.â
âI honestly canât wait. Though Iâm not looking forward to overly sore nipples.âÂ
âItâs the teething phase you have to be worried about, my friend,â Xi joked.Â
By the time they were finished and ready to head back with their clean laundry, Aonung was at her side as though heâd been waiting to haul her basket for her.Â
It reminded her of the times heâd done so when they were in their fake courtship.Â
âWhat have I told you about lifting heavy things, AyelĂ˝n .âÂ
Xilä gave her friend a playful look in farewell, barely making it a couple steps before her own mate appeared and scooped up her basket, and her son bounced forward to hold her hand- both males clearly besotted with her. LĂ˝n watched Neteyam kiss Xiâs cheek before the little family walked away.Â
âI think I'm capable of lifting a basket of laundry, skxawng,â LĂ˝n jibbed, returning her attention to Aonung. âI seem to remember your mother telling us that pregnant women aren't breakable beings.â
He stared blankly at her, as though she were saying stupid things.
âShe was pregnant with Khalhan when she went into battle at the time those Earth people stole âReya and the Sullyâs.â Hands on her hips, she continued, not intimidated the slightest by her towering husband. âAnd Neytiri told us she fought too when she was pregnant with Neteyam. Flew on their banshee creatures and everything!âÂ
She blinked in surprise when Aonung kissed her.Â
âAlright,â he replied in agreement.Â
âAlright?â she spluttered.Â
Basket secured under one arm, he tugged her along, heading back to their marui. He tried not to look too pleased as LĂ˝n followed his lead silently. Speechlessly confused.Â
Huh⌠He guessed Neteyamâs advice worked.Â
âI was going to do that,â she started to complain, when he began to hang out the laundry on their indoor line.Â
âMy lovely mate, please sit and let me take care of you.â
She tried to protest, but he just kissed her stupid again⌠and what do you know⌠it worked.
~
âDonât look,â Aonung told himself. âYouâre going to want to tease and itâs only going to upset her.â He made a face and thought, âThen sheâll take it out on you.â
âItâs missing something,â he heard her say to herself.Â
Chewing slowly, he made every conscious effort to not glance in his mateâs direction. âWhat beautiful weather we have today,â he mocked in forced cheer in his head, eyes taking in the view from their marui.Â
He heard an overly pleased hum from the woman seated across him, and nope⌠âDonât do it Aonung. Just remember Neteyamâs stupid stupid advice.â
âCan you pass me the seaweed, please?â AyelĂ˝n asked eagerly.Â
âLĂ˝n, I donât think-â
Eywa. He did worse than look. He opened his damned mouth.Â
âIâm not really asking for your opinion this morning, Aonung,â his mate snapped. âI am hungry. Can we please skip your daily lecture today?â
Fuck. He upset her.Â
She impatiently stretched across the table for the bowl of roasted seaweed and her face crumbled when she couldnât reach it.Â
Aonung was quick to act. He moved the bowl in a flash, placing it in front of her. âIâm sorry, gorgeous.âÂ
She ignored him, too busy adding seaweed to the already weird concoction sheâd created.Â
Damn. Too late. He was looking.Â
He watched as Ayelýn tore into her meal with vigor. A satisfied sigh left her after swallowing her first bite, followed by a throaty moan that had him scowling. Only he was supposed to ever make her moan like that, not some vile pile of poorly matched ingredients.
Donât make a face! And definitely donât tease.
Aonung forced his expression into what he hoped was neutral. âItâs good?â
She nodded vigorously, already taking another large bite, face scrunched as if she were about to cry in delight. âItâs so good.âÂ
Within seconds, she finished it all, sucking at her fingertips for every last morsel. Her craving was satisfied but- She stared at her empty bowl in longing.
Aonung felt helpless and had no clue what to do now. He never seemed to know what to do with her lately. His woman was constantly giving him whiplash.Â
âItâs all gone.âÂ
He scratched his jaw, contemplating what would be the best response. âDo- do you want more, gorgeous?âÂ
âNo,â she lied.Â
His mate was downright pouting now. âItâs okay if you want more, LĂ˝n.â
âIt wonât be the same though... I used the last of our yovo fruit stock, and I donât even know when we're going to get-â she took a deep breath.Â
Fuck. The tone in her voice was changing.Â
Aonung stood, and made a beeline for their kitchenette. When he returned, he crouched next to his mate and handed her a woven sack.Â
âTheyâre not fresh, or even properly ripe. I tried my best to dry them out; to preserve them. Well- Hopefully itâll work the same.âÂ
âYou kept these⌠for me?â LĂ˝nâs tail danced happily. She looked from the overflowing bag, to her mate who looked downright delicious himself.Â
He kissed the top of her head and stroked his knuckles down her spine. âOf course.âÂ
She sucked in a shaky breath. Collected herself. And then, âOkay⌠Help me up. Letâs go.âÂ
Go?
Oh.
OH!
âLĂ˝n.â He helped her up anyway. âYou know I love you and donât think it is possible to ever get enough of you, but I really do have to-â
âAonung,â she cut him off. âThis,â she pointed to her overly round belly, âis your fault.â LĂ˝n raised a brow as if daring him to say otherwise. âI donât care about your fishing plans or whatever it is you have to do. I want you- I need you to take responsibility.â
Donât teaseâŚ
Aonung really couldnât help it though.Â
âYouâre fucking adorable when youâre all angry at me, you know that? Especially with my baby in your belly.â
LĂ˝n smacked his groping, wandering hands and scowled at her husband. âEnough with the teasing!â She walked around him, heading for their room as she muttered, âIâd have climbed you already if I could.â Over her shoulder she called, âYou better come fuck me before you leave, skxawng! Iâm serious!â
Aonung barked out laughing. Eywa. He didnât think it was possible to love his woman even more than he already did. Over the past months, heâd come to realize that his mate was the grumpy, demanding and needy kind of pregnant. She was honestly a mess- a beautiful mess of course. And he wouldnât have it any other way.Â
He followed after her, dick already hardening like it always did for her. âAre you going to tell me how to fuck you as well?â he teased lightly, watching as she laid down with a relieved sigh.Â
He was hoping sheâd tell him how. Her bump had grown to the point that certain positions were no longer an option. LĂ˝n had cried three months ago when that reality hit.Â
âMhm,â she confirmed through a wide yawn. âThe kind that I donât have to do much moving.â Arms twisting, she stretched out her back with a slight wince.Â
Her stomach pressed up against his when he crawled in next to her. Reaching over, he spread one palm flat against the swell of her belly, ducked his head and kissed her nose. âI think youâre tired, LĂ˝n.âÂ
Her morning nap was due right about now; he knew her routine better than she did.Â
Sheâd usually wake him up at a ridiculous hour of the morning, needy, and begging him to make her come. Then sheâd fall back asleep- snore, which heâd learned the hard way to never mention again. Then sheâd have the biggest, weirdest breakfast. Nap. And finally, leave for the menderâs marui for the day.Â
If he could have his way, heâd keep her home, resting in their mats until their little oneâs arrival. But his mate shut that idea down before he finished his sentence. She loved her mending duties, loved learning under the guidance of Hythspon.Â
She was also just straight up stubborn and loved to drive him mad!
âGorgeous, you need to rest,â he tried again.Â
LĂ˝n squirmed in his hold and hooked an arm over his shoulder, tilting her jaw to kiss him square on the mouth. âBut Iâm horny more. Kiss me.â
âSay, please.â
Aonung felt a light push against his stomach, then a stretch where his palm rested against LĂ˝n. âYou kicking me little one? What have I done? Itâs your saânok thatâs being naughty.âÂ
LĂ˝n patted her stomach, she loved feeling her baby move. âBecause your sempul wonât give me a little tiny kiss.â
Not needing to be told twice, Aonung held her chin in place and gave her a proper, tongue-fucking kiss that had LĂ˝n sighing happily. She instantly went pliant, bending at his will; sass and attitude melting away as he claimed control.Â
Breathless when they broke apart, the sweetest expression crossed her face. âIf youâre really that late, you can maybe just-â She guided and pressed the hand on her bump to between her legs instead.Â
Oh, now she decided to be nice.Â
He leaned over her with a classic Aonung smirk, pleased to feel her drenched with slick. âYouâre so spoiled, AyelĂ˝n.âÂ
âWhoâs fault is that?âÂ
The pads of his fingers teased her, tugging her undercloth to the side, coating themselves in her arousal. âHow is that my fault? Youâre the one thatâs spoiled.â His tail lifted her thigh slightly so he had more room to work with.Â
âAnd youâre the one who spoils me.âÂ
Damn right he did.Â
LĂ˝n arched when his thumb began to circle her throbbing clit. Her lips tugged upward, the way it usually did whenever she got her way.Â
So fucking spoiled.
Taking in every little expression, he watched her the entire time. He loved the sounds she made. Loved how well he knew her body. It didnât take long to get her there. And when her peak hit, LĂ˝nâs fingers dug into his arm and her thighs trembled.
He did that.Â
All him.Â
And all his.Â
As her breathing leveled off, Aonung silently chastised himself for not forming tsaheylu with her beforehand.Â
LĂ˝n's eyes fluttered open, glinting as he sucked his fingers clean. She suddenly no longer felt tired. âDo you really need to leave now?â
Aonung linked their queues in response, feeling her lingering tremors through the bond. âI donât fuck half-assed, LĂ˝n,â he said, grabbing a handful of her ass.Â
She knew this all too well.Â
He kissed her hard, nipping playfully at her bottom lip when he pulled away. âIâm taking responsibility, like you told me too, gorgeous.âÂ
AyelĂ˝n squirmed. âThen quit talking and do something already!â
His brows narrowed. âNot with that attitude.â
Frustrated and impatient, she not-so gracefully flung herself upright, pushed at his chest and straddled his lap.
âI have to do everything myself,â she grumbled.Â
It was her turn to smirk when his laughter abruptly ended the moment she rose onto her knees then sank down onto him.Â
His hands guided her hips, staring at where they joined, watching her lift up and slide down three more times until she sat flushed- with him buried deep inside her.Â
She arched. Palms braced on his thighs behind her, she rocked, finding and setting a steady rhythm. She hummed and sighed and murmured incoherently while he trembled with the effort it took to keep himself still and not thrust up into her like he wanted to.Â
Aonung wanted to kiss her badly. But that would mean shifting from their current position, which she looked most comfortable in. He settled with occupying himself with her breasts instead and low rumbled words of praise that had her clenching around him.Â
Within no time however, her vigor slowed. She was tired and pretty much annoyed at this point, body betraying her.Â
âWant me to take over?â Aonung asked gently.Â
âPlease.â
Flipping them with ease, Aonung rose onto his knees, hooked her leg over his arm and sunk home again.Â
AyelĂ˝n moaned his name and the bastard had the audacity to look damn smug about it.Â
Her toes curled as each thrust brought her closer and closer to the edge. When he pinched her clit, a small shocking orgasm had her gasping. The action also made him curse with pleasure when she squeezed around his dick again.Â
Aonungâs tail sailed up her body and flicked away her wrist, taking over from where sheâd been tweaking a nipple. She arched onto the sensation, begging him not to stop.Â
When her body began to lock up, he knew she was close.Â
Rhythm growing erratic and desperate, their moans, and the sounds of skin slapping on skin rang loudly.Â
LĂ˝nâs body jerked in his hands, her own fingers reaching down to thrum at her throbbing clit.Â
âAonung, Iâm- ooohh.â Her thighs trembled. âIâm coming!â
His hips slammed against hers, grips bruising, head tossed backwards as he found his own release. He spilled into her- hot and plentiful, spurt after spurt, wrung dry by her clenched walls.Â
He slumped beside her after, breath heavy, mixed with an amused chuckle. âDo you really expect me to be on my way and function like a sane man for the rest of the day after that, AyelĂ˝n?âÂ
She snickered, stretching her deliciously sore muscles before curling into a comfortable position, nap need already creeping in on her. âYou are so dramatic, husband.âÂ
That made him laugh deeper.Â
Aonung laid there for a little while longer, his delayed responsibilities could wait. His hand caressed her belly bump lovingly and like a man obsessed, he watched her fall asleep.Â
~
Spoiler Tags: #pregnancy
This took unnecessarily long to complete, sheesh! lol. But here we are! Hope you enjoy, loves.
Next up: SAFE HAVEN bonus update. Fingers crossed it comes out this weekend.
âAsthy, youâre breaking my heart here,â Loâak squawked dramatically. âIâm way cooler than your boring old dad! Donât you wanna hang with me? Your favourite uncle?âÂ
Head cushioned on her daddyâs chest, the two year old simply stared at him over the thumb in her mouth, a doll clutched under an elbow. She cracked a grin at her uncleâs silliness but still made no move to leave her fatherâs arms.Â
Asthlyee had always been a clingy baby, and worse, whenever she was in Neteyamâs arms, there was no persuading her out of it.Â
âFine, fine⌠I still like you the same,â Loâak resigned, dropping his outstretched arms. âWhat are you doing, man? Youâve got your girls locked away so much theyâre forgetting me.â
Neteyam wouldnât lie, he loved the feeling every time his girls clung to him over anyone else. Enyu constantly told him to quit being so smug. He couldnât help himself.Â
âThey were at you and Oâtleyâs just last week when Enyu and Rey were sick.â
Loâak waved him off. âYou know my mate tends to hog them for herself.â
âSpeaking ofâŚâ Neteyam continued as they strolled along the busy paths of their Omatikaya village. âIâve been putting off bringing it up, but⌠whatâs with you and the wife?â
âMe and Oâtley?â
âYou two have been⌠weird lately.â
Loâak sniffed, face gone drastically blank as though he were trying to hide his true emotions. âYouâre probably seeing things, brother.â
âLook, feel free to tell me to mind my business and I will but⌠you two seem tense.âÂ
âYou sound like Tiny. She making you ask these questions?â
Yes.
âNo.â
âOâtt and I are fine, Neteyam. You can tell your wife to stop worrying.â
âUh-huhâŚâ
âOkay, what is it?â
Asthy, in her own little world, was jabbering to herself. Pointing at things she knew the words of. Broken Naâvi merged with broken English and toddler jiberish.Â
âJust tell me, Neteyam.â
âFine. Itâs just⌠A while ago, my four year old asked me what a chicken was, because apparently thatâs what Spider called you when you refused to give Oâtley a baby?âÂ
âShit⌠Heard that, did she?âÂ
âDad was right. Kids are like sponges, they pick up on everything.â Neteyam observed his brotherâs expression. He looked torn. âAre you two fighting or something?â
âOr something,â Loâak mumbled.Â
ââOrsie, daddy! Dada! Orsie!â Asthlyee squealed excitedly, trembling in glee. She almost planted herself out of his arms to point at the direhorses sheâd spotted.Â
They stopped at the fence of a direhorse pen where younglings were being taught how to ride. Neteyam propped his daughter on the wooden fence so she could watch- while keeping a secured arm around her.Â
Oâtley however, happened to be one of the riders teaching, and when she spotted them, she grinned and gave Asthy an enthusiastic wave.Â
Loâak sighed heavily, eyes not leaving his mate.Â
Meanwhile Asthy began to count. âOne âorsie, two, tree âorsie⌠tree, five and ten!â
âOkay, look,â Loâak said, finally cracking. âWeâre fine⌠Weâre just in a bit of a prolonged disagreement over something she wants is all.âÂ
âBro, we never win these things. Give her whatever it is she wants.â
âSheâs ready for kids. She wants⌠a baby.â
Now what Elteyä had told him made sense, yet Neteyam was still left flat out confused.Â
âBut isnât that great for you? Youâve been waiting for her to be ready-â Neteyamâs sentence cut off. His brow furrowed at Loâakâs expression as a meaningful silence played out between them. âI donât get you, Loâak. Youâve wanted this for so long and now that-â
âAre you saying I canât change my mind? Kids are a huge responsibility. You make it look fuc-freaking easy with three of them, but now that Iâve thought it through, I donât-â Asthlyâs doll fell from her grip and he was quick to pluck it from the ground and tuck it back in her arms. âIâm not cut out for it.â
âLoâak-âÂ
They both clammed up when they spotted Oâtley coming towards them. Asthyâs little legs kicked in excitement and the Tipani Naâvi grinned at the sight, scooping up the two year old the second she was within reach.Â
âUgh, I love this feeling,â O'tley cooed, snuggling her cheek into Asthyâs. âI donât even care that itâs only because she wants me to give her a ride on my direhorse.â
Neteyam chuckled as he watched his daughter chatter away and point at the children on the direhorses.Â
ââOrsie,â Asthlyee pointed again. Her sweet little face was all pleading as she looked up at her aunt. âGo on âorsie now? Me, peas?âÂ
âDo you mind?â she asked Neteyam who shook his head.Â
âYou two have fun.âÂ
âYay!â Oâtley cheered, lifting Asthlyee higher in celebration. âLetâs go, Asthy girl. Say bye, daddy, bye uncle Loâak!â
âYes,â the little one nodded vigorously, attention completely stolen away and no longer interested in her father or uncle.Â
Neteyam watched and waited until Oâtley situated them on the beast and then started out in a slow trot, before he addressed his brother again.Â
âYou gonna lay it out for me to understand? Why all of a sudden you donât think youâre cut out to be a father?â
âI went back to a dark place, that's all.â He flashed Neteyam his four fingered hand as if saying remember?Â
âThatâs what this is about?âÂ
âI was a freak growing up, Neteyam. You remember what it was like for me when we were kids. Do you not remember our visits to Awaâatlu? I donât want that for my ki-â
âOh fuck you, Loâak.â Neteyamâs jaw ticked as stared out at the field.Â
âBrother-â
âI get it okay? I do. I was there and I took on those bastards right beside you when they tossed hurtful insults. They did the same thing to Kiri. Even tried it with Enyu and sheâs not even half hum-âÂ
âYou⌠could never understand, Neteyam.â
âAre you fucking serious right now?â
âYes! This is just like when we were kids all over again. You're gonna tell me they were just dumb kids who were nothing but stupid bullies?â
âNo.â
Loâak blinked.
âLoâak, I canât tell you what to do, or how to feel. Youâre an adult and itâs your decision with O'tley whether you want to have children or not. Youâre right that I may not have always had the best response when we kids, but youâre wrong that I would never understand.âÂ
Loâak scoffed.Â
âIâm serious. Or have you forgotten about Elteyä? My daughter? Your niece who looks up at you as if you hung the fucking moons yourself. Loâak sheâs four, and proud as shit to have the same amount of fingers just like her uncle, aunt and grandfather.âÂ
ââTeyam, I didnât mean-â
âYou better start thinking of a new excuse to tell her when she gets older and starts asking you for a cousin. Gonna tell her itâs because you didnât want kids who might turn out just like her?âÂ
Loâak seemed rendered speechless.Â
Neteyam glanced over at his daughter when he heard her gleeful squeal. Oâtleyâs direhorse began to gallop.Â
âMom and dad have fought hard to bring unity to our clan with the humans. And even with the other clans. Although itâs a different time, there will always be stupid people who say stupid things, I know. But itâll be our job to protect our kids. To raise them strong for the times we may not be able to be there.â
âI donât want to screw up,â Loâak rasped defeatedly.Â
âTough. Youâre going to. Eywa knows how many times I havenât gotten something right. Weâre not perfect, but we try our best because we love them.â
âYouâre right.â Loâak sighed, leaning forward on his forearms, eyes following his mate. âIâm just having a moment of panic I guess.â
Neteyam squeezed his shoulder. âIf you do decide to have kids, youâll be an amazing father, Loâak. Your kids are going to be so lucky.âÂ
âThanks, âTeyam⌠Oh, fuck.â Loâak made a noise that sounded like a laugh mingled with pain. âIâm gonna turn into a psycho, overprotective schmuck like you did when Tiny was pregnant, aren't I?â
âOh, definitely.â Neteyam nodded firmly. âIt doesnât go away once your kid is born either.âÂ
Loâak groaned.
After a long stretched moment of simply standing in silence, Neteyam broke it with another uncomfortable topic.Â
âHey⌠uh, have you heard that Tuk has a boyfriend?âÂ
âBoyfriend?â Standing straight and expression alarmed, Loâak was completely thrown off by that one. âSheâs fourteen!âÂ
âThatâs what I said!â
âOh, fuck no.â
âYeah, you and me both,â Neteyam spat, folding his arms. âYet another thing I found out from my four year old.â
âWho the hell is this little prick sniffing around our baby sister?!â
âThat. Is exactly what I intend to find out. Flower made me promise not to meddle, butâŚâ he gave his brother a look.
âWell I made no such promises,â Loâak replied, catching on. He scoffed, head shaking in disbelief. âA boyfriend,â he repeated distastefully.Â
âWhy do you both look like you wanna murder someone?â asked an approaching voice.Â
Spider joined them at the fence. He had his son in that odd, one armed carrying hold that Neteyam had taught him. It helped fussy little ones calm down quickly.Â
âApparently, Tuk has a boyfriend.â
âAhâŚâ Spider contemplated whether he should say anything. Then, âYou know actually, the kidâs not all that bad, once you get to know him.â
Arms both folded, the Sully brotherâs heads turned at the same time, eerily in sync with each other.
âCome again, cuz?â Loâak hissed.
âYouâve met him?!â
Spider cursed under his breath. He knew he messed up. âWell- yeah,â he confessed lamely. âTukâs always staying at our place, so he walks her home sometimes. Kiri invited him to stay for a meal a couple nights.â
The brothers glanced at each other, then back at Spider.
âHow long exactly has this been going on?â
âI donât know,â Spider shrugged, adjusting his hold when his son fussed. âCouple of months?â
âMonths?!â The Sully men echoed simultaneously.Â
âLook. Sheâs happy, alright? Whatâs it matter anyway? Loâak you were eleven when you had your first girlfriend.â
âWeâre not talking about me though. Weâre talking about Tuktirey, our baby sister whoâs far too young and innocent to know any better.â
Neteyam nodded in agreement. âFurthermore, what I donât get is why it seems like everyone knows except for Loâak and I!âÂ
Spider averted his eyes at that one. He was not about to rub salt in their wounds and tell them that Tuk had explicitly instructed him not to tell her brothers.Â
âWell, shit,â Loâak sighed dramatically. âI think we need to have a talk with our parents, because honestly, what are they doing? See, shit like this would never have been happening if we hadnât moved out.âÂ
âDamn right,â Neteyam agreed.
Spider winced. He did not want to be around when they both found out that Neytiri and Jake already knew as well. Tuk had her father wrapped around his little finger, and while he still hated the fact that she had a boyfriend at all, at the bat of her lashes, he let her get away with anything.Â
And now things were about to get a lot worse for her.Â
âPoor Tuk,â he thought sympathetically.Â
~
Fragrant smoke billowed from the boiling pot in front of Enyu as she stirred it. Crouched on her haunches, she resumed her task of peeling and dicing starchy vegetables, hands moving with efficiency.Â
A hiccup pulled her attention to her little Reyâlu who was snuggled against her chest in a netted carrier. The baby gurgled and made soft cooing noises as she tried to steer uncoordinated fingers towards her face, mouth opening wide as she slobbered all over her tiny fist.Â
She blinked up in surprise at her mother when she kissed her on the nose, drooling lips tugging upwards in a sweet smile that showed off the hint of a tiny tooth.
âBut why not, daddy? Pleeease can I go on date night?â
Enyu looked up at the sound of her daughterâs sad tone. From her spot she had a clear view of the rest of the tentâs main room. Lips curling into her mouth in amusement, she took in the scene before her.Â
Her mate had been tidying up, along with the assistance of his favorite little helpers who really made his tasks take twice as long and didnât do all that much helping in the first place.Â
Folded laundry piles were tucked away, fishing gear were returned to their rightful corner, sticky spills were wiped clean and scattered wooden toys that were supposed to be put away by little girls were instead done by him.Â
And all the while Neteyam moved around the area of the tent, he had two little shadows following his every step.Â
âDate night is for mommies and daddies only, baby girl,â Neteyam answered whilst shaking out a woven mat from the threshold. He crossed the room to return it to its place and with every single one of his measured strides, poor Asthy took four quick steps in order to keep up.Â
Elteyä dashed behind him as well, arms laden with items heâd asked her to put away that she had yet to do- too involved in their present conversation.Â
What had started out as her yammering on about anything and everything had turned into a pleading session when she found out her parents were going on date night.Â
The entire back and forth had Enyu chuckling. Her daughters looked like little hatchlings toddlering after their father.Â
Asthy was dragging her doll behind her- the thing was almost half her size, and Enyu grimaced thinking that it was about that time again that it needed a thorough wash. What a struggle with the two year old that would be.Â
Ears still trained in the current conversation, Enyu returned to her vegetables. Dinner was going to be a simple hearty stew that she knew even her pickiest of eaters- Asthy, would enjoy.Â
âOhâŚâ El thought for a moment. âWell, what do you and mommy do on date night then?â
It was an innocent question of course, but one that stumped Neteyam for some reason.Â
âEl-â
âDada! Up! Up, peas!â Asthy it seemed had had enough fighting to keep up. With a little demanding stomp of her foot, she lifted her arms with grabby hands, begging to be held.Â
Neteyam didnât bat an eye, and the second he scooped the two year old into his arms, Enyu didnât miss the overly pleased look on Asthyâs face as she settled into her daddyâs side. And at the point of her finger, and little grunt, Neteyam was picking up her dropped doll and handing it to her.Â
They were so spoiled. Her husband had all his girls wrapped around his tail.Â
Although now one handed, it didnât slow him down from trying to finish his tasks. He crossed the length of the tent and began plucking clean laundry from their indoor wash line.Â
âDaddy?â El asked again, still waiting for an answer.
âUm.â Neteyam glanced over at his wife who looked entirely amused by his struggle. âWhy donât you go ask your mama.â
Elteyä tumbled over to her mother. âMommy? What do you and daddy do on date night?âÂ
Enyu tossed in the last of her vegetables into the pot then smiled at her daughter who pressed up against her side. Rey, stretched out a hand, curious eyes focused on one of the many interesting items in her sisterâs arms.Â
âWell⌠we do lots of fun things, like flying or exploring. Sometimes we have a picnic or go swimming.âÂ
âI like all those things too. So why canât I go?â
âSweetheart, your daddy and I go on date nights to spend time together⌠alone.â
âWhy?âÂ
âBecause. We- we miss each other.âÂ
âDonât you miss me?âÂ
âBaby girl, of course we do,â Neteyam assured, coming to crouch in front of them.Â
Feeling a little jealous that both of her sisters were all cuddled up with their mother, Asthy squirmed out of her daddyâs hold, and wormed her way onto her motherâs lap. A frown appeared on her sweet face when she realized Reyâlu was in her way.Â
âBut your mama and I are mates,â Neteyam continued. âAnd we love each other, so we like to go on date nights to make sure we- Asthy!â he reprimanded.
Enyu was faster than him however and managed to infiltrate the little finger that tried to poke poor Reyâlu in the eye.Â
Asthyâs face scrunched up as she gave a fake cry, but she instantly stopped when she realized her parents werenât giving into her theatrics. She settled for returning to Neteyamâs arms, and stuck her thumb in her mouth as her brows puckered grumpily.Â
âElly, donât you want to have fun with your grandma and grandpa tonight?â Enyu asked excitedly, running a finger down a soft chubby cheek. âTheyâre very excited to come spend time with you and your sisters.â
âWell⌠yes. Grandpaw tells us funny stories and grawnmama âTiri sings the best songs⌠but- but I just thought der was no more date nights anymore.â
Neteyam glanced in his mateâs direction. Concern played at her brows and she shrugged slightly- unsure just like him where this was coming from.Â
âWhy would you think that, sweetheart?âÂ
âBecause- because you didnât go on date nights anymore. Why are you going now again?â
Understanding washed over him. It was true that he and his mate hadnât had a proper night to themselves in months. That was mostly because Enyu was pregnant and constantly sick nearing the end of her pregnancy.Â
But Rey was finally at an age that they were comfortable enough to leave her for a few hours and thus⌠date night. He could understand his daughterâs confusion now and the sight of Elâs pout was enough to make him consider throwing all plans out the window.Â
âElly, come here, sweetheart.â He hugged her with his free arm and she clung to him, dropping her armful of items- a wood-carved ikran, two half shriveled flowers sheâd collected earlier in the week and Norii the doll- itâs poor tail hanging by a thread and in need of a mend.Â
âI donât like when you and mommy leave without tucking me in.âÂ
âEya?â Asthyâs head cocked as she observed her sister- a concerned frown on her lips, clearly attuned to Elâs crisis. The two year old babbled a mix of unintelligible words along with a couple odd ones she did know like- yes, and mama, and hâped- short for hexeped. Then, âYou sad, Eya?â
âYeah, Asthy.â They held hands. âI am sad.âÂ
âThey are so sweet,â Enyu mouthed to her mate. âShould we stay?â
âNo.â Neteyam had said this out loud unfortunately. As much as he loved his girls, he and his Flower hadnât had a single spear moment with each other in weeks.Â
âEl, weâre not going to be gone for long.â Which was true. They had a short window of time before Reyâlu would need to be nursed. âTonight weâll be back just in time to tuck you in.âÂ
Elâs pout twisted. âPromise?âÂ
âI promise.âÂ
~
Lemme know what you think, loves.
P.s. I've tagged those of you who asked when the series was ongoing. Please feel free to let me know if you want to be removed from future posts like this :)
No idea if anyone would still be interested because of how long itâs been, but Iâm going to be doing some bonus content for my three completed series. đ
As my present to you all, here's a little slice (chunk) of life of Xi and Neteyam's family life. This was originally supposed to be an Epiloguest type of chapter, but this came out instead.
Hope you enjoy!
~
Zyden shuffled around his familyâs home a tad bleary eyed. After cleaning himself up, taming down his sleep twisted braids and chewing on a sprig of vanâeela bark, he fixed a quick meal from his familyâs stash and sat down to eat it.Â
âHey, Sprout,â Neteyam greeted, walking in after a âgraveyard shiftâ of patrol duty.Â
Although he tried not to take up too many shifts during that hour, it was mating season for pulkatans and so it was all hands on deck for protecting the clan when they were most susceptible to threats.Â
âMorning, dad,â Zyden voiced, scarfing another mouthful of food in his mouth. He squinted as he chewed, watching his father shuck off his riding gear and weapons. âMom threw up earlier- twice. I held her hair back.âÂ
Neteyam sighed, glancing at the partition he knew his mate was behind. âIs she up?â
âNo, she fell back asleep after having tea. Hys snuck in with her at some point last night. He still has that cough. Hope itâs okay that I gave him a little of the gâin root tonic momâs been giving him.â
Ruffling his sonâs hair affectionately, Neteyam pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. âThanks for taking care of them for me.âÂ
âCourse.â Zyden sprang up to hurriedly rinse out his bowl.
âWhere are you heading off to so early anyway?âÂ
âGrandpa Jxo said Lâeo and I can help him and his team with the repairs on the northern border. I wanna finally try out that old drill uncle Norm fixed up for me. Lâeoâs probably already waiting for me, I said Iâd meet him at his tent.âÂ
Neteyam nodded. âAlright have fun. Remember your rules?â
Zyden rolled his eyes, cracking a smile despite his mild annoyance. âYeesss, dad.â
âAnd what are they?âÂ
âDo I really have to do this every time?â
âSure do.â
âUgh, dad.â
âHey, the longer you take to say them, the longer you take to leave. Now come on, what are they?â
âFine⌠Be respectful to anyone I see. Keep my wits about me. Donât go past the boundaries without your permission and always be home by curfew. Can I go now?â
âGot your knife?âÂ
Zyden huffed. âDad!â He laughed. âYou can clearly see it on my hip!âÂ
âAlright, alright. Get out of here. Iâll see you later!â
He watched from the threshold as Zyden ran down the pathway until he disappeared. Only at the sound of a feminine chuckle behind him, did he turn around.Â
Biting down on his bottom lip and head tilting ever so slightly to the side, his eyes roamed over his wife appreciatively.
Even though it had been years, the sight of her never ceased to amaze him. She was sleep rumpled- all squinty eyes, mused hair and sleep lines from whatever pillow sheâd been laying her cheek on.Â
âYou are so beautiful,â he murmured in greeting.Â
Xiläâs nose wrinkled at the compliment yet she couldnât help the fond smile that escaped her. âIâm a mess.â
He shrugged as he closed the distance between them, swooping downward to steal a kiss. âA beautiful mess then,â he teased, making her giggle happily.Â
âSure,â she laughed in denial, patting his chest in thanks anyway.Â
âZyden said you were sick again?â
âMhm.â Xi sighed contentedly, leaning into her mateâs soothing touch. âI donât remember it being this bad with either of our boys.âÂ
Neteyam rocked them side to side slowly, one hand running up and down her spine, the other splayed on her little bump that had only begun to show.Â
âMaybe itâs a girl this time,â he joked.Â
It was an old wives tale that terrible morning sickness meant the baby would be a girl.Â
âMaybe,â she hummed, playing along.Â
âShould I brew you some tea? I made sure to get that weird coral stuff from Awaâatlu that Ronal recommended when you were pregnant with Zyden.â
Xi smiled up at him. âYou spoil me, you know that?âÂ
âAlways.â
âMama?âÂ
They both turned at the same time to see a coughing Hysik coming towards them.Â
Although the little one clearly had his sights set on his mother, Neteyam scooped him up before Xi could.Â
âThereâs, my boy.âÂ
Hys broke out into giggles when his sides were tickled and a loud raspberry was blown into his cheek.Â
âDid you sleep well, my love?â Xi cooed as she brushed away askew strands of hair away from his face.
âYep! But- but I wake up and you went gone mama. Thatâs not very nice,â the three year old said in all seriousness, making his parents chuckle. âI missed you when I was sleeping.â
âAw. Iâm sorry, baby.â
Xi frowned when Hysik released another wet, rattling cough. She reached up and felt his forehead, then under his neck, relieved to find him cool to the touch.Â
âI donât like how long his cough is taking to dry up.â
âMe too,â Xi echoed. âI know itâs just a cold, but just to be safe I think Iâll take him to see your grandmother today.â
As his parents planned their day, Hys took the opportunity to stretch forward with intent, one tiny hand clutching the fabric of Xiâs top, little face smooshed into her neck when she settled him against her hip.
âHeâs getting too big for you to carry around now. Youâre not supposed to be straining yourself.âÂ
âI know, but just let me baby him a little longer.â And for emphasis she hugged him closer and attacked his small palm with a noisy kiss.Â
âI- I not a baby, mama.â Hys sounded entirely offended.
Neteyam snorted and Xi pouted.Â
âYes, youâre my baby.âÂ
âNo.â His head lifted and his hand patted his mamaâs cheek as if trying to make her understand. âI a big boy. Like Zyden. An- and Lâeo. And Jsâavi. And- and-â
Neteyam pointed at himself, mouthing, âmeâ at his son.Â
âAnd daddy!âÂ
~
After breakfast, Neteyam, Xilä and Hys slowly made their way through camp towards the TsahĂŹkâs tent.Â
Despite his little legs, Hysikâs fast steps zigzagged ahead of them, then fell a little behind when he got distracted by an insect at first, then an interesting rock- only to be hailed by his parents.
He waved hello to almost every person they met on the way and practiced his âgood mornings,â with a confidence Xilä wished sheâd had when she first arrived at Home Camp.
âSproutâs been asking a lot of questions about our trading system lately.âÂ
Xi grinned. âHe takes after you and his grandfather for sure. I overheard him giving Jake suggestions on how to improve things.âÂ
âTheyâre good too,â Neteyam said proudly. âI know heâs only ten, but dad and I were thinking of creating a little roll for him. Get him involved in the process somehow.â
âI love that. I think Zyden will too.âÂ
âNext shipment Iâll see what I can come with then.â
âNothing. I figured Leati or Gwuyle or even your father would be handling shipments while you were gone.â Xi nibbled on her bottom lip, glancing up to see the obvious shift in her mateâs disposition. âI take it you havenât given any more thought about your trip then?â
Tense from subject change, Neteyam tried to keep his tail limp. It tended to give way his emotions before it could reach his face- his wifeâs words, not his.Â
âBaby, weâve been over this-â
âI know, I know. Iâm only checking again,â Xi assured, lightly squeezing his fingers where they were linked with hers. âAnd youâre sure?â
Her mate didnât answer.Â
ââTeyam⌠I know you hate when I say it, but⌠itâs been years now.â
âYou can come with me,â he suggested, as if he hadnât done so many times in the last three weeks, deflecting what she was trying to get to. âYou and the boys.â
âNeteyam, I donât-â
âGwranâmama âTiri!âÂ
Hysik squealed happily at the sight of Neytiri who lit up at the sound of her grandsonâs voice. She instantly attacked him with affection the second he landed in her arms, showing him off to the Naâvi women sheâd been talking to.Â
Xilä sighed when her husband sped up to go greet his mother.
She guessed their conversation would have to wait.Â
~
Hysik was a little âchatterboxâ as his grandpa Jake had nicknamed him.Â
Throughout his entire checkup, Hys talked and talked and talked. Telling the TsahĂŹk every little detail of a very elaborate dream heâd had.Â
And of course, being a doting great-grandmother, Moâat hung on to every word, all while she expertly handled the toddlerâs squirming and fidgeting and whining when it was time for her to inspect his tail.Â
âWarm marllow root tea with a little raw nectar and heâll be fine in no time,â Moâat announced after sheâd completed her checks.Â
âAnd thereâs no infection?â Xi asked, letting her son crawl out her lap and boldly fling himself into his fatherâs instead.Â
âNo, infection.â
âWhat about his lungs?â Neteyam asked this time, unfazed as Hys used him as his own personal climbing wall- little knees and elbows digging into his muscle, small feet pinching his thighs and stomach.Â
Cases of the purple fever had begun to pop up again, and its effects were known to have damaging effects on the lungs.Â
âFine too. Itâs a cold, not the purple fever, thankfully. To be safe, no school time tomorrow and I suggest you keep using the gâin root for another week.â
Xiläâs shoulders slumped in relief. Logically she knew all of this, but hearing it from Moâat made all the difference.
âThank you, grandmother⌠I swear, one would certainly think Iâm no healer. But when it comes to my children, I panic and I forget everything youâve taught me.â
Moâat clicked her tongue in amusement. âNever mind that, dear. Our children tend to have that effect on us.â
âGwranâmama?â Hys interrupted shyly.Â
He hadnât quite gotten names down just yet, and so Sal, Neytiri and Moâat were all called gwranâmama, while Jake and Jxo were gwranâpapa.
It was honestly cute, and thankfully none of the grandparents seemed to mind his mix ups.Â
âYes, my dear boy?â
âI was really good. Can I have a treat now?â
âPlease,â Neteyam prompted.
Hys nodded, little palms stretching out as his tail waved excitedly. âYes, please, gwranâmama?â
With two sweet treats secured, Hysik was quietly occupied as he sat in his fatherâs lap.Â
Moâat decided she wanted to check over Xi as well, since she was already here- gentle hands poking and prodding the little baby bump while she asked question after question.Â
The TsahĂŹk was the only one besides their son Zyden, who officially knew they were expecting.Â
Xilä and Neteyam had had an extremely difficult time conceiving their Hysik. To Xi, he was their little miracle baby. Sheâd cried for almost two days straight out of pure joy when she found out sheâd be a mother for the second time.
And so, suffice to say, this time around both she and Neteyam had been shocked- pleasantly surprised of course, that Xiâs âstomach bugâ turned out to be morning sickness.
âAre you still sick in the mornings?â
âNot all the-â
âYes she is. Every morning for the last month, and after lunch on most days too,â Neteyam answered. âSheâs barely able to keep anything in her for long.â
âHm⌠Itâs still early, and you havenât lost that much weight for us to be worried yet. So weâll monitor it for now, yes? Keep drinking your soothing teas and maybe stick to fruit and well-cured meats for a few days.âÂ
Xilä smiled gratefully when Moâat patted her hand.Â
~
âTheeen, I finally hit every target at practice- even the furthest ones I could never get perfectly, and I beat Pkâosh at a wrestling match. Heâs the biggest in our class and no oneâs ever beaten him before- I did that new technique that grandpa Jake taught me and Lâeo- you know one like-â Zyden made an exaggerated jerk to demonstrate.
âZyden,â his mother chided from where she was hunched behind him- fingers in his hair as she braided neat plaits.Â
âSorry, ma,â he apologized quickly, sitting still once more. âOh and, dad! Our trainer said that I am seriously fierce for my age. He said that if I put in the hard work, Iâd be a great warrior. I want to be perfect at all my tests though. So I have an advantage for my Iknimaya rites.â
âMy love, you donât have to worry about your Iknimaya for at least another couple of years.â
âI know, mom but it never hurts to be prepared. Right, dad?â
Sprawled out on the massive hammock in his and Xiâs room, Neteyam was all wide smiles as he listened to his son speak.
âHeâs right,â Neteyam agreed as he Xi shared meaningful grins over the top of Zydenâs head.
Xilä rolled her eyes fondly. Her son sounded just like his father.
âL'eya's the best in our class with the bow, and since we started spear practice, Lâeoâs been the best, but Iâm definitely better at sparring and knife throwing.â
âIâm incredibly proud of you, Sprout,â Neteyam praised.Â
âAnd me!â Hysik piped in, wanting to be included. He pointed at his chest as he sat up on his knees to face his father. âI a warrior too, daddy!âÂ
Neteyam chuckled and tickled his pudgy tummy. âIâm very proud of you too, Hys.â
The three year old beamed, awfully pleased with himself before focusing on the little carved ikran heâd been flying around. Making screeching sounds, he waved it in the air then dramatically landed it on his daddyâs propped up knee.Â
When Xilä finished with the final braid, she hugged Zyden round his shoulders and kissed his temple. Most days she couldnât believe that he was almost eleven already- and almost as tall as her.Â
Both he and Hysik were the splitting image of Neteyam. Zyden had her eyes and more prominent pointed ears while Hys only had a mildly darker hue of her dusty blue complexion. Everything else was all his father.
Continuing to chat with Neteyam, Sprout curled up on his motherâs side of the hammock. And by the time Xi tidied away a few things, and quickly spoke with Kahâlee whoâd stopped by to drop off a borrowed basket, Hys was sprawled half asleep on his daddyâs chest.Â
âAlright, my loves,â Xi called. âBedtime.âÂ
âNo- no bedtime, mama,â Hys whined as he tiredly rubbed his eyes.Â
âCome on, Hys,â Neteyam encouraged, rubbing the little ones back. âWe have to listen to your mama.â
âDad, can you tell us a story first?â
âSure, which one do you want to hear?â
Xi crawled in beside Zyden and Hysik instantly reached out for her. He was at that weird toddler stage where he wanted to be a âbig boyâ most days, but still enjoyed being babied.
Cheek settled against her chest, Xi ran her fingers through his hair. Immediately his eyelids fluttered closed and his little tail curled up contentedly.Â
âHow about the one about momâs Iknimaya rites,â Zyden decided, âand how she used the ulânic that Naâralineâs sa'nok gave her?â
âOh thatâs a good one⌠Hmm. Alright, so first, did you know your mother was terrified of heights?â
Zyden giggled. Of course he knew, yet every time his father told this story, it still made him laugh.Â
Xilä smiled happily as she drank in the sight of her boys.
Nights like these, when it was just the four of them, were her favorite.
~
âSo, wife. Are you going to put me to bed now?â Neteyam teased when he returned from getting the boys settled in their rooms.
Her back was turned to him as she stood rubbing oil along her stomach. âNow why does that sound so naughty, husband?âÂ
âCause itâs meant to be,â he murmured, pressing up against her. His lips brushed her ear while his hands went around to join hers- large palms splayed, making her little baby bump disappear.Â
âI still canât believe weâre going to have another one.âÂ
Neteyamâs chin perched on her shoulder as he caressed her bump, watching how perfect his palms fit around it. âMe neither⌠Weâre going to be outnumbered now.âÂ
Xi chuckled, slotting her fingers into the spaces between each of his fingers. âDonât pretend like you donât love it.â
âYouâre right. I love it,â he admitted, nibbling a little on her jaw. âBut donât worry, baby. Weâll stick togetherâŚâ
âWhat?â she ask when he made a thoughtful sound.
âItâs just⌠three is such an odd number. Donât you think?â
ââTeyam, this baby isnât even born yet. Are you really advocating for a fourth right now?â Xi laughed.
He pouted against her cheek. âIâm just sayingâŚâ
This man.
âWhen do you think we should tell the family? Salâs going to go crazy and Kiri will be relieved since momâs been dropping not so subtle comments at her and Tasam.â
âUm⌠Maybe when you get back from your trip.â
A sigh escaped Neteyam as he stood tall again- arms falling away from her body. He tugged on her tail lightly before stepping away to fling himself into their hammock, tossing out a couple of the cushions that took up too much space.Â
âBaby, Iâm not going on that trip.âÂ
Xilä could tell her husband was frustrated with her and actively trying not to show it. But at this point she didnât care. He kept brushing her off whenever she brought up the subject.
ââTeyam, we need to talk about this. Please?â
âCome to bed, Xi. Weâre just going to fight if we do this tonight.â
âThen letâs fight.â
He blinked. âYou want to fight?â
âIf thatâs what it's going to take for us to clear this up, then yes.â
âNow?âÂ
âNo! Next year,â she snapped sarcastically. âYes, now.âÂ
His brows jumped at her tone, and he quickly sat up. âO-okay. Then letâs.âÂ
Xilä approached the edge of their bed, but didnât sit. âJake said that this trip is a huge opportunity- that it will be a major factor to help prove youâre more than capable to lead our clan.â
âThere will be other chances-â
âBut this one is right here!âÂ
âXilä-â
âWhy donât you want to go?â she asked frankly. She had an inkling but wondered if heâd actually say it out loud.
âWhat? I- Xi, Iâm not going to leave my sons and my pregnant wife for a one month trip to the Wetlands that Iâm perfectly sure my dad and Tasam- who Iâm sending instead, can handle.âÂ
Xilä planted her hands on her hips.Â
âYou are supposed to be meeting with the chief of the Hulanta clan- as future chief yourself, Neteyam! Tasam was supposed to go with you either way, as your future second. Iâm barely four months along and perfectly capable of taking care of our sons. I have a whole support system if I need help⌠Those are all poor excuses you gave and you know it.âÂ
Neteyamâs jaw clenched tight. He pinched the bridge of his nose as though in pain, then leveled his mate with an expression full of exasperation.Â
âI donât understand why youâre pushing this, Xilä. Why wonât you take me saying that I just donât want to go, as an answer?â
âBecause when Jake first brought this up, you were so excited about it! You came home and spent over an entire afternoon telling me everything you planned to either implement or suggest to the Hulanta chief-â
Neteyam tried to interject but Xilä silenced him with a flashing glare, one knee coming up to rest on the hammock. She didnât back down, not even at the sight of his tail thrashing furiously.Â
âAnd the second you found out that the boys and I couldnât come on the trip with you, you shut it all down.âÂ
âI changed my mind, okay? I had my reasons.â
âYou had your reasons?â Xi frowned.Â
âItâs a month long trip. Yes. I had my reasons.âÂ
âThe same type of reasons that left you unable to go on any trip no matter how long or how short in the last ten years, right?â Xi pushed. âTrips that me and the boys weren't able to make with you because it was either dangerous or just plain unnecessary?â
âDrop it, Xi. Iâm done for tonight.âÂ
âDrop it?! For Eywa sake! Neteyam thatâs all Iâve been doing for the last ten years. Every time I try to bring up this conversation youâve told me to drop it and I have! I donât want to do it anymore!âÂ
âI donât see the problem here! Iâm prioritizing my family. Why are you so adamant on getting rid of me?!âÂ
âGetting rid of you? You think thatâs what Iâm trying to do?âÂ
âSure seems that way, sweetheart,â he snapped.Â
âWell what it seems to me, is that you're running away from what the actual issue is and I donât understand why you wonât just be honest with yourself about it.âÂ
âI donât know what youâre on about, but I am telling you for the last time. I am not going on that goddamn trip.â
âWHY?â
âFucking hell, Xilä-â
âWhy wonât you go on the trip?â
âBecause the last time I left for a trip without you, you were fucking kidnapped, beaten and traded as if you were fucking cattle! You were left in the clutches of a lunatic who wanted to claim you! And I- I almost lost you, Xilä! Do you know what that did to me?! How could you possibly think I could leave you again? And worse yet- for an entire fucking month?!âÂ
There it was.Â
Neteyam abruptly stood and made a beeline for the partition that separated their room from the rest of the tent- hair flying behind him. âI need a minute. Donât follow me out.âÂ
Ears burning hot from the intensity of the moment, Xilä stared at where her husband had disappeared and began to silently count- a tactic sheâd learnt from Moâat over the years to aid with her anxiety.Â
Sheâd barely gotten to one hundred when he returned- far more calmer and looking a whole lot guilty after his outburst.Â
âCome here,â he said gently.Â
Folding her into an all consuming embrace, he whispered a series of apologies against her forehead. He rarely ever lost his temper with her and the boys. It wasnât him at all.Â
âItâs okay.â
âItâs not. Itâs not okay, Xi. Iâm sorry.â
âIâm the one that pushed yo-â
âHey,â he said, cutting her off, holding both sides of her face and staring at her with a seriousness that made her go quiet. âLetâs not play the self blaming game, okay?âÂ
In one swoop, he lifted her off the ground and carried them over to the hammock. With Xilä straddling his lap, there was no more escaping this conversation. He was ready to face it head on and get it over with.
Neteyamâs eyes traced over his wife, taking in her features.Â
Her hair was short again- shoulder length like the time sheâd gotten it cut when sheâd first come to Home Camp. Pointed ears twitching in concern, her brows creased, moon colored eyes focused completely on him- and damn if he always got lost in them. He hated how sad they looked tonight.Â
Cupping her cheek, his thumb brushed across the thin, faded scar that held the reminder of what he feared.Â
They had talked about it- the incident- years ago when it first happened. Theyâd talked and wrapped it up, moved on, and never brought it up again.Â
And while Xilä steadily tended to her mental wounds with the help of Moâat, Neteyam still had a deep scar that unknowingly festered over the years.Â
âSo-â He blew out some air. âI know itâs been years but-â he shrugged, âguess Iâm not entirely over that situation.âÂ
Xilä cupped his cheeks, leaning forward to give him a chase kiss. âAnd thatâs okay⌠I donât think shoving the past behind us and never looking back was the healthiest way to go. I know this is tough for you, but we can work on it. Together.âÂ
âHow?â
âBy talking⌠We donât have to go that deep into it tonight, but eventually we will. And eventually youâll open up. Youâll heal and be able to let go.â
âOkay,â he rasped, palms rubbing her thighs as though trying to comfort himself.Â
âFor now though, what would you say I can do to make you comfortable enough to go on the trip?â
Neteyam thought about it for a moment.Â
âMaybe you can stay with my parents? You and the boys... Jxo and Sal are great but- I think having my parents closer would be a little more assuring for me.â
Xi nodded. Sheâd dare not bring up the fact that his parents lived only a few tents away from them. âWe can do that.â
âYeah?â
âMhm. They have more than enough room and Iâll still have help whenever I need it. Tuk Iâm sure would be delighted to have the boys to fuss over and boss around.âÂ
âThat too,â he said, cracking a smile.Â
âAnything else?â
âI want to talk to you every day- even if itâs just for two minutes to simply hear your voice.âÂ
Xilä didnât think it was possible to fall even more in love with her husband.Â
Yet here he was.
Proving her wrong.Â
âMaybe you can bribe Norm to let me borrow one of those handy communication things so I donât have to walk to the labs every day.â
âThat, I can definitely do, sweetheart.âÂ
Xi fiddled with one of his hands- a habit sheâd never broken out of over the years.
âIâm truly not trying to get rid of you.â
âI know- shit. I just said that in the moment. I donât really think that, Xi.â
She gave him a wry smile. âThe truth is- and as creepy as this might sound, if it were possible, Iâd crawl into your skin and never leave you.â
Neteyam laughed. He knew what she meant. Sometimes he felt the same way.
âBut in the same breath, I donât want you to live in fear because of me. Itâs hampering your dreams, âTeyam. Your goals... Jake is getting ready to step down in a couple of years, and youâre going to be Olo'eyktan.â
She pressed a palm to his chest.Â
âI am your wife. And I will stand by your side even when we disagree. But this is one thing I wonât let you slip up on. Okay?âÂ
âHow in Eywaâs name did I get so lucky? Where did I find you?âÂ
Xi shrugged playfully. âIn the forest screaming my head off. You killed the palulukan who was chasing after me, then whisked me away and took me to your home.â
He laughed again but this time it ended in a groan. His head fell into her neck. âA month is way too long to be away from you, baby. It takes a week alone by ikran to get to Hulanta.â
âYou can ask Stevan to join the trip earlier than planned? Go by jet instead?âÂ
One of the main reasons for the trip anyway was to check out a massive, old RDA base that had been set up near a Hulanta village. There was apparently an entire fleet of abandoned aircrafts waiting to be fixed up and used.Â
âTrue,â he agreed.
âSo itâs settled then? Youâll go and delegate your butt off and make me and your parents and our boys proud of you?â
Neteyam nodded against her skin. âYeah, baby. Iâll go.â He ran a thumb along the side of her stomach. âYou still wanna wait till I get back to tell everyone?âÂ
âMmm. I can get away with hiding my bump by wearing my longer tops and higher skirts, but if Iâm going to be staying with your parents for a month, theyâre bound to pick up on my morning sickness.âÂ
âI bet youâd want to tell your mom and sister first.â
âYeah,â Xi confirmed.
âAre we done fighting?â Neteyam wondered after they agreed to tell their families the good news a week before he had to leave.Â
âYes,â Xi grinned, knowing why he was asking.Â
She squealed when he flipped them around, sighing as his lips pressed against her neck and he slipped a knee between her thighs.Â
Sometimes good things come from a fight.Â
Like improved communicationâŚ
The validation of feelingsâŚÂ
And mind blowing make-up sex.
~
~
On his third day at the Hulanta clan while he and Tiaru- the clanâs chief were in deep discussion as they made rounds near the tree of souls, a familiar shade of blue caught his eye.Â
Neteyam blinked to make sure he wasnât seeing things. But⌠he wasnât. And in seeing the Naâvi all the more clearly, he inhaled sharply.
âWhat is it?â Tiaru asked, alerted by the shock on his face.
And although Neteyam was sure who she might be, he still askedâŚ
âWho is that Liâonan woman?âÂ
~
Hehe... I had to throw in a little bit of a fight there. I love a good healthy communication moment honestly.
And, gasp. Who IS that Li'onan woman???
Also, you guys, Zyden is growing up? And what do we think of sweet little Hysik?
Iâm terrible at thinking of ideas for a story đ but maybe scientist reader? I go crazy for any size difference lol
This is for the Neteyam x human Iâm assuming? I like it! Itâs going on the list. I think Iâll make this a one shot maybe? Do you want fluff? Spice? Angst? đ
This is my first human x Na'vi anything, so I hope you enjoy.
Warning *Things get a little... suggestive
*'Sevin - Pretty
*TanhĂŹ - Little Star
~
Holding your breath, you drew a thin line down the massive stem of the thistle in front of you, scalpel steady in your hand. Aided by the magnifying glass hovered on a stand between you and the specimen, you carefully dissected and gently pinned down the moving tendrils.Â
From your next cut, a gooey sap began to ooze, and once you successfully collected a sample of it, you continued on to another section, scalpel at the ready again.Â
âThat doesnât seem very safe,â a deep voice cautioned in your ear, causing you to yelp and almost slice off a finger in the process. The metal apparatus fell to the labâs floor with an echoing clang, just as your palm slapped your chest in shock- heart beating frantically.Â
Flinging off your respirator, you blew out a puff of breath and then another to fend off the annoying strand of hair that escaped your poor excuse of a bun. Turning ever so slowly, you glared at the beanstalk of a man standing itches away from you.Â
God, it was annoying how attractive he was. Even with that stupid smirk on his face.Â
âNeteyamâŚâ you said in your sweetest and most lethal tone, âdidnât we agree on you knocking whenever you visited me at the labs? Do you ever make noise? I swear to God, one of these days youâre going to ki- woah,â your words died off when you found yourself suddenly pinned against the lab table.
Ignoring your reprimand, Neteyamâs attention was focused on your work, ears flickering in interest. âWhat are you doing with a txumpaywll?â he asked curiously, oblivious to the effect he was having on you.Â
âUh⌠huh?â You blinked trying to focus on his question, but that was sort of difficult at the moment since your face was currently up close and personal with his abs, and what a sight they were. âHey, âTeyam? You remember that little ah- conversation we had a while back?âÂ
âHmm?â he glanced down at you. âWhich one? We have many conversations, 'Sevin.â
There he went calling you that damn nickname again too.Â
âYou know⌠the one where we- excuse me-â you slipped out from him, and walked around the lab bench under the pretense of checking a reading on the monitor, creating as much distance as possible, â-talked about boundaries,â you finished lamely.
It had been a somewhat awkward conversation now that you remembered it. Neteyam had seemed to have developed a lack of sense for personal space, especially when it came to hovering around you for some reason.Â
And it wasnât that you minded it really, but lately it had been leaving you all bothered and extremely needy after every interaction between the two of you ended.Â
âYour cheeks are red again.â His head cocked to the side as he observed your failed attempt to act natural. âThey do that every time I see you. I like it.âÂ
ââTeyam. The conversation?âÂ
You didnât think he was doing it on purpose, but the mere fact that he was so incredibly dense about his effects on you, made you slightly suspicious.Â
âYes, I remember. Was I doing it again? Forgive me, TanhĂŹ,â he said, not sounding sorry at all. Â
Your lips mashed together to stop from calling bullshit at his innocent act. If you called him out and were wrong, itâd be worse than mortifying.Â
âI actually came by for a reason. I wondered if perhaps youâd like to attend the harvest feast with me tonight?â
âTonight?â You nervously adjusted the cuff of your lab coat. âI canât, sorry. I have- a thing.â
âA thing?âÂ
âMm-yep. Yeah, I have a date.â You didnât need to look up to know that Neteyam was currently boring holes into your head with his gaze.Â
âYou are⌠courting someone?â
Was that a tinge of hurt, you heard in his voice? Impossible. Right?
âNo. Itâs just a date, a- fling. One time thing.â
âWhy?â
Now you met his eyes. His face was impassive but the irritated jerk of his tail told you he was upset.Â
âWhat do you mean?â
âWhy this⌠date? Who is this male you fling with?âÂ
You bit the inside of your cheek and typed in a sequence of information. Something about him saying the world fling had you wanting to giggle.Â
âMark? From IT. You know him, right?â Awkwardly, you waited for him to respond, but when he didnât you focused on the monitor in front of you again. âAnyway, I asked him to hang out later.âÂ
And if all went well, hopefully youâd finally get lucky and then itâd be a lot more bearable being around your big blue friend here.Â
Neteyam rounded the table and sat on a stool- one specifically there for beings of his stature. He rolled closer, and you marveled that he was still a little taller than you, despite him sitting.
âWhat is it that you will do with this Mahrk?âÂ
You bumped his shoulder playfully, snapping off your gloves. âYouâre quite nosy today⌠Well honestly? Fingers crossed I get laid tonight.âÂ
He appeared quite alarmed by this revelation. Again with his lack of personal space, he cornered you, limbs bracing on either side of the table behind you, face hovering close.Â
âLaid. You wish to mate with him? Why?âÂ
Nervous laughter bubbled from your throat. You patted his chest. âThatâs a little personal to ask there, buddy.âÂ
âTell me anyway.â His voice was low and because youâd read so many goddam romance books youâd swear this would be classified as a growl.Â
Damn if it wasn't a little frightening⌠and hot.Â
âLook, Mr. Nosy, if you must know, I want sex okay? Thereâs only so much my fingers can do for me and I need to blow off some steam before I go mad from being so damn horny all the fucking tim-â
Your rant was squashed when warm lips descended onto yours, swallowing the rest of your words. It wasnât a peck or a soft, slow kiss that grew increasingly intense. No. It was a dominant, all consuming, demanding kiss that left you stupid and breathless.Â
There was tongue. Definitely tongue. Youâd felt it lap along yours, licking against the roof of your mouth in a sinful manner. But by the time he pulled away, your mind was still clouded in a haze as you blinked at him owlishly, wondering what the fuck had just happened.Â
âTell Marhk of Eye-tee that you will no longer be his date.â
âNet-â
âYou want to be laid? Bedded?â His lips grazed the shell of her ear. âFucked?â He nipped your lobe. âI will happily be of assistance, 'Sevin.â
Your knees buckled when you felt large fingers trail up your inner thigh, shucking up your skirt the higher and closer he got to where you ached- to where you were drenched and wanting.
He smiled against your skin when he felt the flimsy material between your legs soaked in arousal all for him. And the sound you made as your thighs widened for him- encouraging him to explore you, was glorious.Â
âMy poor, TanhĂŹ. Didnât you know that all you had to do was ask?â Â
I apologize if I just disappeared on you all, I'm working it lol. I decided to go back to school to study, so that has been taking up the majority of time.
I'm on break now, so these are the works I'd like to publish before the month is up... fingers crossed cause my holidays are already chaotic.
Hi I wa Ted to know if you planned on writing more in the future about the atwow franchises? I miss your writing but I understand if itâs not for you anymore
Hi!!
I do plan to write more. Just maybe like some mini requests or chapter inserts for now, until the the new movie comes out- OR if some mighty inspo suddenly hits me.
I don't mean to be rude or anything, but can I ask when your next story is coming out?
I have read all of your stories, some of them several times. I like your stories so much because you manage to make the characters' everyday lives exciting to read. So if you don't know what to write, just add a chapter from everyday life. đI/We will love it! âŁď¸And we support you in finding new ideas if you nedd/want help.
Hey there!
I'm sorry I took so long to respond to this, but I don't have a next story coming out any time soon- or at least a series type story. Possibly after the new movie comes out.
But I must say a big thank you, cause I definitely been having some serious writer's block, so I did just like you suggested about the "everyday life" additions. So, stay tuned đ
Thank you for reading and supporting my work and I will most definitely take you up on that offer for help if it still stands, sometime. đ
Summery: Pressured by his parents to enter a formal courtship, Aonung rebels in his own way and what starts as a ruse, turns into something real.Â
Note before reading: This is a spin off of my Safe Haven Series.
Reading Safe Haven is not necessary to follow this story.
Some characters have been aged up. Aonung in particular is 25.
Ayelýn is my own creation. *Pronounced Aye-Lin
~
Part 6 - When They Loved
Neteyam stared at his friend in disbelief. He blinked slowly before his head snapped over to where AyelĂ˝n sat a few feet away, then back to Aonung as if trying to understand.Â
All the while the wheels turned in his head, Loâak sat back with a smug smirk, enjoying every second of Aonungâs annoyance toward him.Â
Loâak had slipped up- and Neteyam being no idiot had pried, causing them to have to tell him the truth.Â
âNope. No.â Neteyam shook his head. âYouâre both fucking with me.â He looked at his brother as if asking for confirmation, and at Loâakâs nod, he scoffed in bewilderment. âItâs all an act? You and her? All fake? She- AyelĂ˝n isnât-â
âLike I said, itâs all part of a plan.â
âMm.â Neteyam clicked his tongue and Aonung felt an uncomfortable stab of guilt at the disappointment shining in the manâs eyes. âAnd whenâs this plan of yours ending exactly?â
Aonungâs brow crinkled. âWe agreed after the celebration of Loâak and Tsireyaâs bonding ceremony.â
âThatâs less than two weeks away.â
âI know.â
âWhatever happened to what we talked about? I leave and you what- just jump at this moronâs reckless idea?â he asked, gesturing to his younger brother.
âHey- Iâll have you know itâs a full proof plan, alright?â Loâak defended. âIf anything, Fishlips here should be thanking me.â
âThanking you? For what exactly? Loâak if anyone finds out, Aonung could-â
âRelax, bro- sheesh.â He rolled his eyes. âDefinitely didnât miss this,â he muttered under his breath. âLook, âTeyam, if I didnât come up with this plan, our poor sorry assed friend here would have never met his one and only Gorgeous LĂ˝n and fallen in lo-â
âI met her before the plan,â Aonung interrupted. He knew what Loâak was going to say, and he really wasnât in the mood for this conversation. âWhat does that matter though? Can we just talk about something else?â he snapped.
Loâak groaned into the palm of his hand. âBrother, do you see what I have had to put up with? I wish heâd wise up already. I'm getting tired of his shit. I should just go over there and tell LĂ˝n-â
âWould you shut the fuck up!â
Neteyam bit the inside of his cheek as he observed the metkayina male. Aonung glanced over at AyelĂ˝n as if making sure she hadnât heard his outburst.Â
âYouâre in love with her,â he stated, ignoring Aonungâs attempt at a scoff of indignation and continuing with, âTell me youâre not sleeping with her.â
Aonung didnât answer and that was all the clarification Neteyam needed.Â
âYouâre an idiot, you know that? Iâve been here all of two days and I know for sure that if you let that woman go, itâs going to be the biggest regret of your life.â
âWe have an agreement, Neteyam,â Aonung mumbled, not even putting up a fight. â...She doesnât feel the same way.â
Loâak snickered, and through a fake cough he muttered a rude remark that earned him a deadly glare. Thankfully his brother interrupted whatever Aonungâs retaliation would have been.Â
âShe doesnât?â Neteyam stared at him as if he was mad. âCause from what Iâve seen- it sure doesnât seem that way⌠You two sure fooled everyone- including each other⌠Have you even talked to AyelĂ˝n? Have you told her?â
âNo⌠But just last week she screamed her head off telling me she couldnât wait for this to finally be over.â
âRight. Now was that before or after you did something stupid?â
The skxawng couldnât even hide it. He snorted at the memory of LĂ˝nâs fiery gaze as she yelled at him for the stupid prank he, Kaii and Khalhan had pulled on her.Â
âWould you quit pissing off the woman you love? No wonder she canât wait to get away from you.â
âDonât think I could if I wanted to. Brother, every time she gets mad, her face morphs into the prettiest scowl Iâve ever seen, and then after that I just want to fuck her to make up for being an dick.â
Loâak snorted.
âSo you are in love with her then.â
Aonung paused, only just registering Neteyamâs love comment. âIâm n- I donât know,â he lied.
âYou donât know...â Neteyam shifted on his haunches and pointed over to where AyelĂ˝n sat. âLook me in the eye and tell me you donât love that woman over there.âÂ
LĂ˝n sat a few feet down the beach, chatting with a large group of women. Perched between Tsireya and a breastfeeding Xilä, she was all smiles at whatever the conversation was. Â
Aonungâs eyes tracked LĂ˝nâs movement.Â
And as if she could feel his stare, she glanced over at him. Brow raising, she and Aonung proceeded to have some sort of unspoken conversation that only the two of them could understand. Â
LĂ˝nâs head tilted in silent question and Aonung responded in turn, cunning gaze and quirked lips making the metkayina woman roll her eyes in faux annoyance. She was fighting a smile but it broke through right before she returned her attention to the women surrounding her.Â
Neteyam and Loâak who had watched the entire thing unfold, shared a knowing look.Â
âYeah, alrightâŚÂ Totally not in love with each other⌠Got it,â Neteyam said sarcastically as Loâak smothered his laughter. âWhat do your parents think of her? Have they caught on?â
âMy father hasnât- thank, Eywa⌠but Iâm pretty sure my mother has her suspicions. They both like her though- my mother especially.â
âHuh⌠Thought she hated everyone.â
âNope⌠She dragged AyelĂ˝n around yesterday, officially introducing her to our council as her daughter-in-law. And sheâs even meddling. The woman went and offered LĂ˝n a new role here at Awaâatlu. A menderâs apprentice.âÂ
âThatâs good though. LĂ˝n would be closer to you now, no?âÂ
âIf she takes it, then yeah.âÂ
âI donât understand.âÂ
âHeâs being stupid again,â Loâak chimed in. âTell him what you did, idiot.â
Aonung shifted. âLĂ˝n asked me whether I think she should accept the role or not⌠I told her Iâd think about it.â
Neteyam groaned as if in pain. âOh you poor, stupid soul. All she heard you say was donât take it.â
âAnd then what, âTeyam? Iâll have to see her around here all the time and I wonât have any claim to her! Honestly, the fact that she wasnât taken before baffles the fuck out of me. I have eyes- I see men watching her when they donât think Iâm looking. The second weâre through theyâll swoop right in! I mean have you seen her?!â Aonung was losing it now.
âShe is very pretty, yes,â Neteyam agreed with an amused smile.Â
âSheâs stunning. Sheâs sweetheart when sheâs ready, but sheâs also got this little attitude that just makes me fucking crazy⌠And sheâs so stubborn and she works herself tired everyday and all I want-â
âAll you want?â his friend pressed and this time Loâak had no snide comment- this time he stared at his friend with true concern.Â
âAll I want is to take care of her, alright,â he snapped.Â
Neteyam smiled. ââŚAlright⌠So, what are you going to do to make that happen?âÂ
~
Strolling along wet sand, LĂ˝nâs mind plagued her.Â
She had but a handful of days left with Aonung. With desperate measures, she tried to formulate a plan for how sheâd handle the separation.Â
Her heartbreak was not the only one she worried over. As a consequence of her own actions, she knew the news would also be hard on her family.
Her parents had grown fond of Aonung- her father even called him son. Kaiiff would take it the hardest of course- AyelĂ˝n knew he looked up to Aonung.Â
Thankfully, a gleeful shriek and excited squeal pulled Lýn from her thoughts.
Her attention drifted to Zyden- Neteyam and Xiläâs son- the baby walking on slightly wobbly legs as his uncle Loâak held one of his hands- helping him stomp and splash at the gentle waves rolling on shore.Â
She smiled at the little oneâs baby talk, jumbled babbles filled with the few words he knew- mamas and dadas and fishies in an odd but cute mixture of both English and Naâvi.
The Sully family were amazing people.Â
Her time spent with them had been surprisingly wonderful, and while they were the ones visiting her home, she felt very much welcomed by them.Â
Accompanying the Sullys were Neteyamâs in-laws.Â
There were Xiläâs parents- Jxo, who LĂ˝n found to be extremely intimidating- even when he held his grandchildren and Sal- her mother, who looked as if sheâd give Slwen good competition for who could be the rowdiest.Â
Dâavi- Xiâs sister, who had a little baby bump sprouting, was hilarious in her own way. She teased LĂ˝n constantly about Aonung once she found out they were courting. Thankfully YalnĂŻk- Dâaviâs husband rescued her countless times by interrupting- bringing their children along- the most adorable twins LĂ˝n had ever met.Â
Xilä was who she especially had become fast friends with however.
LĂ˝n had friends, but very few of them made her feel the way Xi did. Xi had an energy that made just about anyone love her instantly.Â
As the days went on, LĂ˝n stuck close with Dâavi, Kiri, Xi and Tuk throughout the different ceremonies- each one more elaborate than the next.Â
Guests from all over Pandora arrived at different times- some visiting for a feast or two, whilst others stayed for it all- each of them bearing grand gifts for the soon to be mated pair.Â
LĂ˝n had no idea that the celebrations would be this big, but when she really thought about it- of course it would be.Â
It was the union of the offspring of two esteemed Olo'eyktans; Jake Sully- the legendary Toruk Makto and Tonowari- leader of fifty villages- the largest clan spanning the seas.Â
~
A few days later, as night crept slowly, Lýn approached Aonung and the small group he sat with on the beach.
With a friendly, âHi,â she tried to crouch next to Aonung, but he scooped her up instead, seating her between his propped thighs.Â
He was pleased that she didnât mind this and instead settled comfortably against his chest without a fuss.Â
âZyden is adorable,â she complimented Neteyam and Xilä, smiling at the baby who was currently rather entertained with the sand.Â
Little toes and tail wiggling excitedly, he was grabbing tiny handfuls and dropping them into Loâakâs waiting palm. The two of them had been inseparable since the Sullyâs arrival.Â
âThank you,â Neteyam replied, and Xilä smiled in thanks from where she was leaning on her husband. âAre you and Aonung planning to wait long after your ceremony to start trying?â
AyelĂ˝n frowned, not understanding, whilst Aonung gave Neteyam the dirtiest glare he could muster over the top of LĂ˝nâs head.Â
âChildren,â Neteyam confirmed. âHaving your own little ones, I meant.âÂ
âAonung told me he was hoping to have at least five the last time we visited.â
AyelĂ˝n coughed, choking on air as she knocked her chest. Aonung fussed over her in serious worry, rubbing her back whilst Loâak laughed his ass off- even little Zyden joined in as if it were the funniest thing in the world, despite not understanding.Â
âYouâve gone and traumatized the poor girl, handsome,â Xilä murmured to her grinning mate, chiding him lightly yet unable to hide her own amusement.Â
âSorryâŚâ LĂ˝n cleared her throat, patting Aonungâs thigh in reassurance that she was okay. âWe um- havenât talked about children yet.âÂ
âGorgeous, heâs just messing with you,â Aonung said, soothing his hands down her arms, and then to Neteyam he mouthed, âFuck off!â
Thank Eywa the conversation changed after that.
~
As the night wore on, their little group grew.
Rotxo arrived first, followed by Tsireya who instantly cuddled up with Loâak. Kiri and Spider joined soon after, then a couple others LĂ˝n hadnât had much interactions with; Wâaote and three other men who were all part of Loâakâs patrol team back at Home Camp, and Tasam- Kiriâs courting partner.Â
Little Zyden was all tuckered out and slept sprawled on his fatherâs chest- sleeping deep enough that the noise around him didnât seem to be a bother.Â
It was a fun, rowdy group. They talked about everything, from stupid, silly stories to serious conversation on matters that concern their clans.Â
âYouâve gone quiet,â Aonung whispered to her, tugging her hair to the side to kiss her exposed neck. Â
She shivered from his touch.Â
âAre you ready to head back home?âÂ
Home.Â
Aonung probably hadnât realized what he was saying LĂ˝n thought, but sheâd picked up on his words over the past week and some.Â
Everything he said hurt her just a little bit- our bed, our home, our hideaway, our, our, our.
âLĂ˝n.â
âHmm?â She blinked away her thoughts, head tilting to catch his gaze, not surprised when he kissed her the second her lips were within reach.Â
âReady to head home?â
She wanted to⌠more than anything. But they were two days away from the end of their plan. They were supposed to be distancing themselves- in a fight.Â
âI shouldnât,â she whispered back. âThe plan-â
âShh,â he kissed her again, palm cupping her cheek. âNot tonight. Please just stay.â
And of course, no matter how many times sheâd said no to him, she always gave in.Â
âOkay.âÂ
~
Two days later, on the morning of the final blessing ceremony, before Loâak and Tsireyaâs mated bonding, as Ronal led the congregation in harmonic chant⌠LĂ˝n cried.Â
~
Ambling around Aonungâs little marui, AyelĂ˝n collected her things, item by item. She did so with a heavy heart however, knowing that the end had come for her and Aonung.Â
Theyâd put it off time and time again, but this round was different. This round was the end.
While she shoved a simple tweng into her satchel, Aonung entered and stopped short at the sight of her- stomach instantly sinking in dread.Â
At a quick glance around, most of her things were already missing. He hated it already- his home looked empty without her things mingled with his.Â
âWhat are you doing?â
âOh- hey,â she greeted, unable to turn around and face him. Her throat burned and eyes stung. âIâm packing.âÂ
âI see that⌠Why?â
âWhat do you mean why? This was the plan,â she said, trying to keep the bite from her tone. LĂ˝n walked over and knelt on his messy sleeping mats, lifting and feeling around as she searched. âHave you seen my shell necklace?â
âLĂ˝n.â
âCould have sworn I took it off before falling asleep last night,â she mumbled. Giving up, she stood and resumed the packing of her bag. Â
âLĂ˝n-â
âHow do you want to stage the fight, by the way?âÂ
Aonung rubbed his temple and fought to keep his irritation at bay. âFight? What fight?â
âMm. The argument you suggested? Donât tell me you forgot. Weâve had this planned for months now, Aonung. Iâm supposed to break your heart, remember?â
âAyelĂ˝n-â
âAnd of course youâve forgotten, but come on Aonung, this was your plan.â
In truth, it was her fault for not bringing it up last night- her fault for not asking him to clarify the plan for today.
Instead she had selfishly basked in everything that was him- fucking away her sadness and clinging on to the little time she had left with him.
âAyelĂ˝n!â he yelled. âLook at me.â
Fingers clenched tightly around the handle of her satchel, she released it and turned. Slowly. Keeping her expression as closed off as possible.Â
âYou want to stage the fight? Thatâs what you want?â he asked, eyes tracking every inch of her face for a telling lie.Â
âItâs what we planned to-â
âI didnât ask you that, AyelĂ˝n.â
She blew out a frustrated breath. âWhat do you want from me, Aonung? I donât understand why youâre asking me that?âÂ
He clicked his tongue. âI think you should take that role my mother offered you.â
AyelĂ˝n blinked. She shook her head in confusion, feeling a distinct feeling of whiplash.Â
Why was he bringing that up now?! Â
âUm⌠Are you sure? You didnât seem pleased about it when I first brought it up.â
âI wasnât.â
â...Can I ask why?â
âBecause at the time I was being selfish to protect myself. Because if you did, then that would mean Iâd have no choice but to see you everyday after this- after we ended.â
LĂ˝n looked away, pretending his words didnât hurt. She failed to keep the bitterness out of her tone when she asked, âWhat changed your mind then?âÂ
âI found out something quite interesting,â he replied as he approached her slowly.
âDid you?â
âYouâre in love with me.â
LĂ˝nâs jaw fell open, then snapped with an audible click of her teeth while a sense of dread that heâd found out, flooded her.Â
âIâm no-â
âYou arenât?âÂ
âAonung-â
âTell me something, LĂ˝n... What am I going to do if you fall in love with someone else one day?â
She folded her arms with a scoff. âI think youâll survive,â she snarked. Her walls were all the way up and she hated that he was still able to rile her up this easily.
âI wonât.â He shrugged, still creeping towards her. âWhat about you? Hm? What are you going to do if I fall in love with someone else one day?â
She said nothing to this, expression confused as she tried to keep up with the conversation.
âWill you really be okay pretending you never cared about me at all?â
She froze, not only at the question, but realizing how close heâd gotten to her, had her panicked.
âAdmit it. Tell me you love me.âÂ
âWhere is this even coming from? I donât love you.â
âLiar.â
âAonung-â
âI heard you, AyelĂ˝n. I heard you and Xilä talking a few nights ago.â
âFuck.âÂ
âIt was just talk, part of the act,â she mumbled.
âI donât believe you.âÂ
LĂ˝nâs face scrunched as she prepared for rejection. She wasnât even given a second to think because he was talking again, and this time his words had her head spinning.Â
âMaybe youâll admit it to me then, if I said it first?âÂ
She inhaled sharply.Â
âWill that work for you, gorgeous? If I said it first?âÂ
âYou- you donât love me.â
âI donât?â
âDo you?â
His gaze was intense and LĂ˝n felt annoyance bubble in her chest from the sight of the stupid smirk playing at his lips.Â
This was probably some big joke to him.Â
âIt doesnât matter,â she said, turning her back on him to add the last of her things in her satchel.Â
That was not the reaction he was expecting.Â
âIt doesnât matter?â His brows narrowed in upset. âThe fuck does that mean, AyelĂ˝n?âÂ
âNo⌠Because then what?!â She rounded on him, eyes fiery and full with hurt. âIâm not so naive to think that you actually- ! The whole point of me pretending to court you was-â
âAre you serious?â He stood straighter, disbelief and distress radiating off of him. âLook Iâm not sure at what point exactly that things officially changed, but be honest with yourself, AyelĂ˝n. Did any of that feel like pretending to you?!â
âAonung-â
âI want you.â
âN-â
âI want you, LĂ˝n. No pretense. All real. Everyday. Forever.âÂ
Ayelýn was not a crier, but his words hit her so powerful, everything inside of her crumbled.
Hesitating, she took the bait.Â
âIncluding courtship? For real.âÂ
âIs that what you want?â
âYes. Iâm not a stupid plaything.â
âYou arenât,â he agreed gently, forcing himself to not push her too fast- hope still there. "Courting gifts?â he asked in slight teasing.Â
âYes⌠you never did actually get me any.â
He bit down a smile. âMeeting of the families?â
âYes.â
âThose long overbearing, traditional bonding ceremonies?â
âYes.â
â...Mating? Tsaheylu mating?â
LĂ˝n bit her lip, trying not to crack a smile. She failed. âIs there any other kind of mating?â
âHey. Iâm only trying to be clear with your demands over here.â
A breathy laugh escaped her at that. âThen yes, tsaheylu mating.â
âOkay.â
âJust like thatâŚ? Youâre going to give me everything?â
âJust like that, gorgeous.â He stepped into her space. âBut you have to agree first.âÂ
It was that tone again. The one that confused her to pieces sometimes.
âAonung. Iâm not playing a game right now.â
âThatâs good, cause neither am I.â He was a hair's breadth away from her now, fingers coming up to tangle in her hair- thumb tracing her jaw.Â
âYouâre annoyingly difficult to stay away from, you know that?â
His forehead fell onto hers. âThen donât make it difficult. Tell me you want me forever and Iâm yours. Tell me you love me and I swear, Iâll do my best to be the best mate I could be. I won't be perfect..â
Lýn swallowed.
âBut Iâll take care of you, and you can boss me around like wives normally do sometimes- kind of like what you already do when you tell me Iâm being stupid whenever I get in my head and start behaving like an ass.âÂ
âAonung-â
âAnd Iâll keep you, LĂ˝n.â
She sniffled.Â
âYou say it all the time- as a joke, I know⌠But Iâm dead serious right now... Iâll keep you and love you. And Iâll take care of your family- and Keftxo.âÂ
He swiped away her tears.Â
âI'm a good man now because of you.âÂ
âHush⌠Youâve always been a good man,â she croaked.Â
âBetter now, I should say.âÂ
Aonung cupped her face with both hands, lifting his head to see all of her.Â
âI love you, AyelĂ˝n. Pretty sure I have since the first moment we met when I found you kicking and cursing at that damn deathtrap of yours.âÂ
âCanoe,â she corrected through a teary laugh, eyes swimming in adoration for the man before her.Â
He chuckled too, a tad choked up himself. âI love you and I want you forever, LĂ˝n.âÂ
Index finger hooking and tugging him down by the cord around his neck LĂ˝n nodded- a sweet smile playing on her lips- the action causing their noses to brush.Â
 â...I love you, Aonung. Every part of you, inside out. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.âÂ
Aonungâs face split into a wide grin. In one fell swoop, he scooped her up by the thighs, lifting her high up his waist as her legs and arms wrapped around him.Â
âYou want me?â
She laughed as he nipped her lips playfully.Â
âYes.â
âIâm half expecting you to tell me you have rules,â he teased.Â
âOhh I do. I am telling you right now, I am not popping out five babies.â
He cackled at that, head tossed back in pure glee. Â
âFair enough,â he agreed. âHey, LĂ˝n,â he called.
âHmm?â she hummed, pecking that little birthmark on the corner of his mouth.
âSay it again⌠Tell me you want me.â
LĂ˝n kissed him first. A feverish kind filled with a dose of desperation that came from raw and excessive longing. The kind that was long overdue- the kind that released all the pent up energy that came from avoiding their true feelings.Â
âI want you, you skxawng.â
âI want you too, gorgeous.â
~
And that's it folks!
Thank you for reading, commenting and liking! Thank you for your patience and a special thank you to @iwannabeapinkaesthetic for the inspo for this fic to come to life!
It was a joy writing my very first Aonung story, and so much fun creating Lýn.
As always, please let me know what you think and I hope to see you in my next one.
So sad itâs over but this is definitely one of those stories, like Safe Haven, that I WILL be re-reading over and over again đŠ seeing all my favourite characters together, had the shaking-excitement feeling working overtime !! I love your work and will never stop preaching about it đŞ
Summery: Pressured by his parents to enter a formal courtship, Aonung rebels in his own way and what starts as a ruse, turns into something real.Â
Note before reading: This is a spin off of my Safe Haven Series.
Reading Safe Haven is not necessary to follow this story.
Some characters have been aged up. Aonung in particular is 25.
Ayelýn is my own creation. *Pronounced Aye-Lin
Warning!! This part is pretty much pure smut.
~
Part 5 - When They Fucked II
The deep rumble of Aonungâs grunt of annoyance sent a rippling vibration through AyelĂ˝nâs body.
With another warning, he pushed her hand away.Â
âItâs not- ngh!â A strangled whine broke from her lips as his thrusts sped up. LĂ˝n tried yet again to reach a hand between them- to where they were joined, but the skxawng snatched her hand away. Again!
âStop, LĂ˝n,â he said firmly, pinning her wrist above her head.Â
âItâs not going to work,â she snapped, fixing him with the sternest glare she could muster. It was difficult⌠especially because her entire body was thrumming with pleasure.Â
Like an annoying sneeze that refused to come, LĂ˝n felt her impending orgasm lingering- right there on the cusp. It was so close, she could just about taste it. All she needed was the slightest hint of attention on her poor clit. She couldnât come without the stimulation of it- sheâd never had.Â
But Aonung, like a stubborn man on mission, was adamant that she didnât need it- that he could make her come alone from his âoh so wondrous co-â
LĂ˝n gasped when he suddenly pulled out of her.Â
Feeling empty as her walls pulsed around nothing, he manhandled her into another position. And with a yelp, she was flipped onto her stomach. Hips drawn up to bring her to her knees, in one swift thrust, she was filled again.Â
They moaned in unison as they adjusted to the new angle.
He was so far in- it was as though she forgot how to breathe. So deep it felt as if he were in her lungs- her throat. And when he began to move, she saw stars.Â
Fingers tightening in her hair, he yanked her head back and mouthed along the span of her exposed neck.
âYou feel amazing, gorgeous. Soo, fucking tight and-â he grunted when she clamped around him.Â
Hips setting a ruthless pace against hers, LĂ˝n whined and keened- barely able to hold herself up as her fingers clenched into fits around the material of the mats beneath them. She quaked at the tug of her tail and was so far gone, all thoughts from her mind were wiped clean.Â
Breasts shaking with every jerk, on one particular thrust, Aonung hit something inside of her that made her cry out. Her back bowed as she ached into it and- Eywa.Â
âAyelĂ˝n,â he growled into her skin. He could feel her fluttering around him, squeezing him so tight he damn near came.Â
When he reared up onto his knees, he slipped out for a fraction of a second despite her mewling protest. He pumped himself once, twice, before lining up and slamming back into her with a powerful thrust, using her hips as leverage.
LĂ˝nâs arms gave out as white hot pleasure wrecked her- face hiding in the crook of her arm.Â
Near delirious as she came, the tides didnât stop- she felt it from the tingling of her scalp- hair fisted in Aonungâs hand- to the ends of her toes and the tip of her tail.Â
And all the while her body spasmed, Aonung talked her through it- drawing out her climax with languid thrusts, murmuring sweet words of praise in her ear.Â
Not long after that, he spilled into her, releasing a deep, satisfied sigh as if coming home from a long journey.Â
~
âTold you I could make you come like that,â he gloated, nipping her hip bone. He smothered his chuckle into her tummy when LĂ˝n smacked him with her tail.Â
Sprawled on her back, her chest was still heaving as she recovered. Aonung had slipped one of her legs over his shoulder when heâd settled between her thighs, chin perched on the same spot heâd just kissed as he peered up at her.Â
A hint of light broke through the hideaway, signaling that morning was near, yet neither of them hustled to right themselves- both secretly wanting to stay in their little bubble just a while longer.Â
Since their heated encounter a few weeks ago, there was an undeniable change between the two of them. Subtle at first, it had flickered into a maddening and almost uncontrollable fire.Â
When it started, LĂ˝n had made halfhearted objections, reminding him of her rules- despite the fact that theyâd already been broken on multiple occasions.
But Aonung was ridiculously persuasive and she just about folded every time he promised itâd be, âthe last time.âÂ
Oh the liar.
It beganâŚ
With kissing.
Needy, frantic kisses- all for show of course- when a very persistent Ezly kept trying to get Aonungâs attention at another feast theyâd attended- despite the fact that it was well known by now that he and LĂ˝n were in âa secure courtship.â
Followed then by soft goodbye pecks that LĂ˝n would try to shy away from, only for Aonung to claim her lips entirely and have her caving in seconds.Â
Then there were the kisses that came naturally, almost as if there was no thought to it- fleeting little things that happened in the blink of an eye- her, bringing him a drink of water while he and his team were sweat soaked from working on rebuilding a Keftxo pier- and him, ducking to brush his lips over hers in thanks.Â
They happened so often now that LĂ˝n found herself leaning in expectantly in moments she thought heâd kiss her- even freezing once or twice in embarrassment when sheâd read the moment wrong. Aonung read her all too clearly however- his grin would be so wild and wicked while she feebly denied her intentions- words quieting as he gladly silenced her with his lips.Â
Gradually, their public displays of affection continued in private, with a feverish intimacy that confused them both when they eventually went their separate ways.
Aonungâs hideaway had become a secret haven for them- one that was put to good use in the past couple weeks.Â
Any excuse was used to end up at the little shack, and although they skirted around each other, playing with fire in an odd sort of foreplay that turned bickering into flirting- without fail they collided- exploring each other's bodies with a passionate intensity.Â
It wasnât always passionate though.
Sometimes it was playful and sweet, others simply exploratory, where they taught each other what they liked. There were of course the moments where it was pure animalist fucking- raw and savage that left them with bites and bruises.Â
And then there was the type that they both secretly liked the most- the one that didnât feel like fucking. It was the type of fuck that felt like making loveâŚ
But no matter the kind, after each time, while they basked in the afterglow, they talked.Â
Some nights theyâd whisper and giggle as they swapped childhood stories. Some mornings, on the brink of sleep and wake, theyâd revealed hidden fears- him, not knowing if he was good enough to be Olo'eyktan, and her- worried about the unknown, about her future.Â
There were also the rare occasions their tongues slipped up- admitting things theyâd buried deep inside of them-Â
I want you to keep me forever.
And...Â
I wish you were mine.
- all said when they were both delirious and reeling from multiple orgasms- sweat slicked skin, roaming hands and mouths playing between hovering and fused as though trying to steal each other's last breaths.Â
Today however, they were content to just be.Â
Aonung drew shapes along her skin with his fingers, the digits trailing up the side of her thigh and over her flat stomach- circling her belly button.
It was quiet and calm- comfortable, and like always, they didnât acknowledge what theyâd just done.Â
LĂ˝n smiled lazily- the kind of blissful smile she usually gave him after a thorough fuck. She cupped his cheek and ran a thumb across his bottom lip.Â
âYouâre beautiful,â she murmured, staring at him.Â
He kissed her palm in thanks, doing a terrible job at not blushing.Â
He didnât fucking blush.
And when he peered back at her- she had to look away- heart beating with a little bit of excitement, a little bit of fear.
It was that look again.
The one that spoke deep meaning.
The one she mistook for loveâŚ
After collecting her thoughts, she was the first to make a move. Aonung groaned grumpily, but let her untangle herself from him.Â
âItâs still early,â he complained, sprawling onto his back without a shred of modesty.Â
âIâve been late twice already this week,â she said, reaching for her discarded tweng. âSlwenâs known for her hash warnings and you know sheâs not quiet when she speaks. I think sheâs on to me.âÂ
âSlwen likes me- just tell her youâve been with me.â
LĂ˝n laughed. âAnd be given another lecture like the one my mother gave us? Yeah, no way.âÂ
Tweng secured low on her waist, she scanned the mat covered floor in search of her top while her hands desperately tried to tame her wild hair.Â
Aonung covertly tucked her top a little more under him with a smirk, enjoying the view of her pacing. Her pretty little breasts had love bites scattered all over them. It was the only place she let him leave his marks.Â
âHave you seen my top?âÂ
âNo,â he lied.Â
LĂ˝n zeroed in on him and held out her hand expectantly. It was not the first time heâd tried this.Â
âAonung, come on, we have duties to get to today. I already have a long swim ahead of me.âÂ
He obliged and got to his feet. âLet me drop you off, my skimwing will be faster.â
âYou canât,â she said, turning her back to him when he gestured for her to, and lifting her hair as he helped her with the ties of her top. âYou have trainees to meet with this morning, remember?â
âThey can wait,â he mumbled, pressing a kiss to her nape as he hugged her from behind- one hand sneaking up to fondle a breast.Â
âBe nice to them, today.â
His face screwed up at that and before he could talk, she was speaking again.Â
âTheyâre just kids and they look up to you.â
âTheyâre not kids- and also, did they seriously tell on me?!âÂ
They had.Â
Lýn had thought it quite amusing, yet adorable when the teenagers had shyly approached her to say hello during one of her visits to the main village.
Mid conversation- Anoungâs overly strict tendencies had come up, and though to the trainees she supported their leaderâs choices, she still found herself speaking on their behalf.
She turned in Aonungâs arms to smile at him. âThatâs not important. Just be a smidge nicer, yeah?â She moved to walk away, but Aonung pulled her back to him with a firm tug on her tail.Â
One large palm sinking into the strands at her nape, he gave her a firm kiss.
And when he pulled away, his face was a mask of seriousness. âWe need to talk later,â he said without releasing her from his hold.Â
She licked her lips with a frown. âAbout?â
âI heard you had a visitor a few days ago. Why didnât you tell me?âÂ
LĂ˝n rolled her eyes. âWho told you? Kaii? My mother?âÂ
âNo, your father actually.âÂ
She snickered. âI swear, you two are such terrible gossips.âÂ
But Aonung was not laughing. âWhy didnât you tell me Ezly visited you?âÂ
Trying to deflect, she glanced downward at the appendage currently poking her. âCan you put that thing away if you insist on talking about this?âÂ
Aonung sighed and let her go.
In the few seconds it took him to find his tweng and cover himself up, LĂ˝n inconspicuously tried to sneak out. Before she could cross the threshold however, Aonung was quickly snagging her around the waist and tutting in disappointment.Â
He kept her pinned with his body against a bamboo beam. âWeâre not done talking, LĂ˝n. You still havenât told me why-â
âBecause of this,â she pointed at him. âYou always get so worked up-â
âAyelĂ˝n.â
âAlmighty Eywa!â she hissed. âNothing terrible happened, alright? Erzo-â
âEzly.â
She rolled her eyes again. âHer, yes... She came by all rude and huffy, telling me that it was only a matter of time before you ended things- that youâd grow bored of me- which is nothing I havenât heard before- but this was much more worse than your other little heartbroken women- youâd swear she owned you! I told her she might as well just peed on you like a stupid dorado verde trying to keep predators away from its pilfered carcasses with how she was behaving.âÂ
Aonung snorted. âYou told her that?â
LĂ˝n shrugged. âWell yeah⌠and-â she mumbled something that didnât quite reach his ears.
âI didnât get that last part, gorgeous,â he said, shaking his head.Â
âI mightâve- sort of⌠made her cry- just a little!â
He blinked- lips curling into a wry smile. âYou made⌠Ezly⌠cry?â
She showed him her index fingers- fingertips inches away from each other. âJust a little,â she admitted with a pout.
Aonung released a breathy laugh and pecked her jutting bottom lip. âWhat am I going to do with you?â
âKeep me,â she wanted to say. So she did, keeping her tone light. âKeep me.â
âFine by me,â he answered, lifting her in his arms.Â
She sank further into his embrace. âYou owe me by the way⌠Elzra and I had a serious conversation. I know for sure she wasnât pleased, but I believe sheâs gotten the message now⌠I donât think sheâll be bothering you anymore.â
âThank Eywa for you, gorgeous,â he said before covering her mouth with his.
Fuck.Â
She was definitely going to be late again.Â
~
Awaâatlu was the busiest LĂ˝n had ever seen.Â
They were after all preparing for an event that rivaled all others.Â
Visitors from not only from the Omaticaya clan were all traveling to Awaâatlu to celebrate the official union of Loâak and Tsireya.Â
Fishing expeditions occurred in grand fanfare as fleets returned with double the amount of their usual hauls.
Harvest gatherers and land hunters, stockpiled the villageâs cashes and many worked overtime on the more time consuming matters- meat and fish smoked or salted, grains ground into flour and nectar painstakingly collected from pods.Â
The beach and sea were combed for any hint of debris. Torches and fire pits- including a massive bonfire in the center of their communal area were constructed, and extravagant designs- tapestries, painted fabrics and flora arrangements were scattered in harmonic decor.Â
A multitude of temporary mauri pods along the northern sealine were also constructed in preparation for the influx of guests the village was expecting, whilst drums and flutes were tweaked and tuned- their melody flowing through as songs were practiced.Â
Fermented and brewed ales and wines were dug up from their resting place and LĂ˝n spotted many with busy hands as they put finishing touches on their garmented designs.Â
The Sully family in particular were arriving a few days before the designated festivities were to begin- expected to land in the early hours of tomorrow morning, and LĂ˝n, to both her and Aonungâs surprise, had been asked by Ronal to be present at the greeting party.Â
Not only that but the TsahĂŹk also expected LĂ˝n to be part of all the traditional festivities and ceremonies spreading across the next two weeks⌠something LĂ˝n was quite nervous about.Â
One of these ceremonies included the official meeting of the two families- something that was traditionally done in the earlier stages of a coupleâs courtship, but allowances had been made because of the evident distance.
It was also a tradition that was strictly practiced by the couples family.Â
LĂ˝n wasnât family.
~
When night came, she made her way to the pod she had been directed to.
Aonungâs private mauri was small but cozy and far more homey than the shack on his little island.Â
Tossing her overstuffed satchel of things onto his table, LĂ˝n spun in a slow circle, taking in his space for the first time.Â
He had a couple collections of odd knick-knacks, a plethora of weapons and fishing gear and surprisingly, even a few hanging plants that appeared to be well kept.Â
His sleep mats- although untidy, looked inviting. LĂ˝n wasnât tired, yet she wanted nothing more than to sink into them- she bet they smelled like Aonung.Â
Instead, she perched behind his little table and waited for him whilst fiddling with the odd human-made device sheâd seen him use to communicate with other clans.Â
At the sight of her when he finally entered a while later, he grinned like a child given a treat and LĂ˝n couldnât help the stupid giggle that bubbled at her chest.Â
âWhat are you so happy about?â she asked, twisting to face him.Â
âI have lured the AyelĂ˝n Te Azuei Lou'ite into my home. What man wouldnât be happy?â he half joked as he hung up the towel that had been resting around his shoulders and the soap pouch dangling from his fingers. Â
âOh shush! Iâm still not sure how you managed to convinced me of this. I can still go home, you know? Itâs not even that late. Iâm sure Iâll get here on time tomorrow and I donât see why I need to stay for all two weeks.âÂ
He huffed as if saying, âNot this argument again.âÂ
Placing a palm dramatically over his chest, he approached her. âWhy must you always wound me with your words?â His hands reached for her expectantly, and she allowed him to pull her to her feet. âYouâre always trying to leave me.âÂ
âAm I?â she whispered, eyes closing when his clean scent washed over her.
A soft sigh escaped her as she let him kiss her- head tilting to the left as he went to the right.Â
Threading his fingers through her hair, he claimed control of her movement, bending her to his will as her palms trailed up his chest- one resting flat over his heartbeat while other reached high to cup his neck- fingertips toying with hair strands she found there.
Nothing between them felt like pretending anymore.
âAonung,â she murmured as he forged a path down her throat. Something in her core tightened and LĂ˝n knew she was seconds away from making another terrible decision- one that would make things harder when it came time to end them.Â
After selfishly stealing a couple more kisses, she reluctantly broke their connection. âWe should sleep.â
He swallowed and gave a shaky nod, failing to mask his disappointment. âSleep⌠Right.âÂ
âMhm. We have a busy day tomorrow. An early one too.â
It was why Aonung suggested LĂ˝n stay with him from that night on, so that she didnât have to wake at an unreasonable hour to make the journey over. Sheâd found it logical yes- but didnât think it was a good idea for them to share a space⌠much less for her to stay the entirety of the two week celebration.Â
But of course, and to no surprise, she folded.Â
AyelĂ˝n wasnât even surprised that the man was also able to get her parents to agree to it as well- even promising her brother heâd craft him his very own official spear since he would be stealing LĂ˝n away for so long.Â
Soon enough, AyelĂ˝n was settling in and making herself comfortable in Aonungâs sleep mats. And she was right⌠they did smell like him.Â
Aonung sat near the edge of the fabric. He pulled her feet into his lap and tickled the underside of one foot, gaining a playful kick to the chest in retaliation.Â
Crashing waves in the distance echoed comfortingly and a cool breeze blew into the marui.Â
For AyelĂ˝n, it all felt rather domestic. Sheâd already eaten dinner with him and his family that evening. Now here she was, curled on her side, observing him as his fingers released his hair from its usual tidy bun.Â
âShould I be worried about meeting Toruk Makto and his family tomorrow?âÂ
âNo, why?â
âAonung, Iâm not family, and I know your mother was the one to invite me but-â
âI want you there tomorrow,â he said firmly. âI want you to meet the Sullys. I want you to meet Neteyam and Xilä, and their son.â His hands abandoned his hair to squeeze around her ankle, one palm running up her calf. âWhen you start to feel that stupid feeling like you donât belong there with us, just know that I want you there. Yeah?â
ââŚYeah.â
LĂ˝n hid her blush under the pretense of adjusting herself into a more comfortable position. Once settled, she nibbled on the tip of her thumb and squinted at the man before her.Â
âCan I ask you something?â
âSure, gorgeous,â he said as he continued with the twists to the front of his hair.Â
âWhatâs the real reason you donât want a mate?âÂ
âWho said I donât want a mate?â
âUm, you did? When you asked me to help you with this elaborate plan of yours.âÂ
Aonung shook out his loose hair with a sigh, digits combing through the strands. He looked good like this, she thought. His curls were long and shiny and she was itching to run her fingers through them.Â
âI want a mate. I want a wife.â
LĂ˝n swallowed. âThen why-â
âItâs difficult to explain.âÂ
âTry,â she whispered.
He held her gaze for a long minute- expression soft and one of vulnerability.Â
âBeing who I am, sometimes I canât tell when women are-â His brows scrunched, and he shook his head. âThey donât see me. They see, son of Tonowari. The chief's son. Future Olo'eyktan⌠And I know I am those things- thereâs no escaping it... But I'm tired of being casted in my fatherâs shadow.â
His hands found her foot again whilst he spoke. Fingers tracing her ankle, thumb pressing into the ball of her foot.Â
âI liked this one girl when I was dumb teenager. Thought Iâd ask her to court once I completed my rites⌠but thankfully I didnât since I overheard her and her friends gushing that she'd managed to nab the chiefâs son and what it meant for her- her title. Her status. Her, her, her. âÂ
Aonung snorted self-deprecatingly. âI wasnât Aonung. I was a goal to her. A fucking thing to win⌠Anyway, from then on I found that women tend to only want me because of my title. It gets them attention. Other men are suddenly interested in them- because theyâre seen with me.â
He rolled his eyes. âAnd sure, maybe it wasnât all of them, but they began to blur, and it was hard to tell who was being genuine⌠So over time, of it happening over and over again, and getting hurt- I leaned into it. I lowered my expectations and gave no fucks.â
His thumb rubbed along the space above her heel, and LĂ˝n had to bite back a moan. His fingers felt sinful and it wasnât appropriate for her to, given that he was currently opening up to her.Â
âSo yeah, itâs not that I donât want a mate. I do. But I donât want a loveless match⌠I donât want to have children and spend an eternity with someone I only bonded with out of honor and duty. My parents did it and were lucky to eventually find love⌠But I canât. Iâve seen the unlucky ones with my own eyes. I donât want that.â
âAonung,â LĂ˝n whispered, as though feeling his pain. âThank you for telling me,â she said gratefully. âI understand⌠and I hate that for you. You deserve love to find that love youâre looking for.âÂ
He gave her a sincere smile of appreciation. âWhat about you?â
âMe?â she asked, shifting onto her back and nudging her other foot into his hands, sighing in relief when he began to massage it.Â
âMhm,â he hummed, eyes trailing up her body, from the feet in his lap to her slightly parted thighs, to her chest that was barely covered by a strip of cloth, patched with tiny seashells, to then finally landing on her face- eyes closing as she enjoyed his working fingers.Â
âWhyâs no man managed to grab you up yet?âÂ
Lýn snorted at his wording but since he was so open with her she decided to be honest too.
âActually, a couple months before we met, I thought I was going to be.â
Aonung swallowed but managed to keep his tone leveled. âWho was he?â
âHeâs a patroller from the Malti village. We met at a clan gathering and he was sweet and attentive. He had a way with words and he made me think that we really did have a future⌠I mean it wasnât love butâŚâÂ
âWhat happened?â
âKeftxo, I think? He ended it after saying that it was too far a journey to make each time to see me⌠that the courting phase would never last.â
âThatâs the poorest fucking excuse Iâve ever heard. Awaâatlu is farther than Multi is to Kefto and I make the journey out almost everyday!âÂ
âI know,â LĂ˝n said gently. âSeeing that had me rethinking the entire thing. Maybe he just didnât want me anymore, or maybe he just hated Ketfxo.â
âWell, his fucking loss then,â Aonung grumbled while he crawled in beside her, snagging her around the waist and making himself comfortable.Â
LĂ˝n turned in his arms, fingers coming up to fiddle with the talon around his neck and Aonung stayed still, watching her through hooded eyelids. She brushed a strand of hair off his cheek and traced down the line of his jaw, letting the tips of her fingers linger over his lips.Â
If this moment could last forever, he would take it.Â
Fingers still trailing, they burned a path downwards, stopping over his heartbeat.Â
Calm washed over Aonung, and all he wanted was to be closer to her. He pulled her to him and affectionately nosed the space at the junction of her neck.
âCan I make you come?â he asked against her skin, fingers playing with the material on her hip.Â
His request was so soft and casual, one would think he was simply asking for them to go on a late night stroll.Â
AyelĂ˝nâs body responded without her permission. She craved him, yet a tiny part of her rebelled. Her fingers sank in his hair- on their own accord, marveled by its softness.Â
âDidnât we agree that none of it ever happened and that we would never talk about it? As in never, ever?â
âMmm, you agreed, yeah... I didnât.âÂ
âAonung⌠Iâm not sleeping with you again. Itâs a bad idea- you know it too.â
His head lifted out from her neck. âWho said anything about sleeping?â he asked in faux innocence. âI was planning to fuck you, AyelĂ˝n. I wanna hear those little noises you make just for me.âÂ
LĂ˝n squeezed her thighs together despite rolling her eyes in annoyance- though, she wasnât really. âDo you only ever think with your dick?â
âNot always. My fingers and tongue do a lot of thinking too⌠and my tail.â He wiggled his brows. âAnd I know youâre into that.â
Head tossed backwards, she cackled. âOh that was good. That was really good. No wonder you lure so many women in here- and speaking of-â She shuffled. âI hope these mats are clean.âÂ
Sheâd meant it as a joke, but an odd expression crossed his face.Â
âWhat?â
âI donât- I never brought women here.â
LĂ˝nâs heart fluttered at the comment. âNever? Youâre lying.â
âNo, honest. Usually we just did it whe-â
âI donât need or want to know where you and your entanglements happened,â she interrupted, causing him to release a breathy laugh.Â
âFair enough.â
She wanted to ask him why heâd brought her here but couldnât bring herself too. âCan I ask you another question though?â
âIf you keep doing what youâre doing right now, then yeah, go for it.â
Her fingers were still in his hair, tips gently dragging against his scalp.
âThat woman- Ez something-â
âEzly,â he corrected with a stupid smile on his face. âIâm starting to think youâre doing that on purpose.â
âIâm not!â
âItâs okay, gorgeous. Jealousy looks good on you. Youâve got me blushing over here.â
âOh hush! What Iâm trying to ask is- is she the one from your story? The girl you liked?âÂ
Aonungâs smile dropped. âHowâd you figure that out?âÂ
âYou said you never slept with her. Right?âÂ
âMhm.âÂ
Aonungâs jaw was clenched tight, so she soothed a palm over it, happy when he leaned into her affection.Â
âWhenever sheâs around itâs like you canât stand to look in her direction and you get all tense and irritated whenever she talks⌠Then thereâs also the fact that she had this crazy sense of entitlement over you, which since you said you never slept with her⌠could only stem from something else. She was the girl you wanted to ask to courtâŚâ
He couldnât deny it. It was clear as day all over his face.Â
âAnd Iâm guessing,â she continued. âThat based on her behavior alone- even after all these years, she still had hope, she still thought that after youâd âhad your fun,â youâd go right back to her.âÂ
âIt took me a long time to get over her,â he revealed. âLike I said, I was a dumb kid⌠When I finally did, I wondered- what exactly did I ever see in her in the first place.â His head fell, face nuzzling into LĂ˝nâs cheek as she wrapped him up in a comforting hug. âYou were right by the way. She got the message- avoids me now⌠Still canât believe you made her cry though⌠and I must say itâs kind of hot seeing you so protective of me.âÂ
LĂ˝n laughed. âEzra had it coming a long time now.âÂ
âItâs Ez- you know what- call her whatever,â he said through a snicker.Â
Shuffling their position, he rolled them over. LĂ˝n laid on her back now to accommodate his massive body.Â
âHe was such a cuddler,â she thought in amusement.Â
âIâve never told anyone any of that before,â he admitted. âI'm also surprised by how much you figured out too.â
âReally?â She soothingly caressed his back. He was getting a tad heavy being draped over her like this, but she didnât mind. âWhy is that so surprising? I do pay attention when you talk.â
His head popped up at that and Lýn internally squirmed at the intensity she found in his gaze. There was a question in his eyes and it was clear as day what he wanted.
âNo,â she said, despite her body screaming, âYes, yes, yes!â
âYou know, gorgeous⌠thatâs what you said when I asked you to kiss me the first time⌠and guess what? We kissed. No, is also what you said right before we fucked- and damn, I think lost count of how many times itâs been now,â he listed in a silly tone.
âAonung-â
âNo,â he continued, fingers trailing up her side, âis what you said when I asked you to court-â
âFake court.â
âFake court,â he corrected. âAnd now look at where we areâŚâ He shook his head as though disappointed in her- so serious with his acting that LĂ˝n had to mash her lips together to not laugh. âI have to say⌠Iâm starting to think that your noâs donât really mean⌠no.â
LĂ˝n swallowed and forced herself to not look away from his intense stare- his eyes almost daring her to refute him.Â
âSo Iâll ask again,â he said, voice low rumbling, causing her tummy to clench, âCan I make you come?â
Playing along with his game, her eyes spoke volumes and when her mouth spewed the word, âNo,â Aonung grinned.Â
Head descending, he kissed her for a long, drawn out moment. âFuck. I love kissing you,â he rasped when he pulled away.Â
Love.Â
The word did something to LĂ˝n, and as Aonung studied her expression- she knew that he knew it too.Â
Not wasting another second, he kissed her again, harder this time- a kiss so passionate, it burned through her veins.Â
The arousing sound of her needy moan was his undoing and unable to hold himself back any longer, he pulled away again and made quick work of removing her top and tweng.Â
When she was bare to him, he was everywhere. Lips, hands- tail pushing her legs open so his frame could sink right into her.Â
She bucked her hips and pulled on his hair as he sucked on a pebbled nipple, teeth nipping around her skin before he swallowed her breast in its entirety.Â
âAonung, please-â She tried to guide one of his hands where she wanted him.Â
âNot yet,â he answered around her breast.
LĂ˝n grunted impatiently. âI thought you were going to fuck me- ow!â She hissed when he bit her in warning and stubborn like always, he continued with his path of leisure down her body.Â
He worshiped her skin with kisses and quiet words that went unheard by her, all the way until his wide shoulders settled between her stretched thighs.Â
And only using his tongue, he licked her into oblivion. With broad sweeps and sucks, he kept her held down with a firm grip and AyelĂ˝n could do nothing but take it.Â
Ears gone muffled and no longer able to hear the lewd sounds of his tongue at work, much less her own moans and cries, she arched, fingers fisted in Aonungâs hair as an orgasm rocked her.Â
He kept her thighs spread and opened when they tried to clamp closed, tongue lazily and gently overstimulating her as she came down from her high.Â
Blinking into awareness and senses returning to her, she cursed and shoved his head away. Usually she wasnât this sensitive, but right now, she needed a breather.Â
Aonung didnât seem to mind, if anything he appeared mighty proud of herself and how quickly he got her to break.Â
Crawling back up to her, he captured her lips in a messy kiss- licking into her mouth as mercilessly as heâd licked between her thighs.Â
As they kissed, LĂ˝n reached between them. She fumbled for a second, but with his help, his tweng was gone, allowing her to take him in her fist- an action that made Aonung grunt and break their connection.Â
Forearms planted on either side of her, he stared right into her eyes as she stroked him from root to tip. Over and over. Every time she reached the top, she gathered the moisture dripping from there and dragged it down his length.Â
His jaw dropped with a soft âahâ and AyelĂ˝n responded with a sweet sound- as though she wasn't trying to kill him with each squeeze- with each pump.Â
Eyes clenching shut, Aonung groaned. Eywa. The pleasure was maddening and when spurts of pre-cum escaped him, he had to stop her. âFuck. Fuck- LĂ˝n Iâm -â
LĂ˝n could feel the tremble in his body. With two more strong strokes she released him, and no sooner had she, his lips were on hers again.Â
âAonung,â she sighed. âPlease.â
âWhat, gorgeous? Hmm? Tell me.â
âI want you,â she begged against his lips, legs wrapping around his waist.Â
He reared up onto his knees and stared down at her. âSo pretty,â he murmured. Lining himself at her entrance, he pushed in- just the tip.Â
LĂ˝nâs moan was music to his ears.Â
Aonung watched her bodyâs reaction to him- watched how well she took him with each slow press, watched her chest heave in anticipation, watched how hard she bit her lip and clenched the mat beneath her.Â
Using her hips, he dragged in and out- falling deeper with each measured thrust, stretching her to fit him perfectly.Â
âThis what you needed, sweetheart?âÂ
âYe- ngh!â Her eyes widened and she mewled when he fell over her, propped by one hand as he slid in all the way- right to the hilt.Â
Hitching her thigh higher up hip waist, he moved with deliberate thrusts. âEywa. You always take me so good, gorgeous. Just look at you.âÂ
LĂ˝n cried out when his angle changed, hitting a place inside of her that had her breathless.Â
Aonung himself was losing his mind, muttering words falling from his lips as the pleasure built.Â
âPerfect, so perfect,â he said against her temple, lips and nose trailing across her skin as they moved.Â
LĂ˝n pressed kisses to his jaw- breath heavy in a pant while clinging to him.Â
âThereâs only- ah fuck- one thing that could ever make this better.â
His whisper was so quiet, she almost missed it.Â
âWhat?â she asked, body tensing as she felt that telltale sign of release coming.Â
His rhythm had become erratic now, pace a little more desperate and demanding. And just as LĂ˝n reached her peak, he emptied inside her, heaving one word that had her coming harder than she ever came in her lifeâŚ
âTsaheylu.âÂ
~
Hello friends! đ
This is way over due. I'm sorrreh! As a token of my apology, one last part will be released, a little while after this one.
Also, I did not by any means think this part would be so heavy handed with the smut- it just happened... sigh, so much for all that angst I envisioned.
AHHH I CANT WAIT TO SEE TEYAM & XI OMGGG ??? I adore how these stories are interconnected, and itâs personally relieving that things are going so smoothly for Aoânung & LĂ˝n đ¤ itâs a nice change of pace from the very common angsty plot-lines that leave us all in tears đĽ˛
As always, fucking LOVE this chapter and all its smuttiness !!
Do you think that you could possibly write a sequel for âcourting Ayelynâ? Maybe when her and Aoânung have children and write about how their future life is? I fell absolutely in love with this story just as I did with âsafe havenâ and im so happy with how it ended â¤ď¸
Aw thank you so much. Iâm happy you enjoyed it! đ
I think that a sequel could be a cute little addition to the series and Iâd love to write one.
Begging from now however for what exactly youâd like to see dynamic wise. My brain feels a little fried atm so Iâm begging for specific inspiration đ
Summery: Pressured by his parents to enter a formal courtship, Aonung rebels in his own way and what starts as a ruse, turns into something real.Â
Note before reading: This is a spin off of my Safe Haven Series.
Reading Safe Haven is not necessary to follow this story.
Some characters have been aged up. Aonung in particular is 25.
Ayelýn is my own creation. *Pronounced Aye-Lin
~
Part 6 - When They Loved
Neteyam stared at his friend in disbelief. He blinked slowly before his head snapped over to where AyelĂ˝n sat a few feet away, then back to Aonung as if trying to understand.Â
All the while the wheels turned in his head, Loâak sat back with a smug smirk, enjoying every second of Aonungâs annoyance toward him.Â
Loâak had slipped up- and Neteyam being no idiot had pried, causing them to have to tell him the truth.Â
âNope. No.â Neteyam shook his head. âYouâre both fucking with me.â He looked at his brother as if asking for confirmation, and at Loâakâs nod, he scoffed in bewilderment. âItâs all an act? You and her? All fake? She- AyelĂ˝n isnât-â
âLike I said, itâs all part of a plan.â
âMm.â Neteyam clicked his tongue and Aonung felt an uncomfortable stab of guilt at the disappointment shining in the manâs eyes. âAnd whenâs this plan of yours ending exactly?â
Aonungâs brow crinkled. âWe agreed after the celebration of Loâak and Tsireyaâs bonding ceremony.â
âThatâs less than two weeks away.â
âI know.â
âWhatever happened to what we talked about? I leave and you what- just jump at this moronâs reckless idea?â he asked, gesturing to his younger brother.
âHey- Iâll have you know itâs a full proof plan, alright?â Loâak defended. âIf anything, Fishlips here should be thanking me.â
âThanking you? For what exactly? Loâak if anyone finds out, Aonung could-â
âRelax, bro- sheesh.â He rolled his eyes. âDefinitely didnât miss this,â he muttered under his breath. âLook, âTeyam, if I didnât come up with this plan, our poor sorry assed friend here would have never met his one and only Gorgeous LĂ˝n and fallen in lo-â
âI met her before the plan,â Aonung interrupted. He knew what Loâak was going to say, and he really wasnât in the mood for this conversation. âWhat does that matter though? Can we just talk about something else?â he snapped.
Loâak groaned into the palm of his hand. âBrother, do you see what I have had to put up with? I wish heâd wise up already. I'm getting tired of his shit. I should just go over there and tell LĂ˝n-â
âWould you shut the fuck up!â
Neteyam bit the inside of his cheek as he observed the metkayina male. Aonung glanced over at AyelĂ˝n as if making sure she hadnât heard his outburst.Â
âYouâre in love with her,â he stated, ignoring Aonungâs attempt at a scoff of indignation and continuing with, âTell me youâre not sleeping with her.â
Aonung didnât answer and that was all the clarification Neteyam needed.Â
âYouâre an idiot, you know that? Iâve been here all of two days and I know for sure that if you let that woman go, itâs going to be the biggest regret of your life.â
âWe have an agreement, Neteyam,â Aonung mumbled, not even putting up a fight. â...She doesnât feel the same way.â
Loâak snickered, and through a fake cough he muttered a rude remark that earned him a deadly glare. Thankfully his brother interrupted whatever Aonungâs retaliation would have been.Â
âShe doesnât?â Neteyam stared at him as if he was mad. âCause from what Iâve seen- it sure doesnât seem that way⌠You two sure fooled everyone- including each other⌠Have you even talked to AyelĂ˝n? Have you told her?â
âNo⌠But just last week she screamed her head off telling me she couldnât wait for this to finally be over.â
âRight. Now was that before or after you did something stupid?â
The skxawng couldnât even hide it. He snorted at the memory of LĂ˝nâs fiery gaze as she yelled at him for the stupid prank he, Kaii and Khalhan had pulled on her.Â
âWould you quit pissing off the woman you love? No wonder she canât wait to get away from you.â
âDonât think I could if I wanted to. Brother, every time she gets mad, her face morphs into the prettiest scowl Iâve ever seen, and then after that I just want to fuck her to make up for being an dick.â
Loâak snorted.
âSo you are in love with her then.â
Aonung paused, only just registering Neteyamâs love comment. âIâm n- I donât know,â he lied.
âYou donât know...â Neteyam shifted on his haunches and pointed over to where AyelĂ˝n sat. âLook me in the eye and tell me you donât love that woman over there.âÂ
LĂ˝n sat a few feet down the beach, chatting with a large group of women. Perched between Tsireya and a breastfeeding Xilä, she was all smiles at whatever the conversation was. Â
Aonungâs eyes tracked LĂ˝nâs movement.Â
And as if she could feel his stare, she glanced over at him. Brow raising, she and Aonung proceeded to have some sort of unspoken conversation that only the two of them could understand. Â
LĂ˝nâs head tilted in silent question and Aonung responded in turn, cunning gaze and quirked lips making the metkayina woman roll her eyes in faux annoyance. She was fighting a smile but it broke through right before she returned her attention to the women surrounding her.Â
Neteyam and Loâak who had watched the entire thing unfold, shared a knowing look.Â
âYeah, alrightâŚÂ Totally not in love with each other⌠Got it,â Neteyam said sarcastically as Loâak smothered his laughter. âWhat do your parents think of her? Have they caught on?â
âMy father hasnât- thank, Eywa⌠but Iâm pretty sure my mother has her suspicions. They both like her though- my mother especially.â
âHuh⌠Thought she hated everyone.â
âNope⌠She dragged AyelĂ˝n around yesterday, officially introducing her to our council as her daughter-in-law. And sheâs even meddling. The woman went and offered LĂ˝n a new role here at Awaâatlu. A menderâs apprentice.âÂ
âThatâs good though. LĂ˝n would be closer to you now, no?âÂ
âIf she takes it, then yeah.âÂ
âI donât understand.âÂ
âHeâs being stupid again,â Loâak chimed in. âTell him what you did, idiot.â
Aonung shifted. âLĂ˝n asked me whether I think she should accept the role or not⌠I told her Iâd think about it.â
Neteyam groaned as if in pain. âOh you poor, stupid soul. All she heard you say was donât take it.â
âAnd then what, âTeyam? Iâll have to see her around here all the time and I wonât have any claim to her! Honestly, the fact that she wasnât taken before baffles the fuck out of me. I have eyes- I see men watching her when they donât think Iâm looking. The second weâre through theyâll swoop right in! I mean have you seen her?!â Aonung was losing it now.
âShe is very pretty, yes,â Neteyam agreed with an amused smile.Â
âSheâs stunning. Sheâs a sweetheart when sheâs ready, but sheâs also got this little attitude that just makes me fucking crazy⌠And sheâs so stubborn and she works herself tired everyday and all I want-â
âAll you want?â his friend pressed and this time Loâak had no snide comment- this time he stared at his friend with true concern.Â
âAll I want is to take care of her, alright,â he snapped.Â
Neteyam smiled. ââŚAlright⌠So, what are you going to do to make that happen?âÂ
~
Strolling along wet sand, LĂ˝nâs mind plagued her.Â
She had but a handful of days left with Aonung. With desperate measures, she tried to formulate a plan for how sheâd handle the separation.Â
Her heartbreak was not the only one she worried over. As a consequence of her own actions, she knew the news would also be hard on her family.
Her parents had grown fond of Aonung- her father even called him son. Kaiiff would take it the hardest of course- AyelĂ˝n knew he looked up to Aonung.Â
Thankfully, a gleeful shriek and excited squeal pulled Lýn from her thoughts.
Her attention drifted to Zyden- Neteyam and Xiläâs son- the baby walking on slightly wobbly legs as his uncle Loâak held one of his hands- helping him stomp and splash at the gentle waves rolling on shore.Â
She smiled at the little oneâs baby talk, jumbled babbles filled with the few words he knew- mamas and dadas and fishies in an odd but cute mixture of both English and Naâvi.
The Sully family were amazing people.Â
Her time spent with them had been surprisingly wonderful, and while they were the ones visiting her home, she felt very much welcomed by them.Â
Accompanying the Sullys were Neteyamâs in-laws.Â
There were Xiläâs parents- Jxo, who LĂ˝n found to be extremely intimidating- even when he held his grandchildren and Sal- her mother, who looked as if sheâd give Slwen good competition for who could be the rowdiest.Â
Dâavi- Xiâs sister, who had a little baby bump sprouting, was hilarious in her own way. She teased LĂ˝n constantly about Aonung once she found out they were courting. Thankfully YalnĂŻk- Dâaviâs husband rescued her countless times by interrupting- bringing their children along- the most adorable twins LĂ˝n had ever met.Â
Xilä was who she especially had become fast friends with however.
LĂ˝n had friends, but very few of them made her feel the way Xi did. Xi had an energy that made just about anyone love her instantly.Â
As the days went on, LĂ˝n stuck close with Dâavi, Kiri, Xi and Tuk throughout the different ceremonies- each one more elaborate than the next.Â
Guests from all over Pandora arrived at different times- some visiting for a feast or two, whilst others stayed for it all- each of them bearing grand gifts for the soon to be mated pair.Â
LĂ˝n had no idea that the celebrations would be this big, but when she really thought about it- of course it would be.Â
It was the union of the offspring of two esteemed Olo'eyktans; Jake Sully- the legendary Toruk Makto and Tonowari- leader of fifty villages- the largest clan spanning the seas.Â
~
A few days later, as night crept slowly, Lýn approached Aonung and the small group he sat with on the beach.
With a friendly, âHi,â she tried to crouch next to Aonung, but he scooped her up instead, seating her between his propped thighs.Â
He was pleased that she didnât mind this and instead settled comfortably against his chest without a fuss.Â
âZyden is adorable,â she complimented Neteyam and Xilä, smiling at the baby who was currently rather entertained with the sand.Â
Little toes and tail wiggling excitedly, he was grabbing tiny handfuls and dropping them into Loâakâs waiting palm. The two of them had been inseparable since the Sullyâs arrival.Â
âThank you,â Neteyam replied, and Xilä smiled in thanks from where she was leaning on her husband. âAre you and Aonung planning to wait long after your ceremony to start trying?â
AyelĂ˝n frowned, not understanding, whilst Aonung gave Neteyam the dirtiest glare he could muster over the top of LĂ˝nâs head.Â
âChildren,â Neteyam confirmed. âHaving your own little ones, I meant.âÂ
âAonung told me he was hoping to have at least five the last time we visited.â
AyelĂ˝n coughed, choking on air as she knocked her chest. Aonung fussed over her in serious worry, rubbing her back whilst Loâak laughed his ass off- even little Zyden joined in as if it were the funniest thing in the world, despite not understanding.Â
âYouâve gone and traumatized the poor girl, handsome,â Xilä murmured to her grinning mate, chiding him lightly yet unable to hide her own amusement.Â
âSorryâŚâ LĂ˝n cleared her throat, patting Aonungâs thigh in reassurance that she was okay. âWe um- havenât talked about children yet.âÂ
âGorgeous, heâs just messing with you,â Aonung said, soothing his hands down her arms, and then to Neteyam he mouthed, âFuck off!â
Thank Eywa the conversation changed after that.
~
As the night wore on, their little group grew.
Rotxo arrived first, followed by Tsireya who instantly cuddled up with Loâak. Kiri and Spider joined soon after, then a couple others LĂ˝n hadnât had much interactions with; Wâaote and three other men who were all part of Loâakâs patrol team back at Home Camp, and Tasam- Kiriâs courting partner.Â
Little Zyden was all tuckered out and slept sprawled on his fatherâs chest- sleeping deep enough that the noise around him didnât seem to be a bother.Â
It was a fun, rowdy group. They talked about everything, from stupid, silly stories to serious conversation on matters that concern their clans.Â
âYouâve gone quiet,â Aonung whispered to her, tugging her hair to the side to kiss her exposed neck. Â
She shivered from his touch.Â
âAre you ready to head back home?âÂ
Home.Â
Aonung probably hadnât realized what he was saying LĂ˝n thought, but sheâd picked up on his words over the past week and some.Â
Everything he said hurt her just a little bit- our bed, our home, our hideaway, our, our, our.
âLĂ˝n.â
âHmm?â She blinked away her thoughts, head tilting to catch his gaze, not surprised when he kissed her the second her lips were within reach.Â
âReady to head home?â
She wanted to⌠more than anything. But they were two days away from the end of their plan. They were supposed to be distancing themselves- in a fight.Â
âI shouldnât,â she whispered back. âThe plan-â
âShh,â he kissed her again, palm cupping her cheek. âNot tonight. Please just stay.â
And of course, no matter how many times sheâd said no to him, she always gave in.Â
âOkay.âÂ
~
Two days later, on the morning of the final blessing ceremony, before Loâak and Tsireyaâs mated bonding, as Ronal led the congregation in harmonic chant⌠LĂ˝n cried.Â
~
Ambling around Aonungâs little marui, AyelĂ˝n collected her things, item by item. She did so with a heavy heart however, knowing that the end had come for her and Aonung.Â
Theyâd put it off time and time again, but this round was different. This round was the end.
While she shoved a simple tweng into her satchel, Aonung entered and stopped short at the sight of her- stomach instantly sinking in dread.Â
At a quick glance around, most of her things were already missing. He hated it already- his home looked empty without her things mingled with his.Â
âWhat are you doing?â
âOh- hey,â she greeted, unable to turn around and face him. Her throat burned and eyes stung. âIâm packing.âÂ
âI see that⌠Why?â
âWhat do you mean why? This was the plan,â she said, trying to keep the bite from her tone. LĂ˝n walked over and knelt on his messy sleeping mats, lifting and feeling around as she searched. âHave you seen my shell necklace?â
âLĂ˝n.â
âCould have sworn I took it off before falling asleep last night,â she mumbled. Giving up, she stood and resumed the packing of her bag. Â
âLĂ˝n-â
âHow do you want to stage the fight, by the way?âÂ
Aonung rubbed his temple and fought to keep his irritation at bay. âFight? What fight?â
âMm. The argument you suggested? Donât tell me you forgot. Weâve had this planned for months now, Aonung. Iâm supposed to break your heart, remember?â
âAyelĂ˝n-â
âAnd of course youâve forgotten, but come on Aonung, this was your plan.â
In truth, it was her fault for not bringing it up last night- her fault for not asking him to clarify the plan for today.
Instead she had selfishly basked in everything that was him- fucking away her sadness and clinging on to the little time she had left with him.
âAyelĂ˝n!â he yelled. âLook at me.â
Fingers clenched tightly around the handle of her satchel, she released it and turned. Slowly. Keeping her expression as closed off as possible.Â
âYou want to stage the fight? Thatâs what you want?â he asked, eyes tracking every inch of her face for a telling lie.Â
âItâs what we planned to-â
âI didnât ask you that, AyelĂ˝n.â
She blew out a frustrated breath. âWhat do you want from me, Aonung? I donât understand why youâre asking me that?âÂ
He clicked his tongue. âI think you should take that role my mother offered you.â
AyelĂ˝n blinked. She shook her head in confusion, feeling a distinct feeling of whiplash.Â
Why was he bringing that up now?! Â
âUm⌠Are you sure? You didnât seem pleased about it when I first brought it up.â
âI wasnât.â
â...Can I ask why?â
âBecause at the time I was being selfish to protect myself. Because if you did, then that would mean Iâd have no choice but to see you everyday after this- after we ended.â
LĂ˝n looked away, pretending his words didnât hurt. She failed to keep the bitterness out of her tone when she asked, âWhat changed your mind then?âÂ
âI found out something quite interesting,â he replied as he approached her slowly.
âDid you?â
âYouâre in love with me.â
LĂ˝nâs jaw fell open, then snapped with an audible click of her teeth while a sense of dread that heâd found out, flooded her.Â
âIâm no-â
âYou arenât?âÂ
âAonung-â
âTell me something, LĂ˝n... What am I going to do if you fall in love with someone else one day?â
She folded her arms with a scoff. âI think youâll survive,â she snarked. Her walls were all the way up and she hated that he was still able to rile her up this easily.
âI wonât.â He shrugged, still creeping towards her. âWhat about you? Hm? What are you going to do if I fall in love with someone else one day?â
She said nothing to this, expression confused as she tried to keep up with the conversation.
âWill you really be okay pretending you never cared about me at all?â
She froze, not only at the question, but realizing how close heâd gotten to her, had her panicked.
âAdmit it. Tell me you love me.âÂ
âWhere is this even coming from? I donât love you.â
âLiar.â
âAonung-â
âI heard you, AyelĂ˝n. I heard you and Xilä talking a few nights ago.â
âFuck.âÂ
âIt was just talk, part of the act,â she mumbled.
âI donât believe you.âÂ
LĂ˝nâs face scrunched as she prepared for rejection. She wasnât even given a second to think because he was talking again, and this time his words had her head spinning.Â
âMaybe youâll admit it to me then, if I said it first?âÂ
She inhaled sharply.Â
âWill that work for you, gorgeous? If I said it first?âÂ
âYou- you donât love me.â
âI donât?â
âDo you?â
His gaze was intense and LĂ˝n felt annoyance bubble in her chest from the sight of the stupid smirk playing at his lips.Â
This was probably some big joke to him.Â
âIt doesnât matter,â she said, turning her back on him to add the last of her things in her satchel.Â
That was not the reaction he was expecting.Â
âIt doesnât matter?â His brows narrowed in upset. âThe fuck does that mean, AyelĂ˝n?âÂ
âNo⌠Because then what?!â She rounded on him, eyes fiery and full with hurt. âIâm not so naive to think that you actually- ! The whole point of me pretending to court you was-â
âAre you serious?â He stood straighter, disbelief and distress radiating off of him. âLook Iâm not sure at what point exactly that things officially changed, but be honest with yourself, AyelĂ˝n. Did any of that feel like pretending to you?!â
âAonung-â
âI want you.â
âN-â
âI want you, LĂ˝n. No pretense. All real. Everyday. Forever.âÂ
Ayelýn was not a crier, but his words hit her so powerful, everything inside of her crumbled.
Hesitating, she took the bait.Â
âIncluding courtship? For real.âÂ
âIs that what you want?â
âYes. Iâm not a stupid plaything.â
âYou arenât,â he agreed gently, forcing himself to not push her too fast- hope still there. "Courting gifts?â he asked in slight teasing.Â
âYes⌠you never did actually get me any.â
He bit down a smile. âMeeting of the families?â
âYes.â
âThose long overbearing, traditional bonding ceremonies?â
âYes.â
â...Mating? Tsaheylu mating?â
LĂ˝n bit her lip, trying not to crack a smile. She failed. âIs there any other kind of mating?â
âHey. Iâm only trying to be clear with your demands over here.â
A breathy laugh escaped her at that. âThen yes, tsaheylu mating.â
âOkay.â
âJust like thatâŚ? Youâre going to give me everything?â
âJust like that, gorgeous.â He stepped into her space. âBut you have to agree first.âÂ
It was that tone again. The one that confused her to pieces sometimes.
âAonung. Iâm not playing a game right now.â
âThatâs good, cause neither am I.â He was a hair's breadth away from her now, fingers coming up to tangle in her hair- thumb tracing her jaw.Â
âYouâre annoyingly difficult to stay away from, you know that?â
His forehead fell onto hers. âThen donât make it difficult. Tell me you want me forever and Iâm yours. Tell me you love me and I swear, Iâll do my best to be the best mate I could be. I won't be perfect..â
Lýn swallowed.
âBut Iâll take care of you, and you can boss me around like wives normally do sometimes- kind of like what you already do when you tell me Iâm being stupid whenever I get in my head and start behaving like an ass.âÂ
âAonung-â
âAnd Iâll keep you, LĂ˝n.â
She sniffled.Â
âYou say it all the time- as a joke, I know⌠But Iâm dead serious right now... Iâll keep you and love you. And Iâll take care of your family- and Keftxo.âÂ
He swiped away her tears.Â
âI'm a good man now because of you.âÂ
âHush⌠Youâve always been a good man,â she croaked.Â
âBetter now, I should say.âÂ
Aonung cupped her face with both hands, lifting his head to see all of her.Â
âI love you, AyelĂ˝n. Pretty sure I have since the first moment we met when I found you kicking and cursing at that damn deathtrap of yours.âÂ
âCanoe,â she corrected through a teary laugh, eyes swimming in adoration for the man before her.Â
He chuckled too, a tad choked up himself. âI love you and I want you forever, LĂ˝n.âÂ
Index finger hooking and tugging him down by the cord around his neck LĂ˝n nodded- a sweet smile playing on her lips- the action causing their noses to brush.Â
 â...I love you, Aonung. Every part of you, inside out. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.âÂ
Aonungâs face split into a wide grin. In one fell swoop, he scooped her up by the thighs, lifting her high up his waist as her legs and arms wrapped around him.Â
âYou want me?â
She laughed as he nipped her lips playfully.Â
âYes.â
âIâm half expecting you to tell me you have rules,â he teased.Â
âOhh I do. I am telling you right now, I am not popping out five babies.â
He cackled at that, head tossed back in pure glee. Â
âFair enough,â he agreed. âHey, LĂ˝n,â he called.
âHmm?â she hummed, pecking that little birthmark on the corner of his mouth.
âSay it again⌠Tell me you want me.â
LĂ˝n kissed him first. A feverish kind filled with a dose of desperation that came from raw and excessive longing. The kind that was long overdue- the kind that released all the pent up energy that came from avoiding their true feelings.Â
âI want you, you skxawng.â
âI want you too, gorgeous.â
~
And that's it folks!
Thank you for reading, commenting and liking! Thank you for your patience and a special thank you to @iwannabeapinkaesthetic for the inspo for this fic to come to life!
It was a joy writing my very first Aonung story, and so much fun creating Lýn.
As always, please let me know what you think and I hope to see you in my next one.