Chapter Text
It was a bright day, and it began with Tuk whining. All Metkayina children were sent out to decorate the communal marui for the longest eclipse festival. Tuk was sent with the other children to integrate better, but she didn’t really want to go at first. She preferred to stick around her brothers and sister. Plus, Tsireya was so pretty. She didn’t know anyone there.
“That’s the purpose, Tuktuk, for you to get to know them,” explained Neteyam as he carried her in his arms.
Tuk pouted at that, it was logical, and she didn’t have any argument to counter it.
“Don’t worry, Little Bug, I’m sure you will make friends in no time,” he continued reassuringly.
She didn’t have the time to answer anything because soon she was lowered down to the ground. They had arrived. Tuk cursed mentally her brother’s long legs. Neteyam squatted to be on the same eye level.
“If someone is mean to you, you ignore them. Bullies don’t deserve your precious time, okay?” he whispered with a small smile dancing on his lips, a flash of mischievousness appeared in his eyes, then it was gone.
She nodded and leaned in to whisper something into his ear that changed his gentle smile into a grin.
“That’s my girl!” he teased his little sister.
They were both unaware of being watched from the corner of the communal marui. Ao’nung, arms crossed over his chest, leaned on a wooden sturdy structure, observing the Omatikaya. He had been doing that a lot lately. In case of another fight, the Metkayina heir told the others he wanted to be ready. It was the truth at first, but the longer he stared, the harder it became to find little imperfections about the other boy.
He stopped bothering Lo’ak after their little fishing trip went astray when an Akula had attacked them. Fortunately, a patrol was not far… patrol composed of some Metkayina warriors, the Olo’eyktan, Jake Sully and on the air, Neytiri and Neteyam, flying their ikran. Neteyam had fired an arrow to the beast before hoisted up his brother on his ikran, while Neytiri told her ikran to dive and attack the predator, giving enough time for the teens to escape. They all met up at the beach of Awa’atlu. Tonowari was furious, but it was nothing compared to Ronal’s fury. Ao’nung, Rotxo and the other boys never told anyone of their plan to leave the Omatikaya there as a prank, not knowing about the Akula’s presence. To this day, Ao’nung still thought that, had something happened to Lo’ak, he would have been exiled. So, his focused shifted from Lo’ak to Neteyam. Neteyam was like him on many aspects, both elder brothers, both sons of powerful leaders, frightening Tsahík/Tsakarem mothers. While he was getting scowled by his father, he heard Neytiri praying for Eywa to give her strength not to take her son’s eyeballs out of their eye sockets. Her hands coming dangerously closed to her younger son’s face in claw motions was terrifying, not to mentioned that Lo’ak was so pale he almost passed as a Metkayina.
Neteyam, who was standing near his brother, was looking directly at Ao’nung, his expression dark. His golden eyes were simmering with anger. While he was staring at him, Ao’nung felt bare, he didn’t like that feeling. It was unsettling, as if Neteyam somehow knew of the unsaid prank…
Since that day, Ao’nung viewed Neteyam as his rival to surpass but also as an equal. He rapidly understood that he maybe had set the bar too high, because no matter what he did, Neteyam was successful, yet humble about it. The Na’vi had more patience than it was allowed to have at his age.
Right now, he stared at him as some girls came to him asking something about the festival tonight. Neteyam could literally choose anyone to be his mate, the fact that he was Omatikaya was overlooked by his ability to adapt fast to his new environment. Ao’nung tore his gaze just in time to watch his best friend approached.
“Still looking from a far?” Rotxo asked teasingly.
“He is so annoying, being perfect at everything… you knew he even gave Hi’ Payoang a wooden carved ilu and now he won’t shup up about how Neteyam is a better brother than I am,” Ao’nung hissed.
Rotxo just snorted. “He is not so bad, you know. You can talk to him sometimes, that’s how friendship starts,”
“Friendship?”
Ao’nung seemed bewildered by his best friend’s suggestion. Why would he…?
“Or something more?” Rotxo continued, widening suggestively his eyes.
“WHAT?” he gasped. “I-I’m not…”
“You have been staring. A. Lot, brother” Rotxo pointed out. “And don’t even dare say it’s for fighting purposes because it is borderline ridicule at this point,” he continued, interrupting whatever excuse Ao’nung was about to say.
To escape further interrogation from who he thought was his best friend, Ao’nung called for Neteyam, indicating that it was time for his lessons.
“Sorry, ladies, duty calls,” the Omatikaya told the girls, as he extracted himself from the little circle formed around him.
Some of the older girls told their younger siblings to nice with Tuk and Neteyam was grateful to them.
“Thanks for the safe, man. I thought they would never leave me alone,” Neteyam said as he approached Ao’nung and Rotxo.
The latter only huffed a laugh. The comment annoyed Ao’nung, what boy of their age wouldn’t like the attention of girls? Of course, the answer was Neteyam.
Later in the afternoon, he was discussing the matter with Rotxo as they came back home to prepare for the festival. He learned that Neteyam, even though he was the son of Toruk Makto, and was supposed to be Olo’eyktan one day himself, didn’t like to be the centre of attention. It didn’t matter if it was girl or boy’s attention then. He just felt uncomfortable with too many eyes on him. Ao’nung smirked at that particular piece of information. He would ask Neteyam to dance tonight, in front of everybody. Maybe the Omatikaya would finally make a fool out of himself and Ao’nung would be at peace because he would be, at last, better than Neteyam at something, even if it was as trivial as public attention.
*
Tuk sighed as she didn’t find anything interesting but back on the beach, she recognized a tree from back home, bordering the beach. That specific tree had beautiful flowers. Mo’at had vaguely told her to stay away from it, but she didn’t remember the reason. Nothing mortal surely, Mo’at insisted on those ones. With other girls, she decided to climb and picked all the flowers she could to make a garland. It was a complicated feat since the flowers were still closed. They bloomed only at night apparently, so it would be perfect for the festival tonight.
Ronal was happy to see the children all working together, even the littlest Sully. She didn’t pay attention to the garland itself though, which was a critical mistake.
During the late afternoon, Kiri, Lo’ak and Neteyam were getting ready alongside their parents to go to the festival. Tuk was already there and couldn’t stop talking about how hard she had worked with the other children and how beautiful it was.
The communal marui was indeed lovely, decorated with little colourful seashells and flowers. Although, a particular garland attracted the attention of the Tsahík, too late.
“Everybody! Outside!” she ordered as the first purple flower blossomed and ejected shiny pollen in the air.
Almost everything fell on Tsireya, to Ronal’s horror. They didn’t evacuate fast enough and soon the whole room was full of the pollen and chaos ensued. Young Reef Na’vi rushed toward each other to attack. It was like they were in a feral state.
Neteyam rushed out of the marui, seemingly unaffected with a crying Tuk in his arms, zigzagging, trying to avoid getting tackle. He cursed when he heard Kiri screaming. He wiped his head toward the direction only to be met with a nightmarish sight: Tsireya was fighting viciously against Lo’ak and Kiri. Lo’ak looked totally lost and Kiri, the ever pacifist wasn’t faring better. Neteyam arrived just in time to tackle the Metkayina girl away from his sister. Tuk ran into Kiri’s arms. Neteyam and Lo’ak teamed up and managed to subdue Tsireya.
“What’s happening? Why is everyone going crazy?” Kiri shouted frenetically, looking around with widened, frightened eyes.
“Not everyone, look! They seemed unaffected!” Neteyam pointed out at the scene to their right.
Many adults were trying to tie up the teens down with rope. They could see Ronal approached them, probably worried about her children.
“This seems to affect only young ones, but why not us?” Kiri mumbled, already analysing the situation.
Ronal, helped by Lo’ak, took Tsireya to a marui where all the teens were to be accounted for. The Tsahík quickly explained that the teenagers were not in their normal state of mind. Neteyam sighed in relief and began to relax slightly. However, when they thought everything had calm down, Ao’nung pounced on Neteyam out of nowhere. Who knew the bulky guy could be that stealthy when he wanted to. Kiri screamed for help, Neteyam was already in a fighting stance. His fingers hitched to reach for his knife but the wild look on the Metkayina’s face made it clear that he was affected just like the others and was not conscious of his actions. He cursed when Ao’nung pounced once more narrowly missing him.
“KIRI!” he yelled to grab her attention. “I’m going to tiring him out by running!” he explained while looking at the mangrove nearby.
Everyone knew that Metkayina weren’t meant for the forest and Neteyam still had his stamina. A few months of swimming weren’t enough to make him forget his entire training in the jungle of Pandora. Kiri nodded, worried. She still had Tuk in her arms. She couldn’t do much to help him away.
Ao’nung snarled when he began to sprint away toward the forest. A quick glance behind him confirmed him that the Metkayina boy was following him and not bothering Kiri. Neteyam felt guilty as he ran, it felt like he was running away from a fight. Which, technically speaking, he was. But that made him feel like a coward. But he knew rationally that he couldn’t take on Ao’nung in that state. While Neteyam was still sane and could hold back his blow, Ao’nung was in a feral state from the look of it and wouldn’t be able to hold back.
As he continued to run stealthily as he had learnt to, Ao’nung crashed into everything, making so much noise that Neteyam marvelled at the lack of predators in the island. He also marvelled at the stamina of the Metkayina who was still following him. A louder crash than any other made him wince and turn around to see Ao’nung on the ground, face down, unresponsive. The Omatikaya almost tripped when he stopped.
“Shit!” he swore in English, used to hear the word leaving his father’s lips.
Did he tire him too much? Did he just drop dead? Neteyam didn’t want to be accused of the murder of the chief’s son, no matter how much of an asshole the other Na’vi could be sometimes. He trotted back, careful of the roots on the ground. He didn’t take any precaution when he tried to turn Ao’nung over to get a better look. He surely didn’t expect the other to use a subterfuge to lure him closer. He regretted immediately his decision and yelped when Ao’nung’s sharp teeth sank into the flesh of his arms. Exceptionally he didn’t wear his long leather wristband tonight. After a painful wrestling where Neteyam tried to get away from the younger Metkayina, he stilled himself, muffling a cry by biting his own lips when he felt the fangs of the other sinking even deeper.
Ao’nung, taking advantage of that moment, got him pinned on the ground of the forest. The Omatikaya let out a huff when he felt the younger one put all his weight on him to pin him down. The action left him breathless, and he whined, uncomfortable. Suddenly, Ao’nung let go of his arm and he thought that someone had found them and was helping him, probably his father or his mother, but when he looked up all he saw was the dilated black pupils, he could hardly distinct the greenish blue colour of his eyes anymore. His gaze immediately fell to his mouth smeared with blood, his blood. His aggressiveness seemed to be gone though. However, when he tried to get up, Ao’nung growled menacingly, showing his still bloody fangs, and wiggled to press more of his weight on him.
“Okay, okay! I’m not moving, alright?” he murmured, tired.
Ao’nung’s ears perked up at the sound of his voice. It was an encouraging sign, Neteyam concluded. Not even Tsireya had shown signs of understanding their attempt to appease her on the beach earlier.
“Maybe the effects are wearing off,” he mumbled more to himself than to the other boy.
But just as he thought the worst was over, he felt something hard on his left thigh and he gulped. It couldn’t be, right? His gaze flew between their bodies, but he couldn’t see much. Suddenly, he had a flash of Mo’at telling his younger self about that particular flower, the muntxa syulang, the mating flower. It was used before to help young Na’vi to find a compatible mate, but that tradition stopped many generations ago, because the forest people had become resistant to the pollen, due to the constant exposition. Yet it was still dangerous to let young children play with the flowers unsupervised. His attention snapped back to the present when he felt one of Ao’nung’s hand travelled dangerously low on his navel.
“No, nonononono,” he shouted as he grabbed the other’s hand.
Ao’nung groaned but continued to grind himself on his thigh, clearly searching for some frictions. He busied his lips on Neteyam’s pulse on his throat. The Omatikaya laughed, the breath tickling him, but he almost choked on his own saliva when Ao’nung sucked a mark, taking the skin delicately between his sharp teeth.
Neteyam needed to stop this and fast. He wouldn’t live with himself if things went further than that. Ao’nung was not in his usual state. It felt like he was the one abusing him and it made him nauseous.
“I-I can’t!” he chocked out. “Please stop,” he said a bit firmer.
When words seemed to have no effect on the younger one, he silently prayed Eywa to forgive him for what he was about to do. He relaxed his body, letting his hands travelled Ao’nung’s back and arms before taking in hands his forearms and held them firmly. His arm where he had been bitten ached, but he ignored the pain. Just as he predicted, Ao’nung answered positively at his gesture and diminished the pressure put on his body to keep him down. His mouth hungrily travelled south to one of Neteyam’s nipples. The latter couldn’t stop the moan that left his lips, cursing at how good it felt. His own member began to unsheathe. He needed to end this now before he did something that they both would certainly regret later. He wiggled slightly to get in position and kneeled Ao’nung, hard.