Counting Stars - Aonung x Neteyam

Part 1

- No. No, for God's sake, we were just talking. - I replied shaking my head. She looked at me tilting her head and rolling her eyes.

- He was almost on top of you. - she continued. I could only whine in my throat again and stood up.

- Didn't Mom send you to do something? - I said desperately trying to change the subject.

- Either you tell me or I'll go ask Lo'ak. - I turned around with wide eyes.

- You are insufferable. - I murmured, sitting back down. She wiggled happily and smiled from ear to ear. - We are nothing. I don't know what we are. - I sighed heavily. - He's special, I guess, I don't know. We spend time together and stuff. I don't know what you want me to say! - I huffed.

- Do you want to kiss him? - she asked with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. I looked at her for a few seconds, I really wanted to be somewhere else. Underwater preferably. I felt my face heat up and shrugged. - You want to kiss him! - she shouted and I jumped on top of her to cover her mouth. Surely that was heard by the whole damn village.

- Kiri for the love of all that's holy! - she laughed licking my hand and as if by magic my mother appeared in the doorway. Of course, she didn't make a sound, it was like trying to hear the air.

- Who do you want to kiss? - she said in a low tone.

- This is a nightmare. I'll wake up and this will all be a nightmare. - I muttered covering my face again.

- Kiri, get some cord, we have to start getting ready. - Kiri protested for a few seconds, but after a serious gaze from our mother, she stood up huffing. - Don't look at me like that. - she said, turning me around so she could start on my hair.

- It's nothing serious. - I said not even knowing where to start.

- I don't care who you want to kiss as long as it makes you happy son. - She kept talking and starting to separate my hair into strands. - I know now it seems like the world will explode if you make a move, but it won't. You'll kiss him, the world will continue to exist and if the right one, he will stay by your side. If not, you will find another boy just as special. - she finished and Kiri came jumping back.

- What did she say, were you talking about it? - she continued laughing as she sat down next to me.

- Kiri, we all have new friends here, if you want to talk about someone why don't you tell your brother about your new friend Rotxo. - Mom spoke in a soft tone. Kiri instantly turned red and looked at her with wide eyes.

- I think I'd better help daddy with Tuk. - she ended up saying, leaving as quickly as she had entered.

I chuckled under my breath and noticed how mom laughed too. Kiri's entrance had distracted me from the fact that she had spoken in masculine. She said I would find someone else. Another boy. I stood very still taking it all in.

I knew my parents were extremely smart, it was impossible to hide anything from them. Still, I hoped to be able to talk about it more calmly when I knew what to do with everything I felt. In one way, I was so glad that my mother was so smart, that she accepted that maybe her son wouldn't have children in such a natural way. But on the other hand, I wanted to deny it, I didn't want her to feel bad. I didn't want to take away her dream of being a grandmother and continuing the Sully clan for as many generations as humanly possible.

- Stop torturing yourself Neteyam, I can hear your thoughts from here. - she spoke in a firm tone and gave me a gentle tug on my hair.

- I don't know yet if that's what I want. - I whispered as if I didn't want her to hear me.