Our home

-Problems-

Ao'nung watches the back of Tsireya as she walks away. His eyes scanned over the shore to realize he is alone once again. The warmth of where their foreheads were once touching now fading away. Into the silence Ao'nung lets out a yawn, one that makes his eyes prick with tears. A reminder of the sleep he has missed for the past weeks. Sleep he has missed since Neteyam told him about the upcoming departure to the forest. He shuts his eyes as the wind passes. strands of braided hair fly into his face. 

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Ao'nung's head lays on Neteyam's chest as they rest in the marui of his parents. The darker blue Na'vi's fingers card through Aonung's hair. Neteyam's fingers come to a sudden halt, a sigh escapes his mouth. 

"Nung can we talk?" 

Ao'nung opens his once closed eyes to peer up at Neteyam. "sure?" Neteyam lets out a snort at the sight of a sleepy Ao'nung. His laughter making Ao'nung's face scrunch up in confusion. 

"What teyam?" Ao'nung asks as he goes to sit up. 

Neteyam sniffles in laughter and then goes to clears his throat. He sits up straight and reaches out to grab Ao'nung's hands. He holds the teal Na'vi's hands in his and looks straight into Ao'nung's eyes. A minute passes where they are just hand-in-hand before Neteyam speaks again. 

"My family is planning to move back to the forest..." 

The tiredness leaves Ao'nung and shock replaces it instead. "Why are you not happy here?' Ao'nung asked, his nose scrunching up in worry. "Of course I'm happy here! It's just-"Neteyam squeezes Ao'nung's hands in his before continuing. "The forest is where I grew up it's my home and I miss it... we all miss it." 

"Is this not your home, here with me?" Ao'nung asked as he pulled his hands away from Neteyam. Neteyam's mouth opened into an o-shape before he closed it. "Nung I was thinking that you could come with us." Neteyam said with a pleading tone. His eyes looked into Ao'nungs and his lower lip jutted out into a pout. Despite the obvious upper hand on Neteyam's side Ao'nung held steadfast. 

"No."

"No? Can you at least tell me why nungie?" Neteyam asked as one his hands went up to cup Ao'nung's cheek. Confusion was held in every crease of Neteyam's face. Creases that were made from him growing up too fast. From being the parent to his siblings and the warrior his father wanted him to be. Creases that only grew larger when war came to Awa'atlu. Ao'nung ran his fingers over the large crease on Neteyam's forehead. 

"I can't leave my home." He muttered as he continued to try and smooth out the crease. 

"I won't go then." Neteyam said with a smile. "I can't lose you." Neteyam continued to cup Ao'nung's cheek and had even brought his other hand to cup the other. 

To the untrained eye Neteyam's smile would pass as a real one. Not to him, not to Ao'nung. He had spent countless nights under the stars watching and memorizing Neteyam's every feature. If anyone were to know about Neteyam's fake smiles, it was him. He knew because he had done the same. Ao'nung had perfected the act of faking a smile to be strong for his people and especially to be strong for his sister. So when it came to this, Ao'nung was no fool. He knew Neteyam would throw away anything for him to be happy. Neteyam would go great lengths to ensure the happiness and health of those he loved. Even going as far to risk his life. If the scar on his chest meant anything by that. What Neteyam didn't know is that Ao'nung would do the same. 

"You're going." 

"What?" Neteyam asked as he looked up into Ao'nung's eyes with newfound hope. Neteyam's hands flew to Ao'nung's hands and held them in a vice grip. "So you're coming with me?" Neteyam asked with a smile, a real one. One that Ao'nung would do just about anything for. 

"No." But leaving his home wasn't one of those things. 

Ao'nung knew there wasn't any way that Neteyam would leave without him. But there was also not any way that Neteyam would leave with him. To this problem was only one solution. Him. Ao'nung wasn't much of a problem solver and future him would likely scold him for it. But this seemed like the only plausible solution. 

"Let's break up." 

Silence filled the marui and Neteyam's hands retreated to his sides. Ao'nung spotted the beginning of tears in the corner of Neteyam's eyes. Seeing those tears flipped a switch in Ao'nung and he decided to not go through with it.

"Teyam I-"

A ruffling came from outside the marui. A dark flash of blue sped past Neteyam and kneeled down to Ao'nung. Next thing you know a five-fingered fist collided with Ao'nung's face. 

"You fish-lipped skxáwng!' The attacker yelled in his fit of rage. Ao'nung's vision became blurry from the unexpected hit. When his vision came to he saw the attacker, which to no surprise was none other than Lo'ak, standing over him with his fangs bared. 

Neteyam held his little brother back with an expression full of worry, anger, and sadness. Worry for the attack of his now ex, Anger for being in the vicinity of his now ex, and sadness for getting broken up with and now having an ex. 

"You freak!" Ao'nung spat as he threw a punch of his own to Lo'ak's face as he got up. Even Neteyam wasn't capable of holding either of them back. A full on brawl started in the marui, Lo'ak beating up Ao'nung and vice versa. With Neteyam as the spectator of course. A kick from Ao'nung had Lo'ak downed and it seemed like he had the upper hand for now. That was until Neteyam punched Ao'nung. With a stunned Ao'nung, Neteyam grabbed his brother and walked out of the marui. 

Ao'nung had called out for Neteyam but he had never turned back.

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Ao'nung opened his eyes back up to the blowing wind. His hands brushed the strands of hair out of his face. 

Remembering was always painful but moving on was just as painful as well. Ao'nung had tried to speak with Neteyam since it happened but it always ended the same. It was clear Neteyam hadn't wanted to see him. Looking back on it, this is the result Ao'nung had expected from the ordeal. And like past Ao'nung had said, he wasn't a problem solver. Not a good one anyway.