Courting

Chapter 12

(I love seeing yall's bookshelf names when you save this. Also please keep leaving comments or message me if you have any ideas for plotlines or just maybe little scenes you think would be cute, dynamics, etc.)

Neteyam had returned to his own family's marui, acting as nonchalant as possible. His body was still tingling, as if spending so long pressed against Ao'nung and leaving so abruptly had given his body a phantom loss. Entering the marui, which was still dark though the sun had risen considerably since he woke, Neteyam took in the scene. Kiri and Lo'ak were sitting close together, whispering, while his mother and father lay with Tuk, fast alseep. His two siblings that were currently awake looked at him as he walked in the doorway, Kiri with a gaze of great annoyance. She impatiently reached to grab his arm and pulled him down to where Lo'ak and her had been sitting. Grunting at the firm grip that yanked his arm, Neteyam joined them. 

"You son of a-" Kiri called him something that she certainly wouldn't dared have said had their parents been awake, causing Lo'ak to snort. Quickly clearing his expression again, Lo'ak stared at him with surprise and a small smirk playing on his lips "You have the nerve to go sleep with your boyfriend and don't even tell anyone, I thought you drowned or something!" Kiri yelled at him as loud as she could while whispering.

"I did not sleep with him! Well, I did but-" Neteyam stumbled quickly trying to clear himself of his sister's accusation.

"Not what I meant stupid." She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you left us to fend for you without even saying anything!" 

"You covered for me?" Neteyam asked, partly to double-check, but also in surprise.

"Of course we did skxawng." Lo'ak now rolled his eyes, punching Neteyam. 

"Thanks, did it work?" Neteyam asked, not completely reassured yet.

"We think so, they seemed satisfied that you were running around in the jungle with Ao'nung." Kiri told him, causing him to sigh with relief, before she continued "Oh, they're still mad, but they believed me, I think..." Kiri told him, immediately making Neteyam suck his breath back in, now his turn to curse something he only ever dared say in his own head. 

"Yeah, you still ran off at night with your boyfriend." Lo'ak laughed, tilting his head teasingly. 

"At least I have one." Neteyam teased back, punching Lo'ak this time. 

"Like I want one." Lo'ak was shaking his head.

"You know what I mean stupid." Neteyam rolled his eyes at his brothers insistence on only liking girls. Neteyam liking guys had never been a problem with their family, it wasn't uncommon, but Lo'ak made it clear he wasn't the same. This often led to many amusing jokes from Kiri and Neteyam at his expense. Then Kiri chimed in; 

"Morning..." which made Neteyam whip around to see who she was talking to, and his stomach dropped through the floor. His father had awoken and was standing behind him, arms cross, eyes narrowed, gaze furious. Neteyam immediately scrambled to his feet and bowed his head.

"Sir, I can explain, I didn't-" but his father didn't wait for an explanation.

"I cannot believe you. You disobeyed my orders, you put yourself at risk and drove me and your mother insane with worry. What could possibly clear you?" Jake demanded, and Neteyam couldn't help but take to heart his father thinking of his rules to his own children as orders. 

"I don't- I didn't-" Neteyam stumbled uselessly. His fathers expression did not change. Neteyam hated this. He hated being scared of his father, he hated that he couldn't remember when he was last called his own name by his father, he hated- no. He didn't hate his father. Neteyam hated how hard his father tried to keep them safe physically, but never once asked if Neteyam, Lo'ak, anyone was OK. He only asked Kiri to open up to him after she almost died. He made his features relax and his breath slow. "I was with the chief's son, he wishes no harm to me," Neteyam almost smiled thinking of the things Ao'nung did wish for him "and we were only exploring a little in the forest, and lost track of time, so we fell asleep on the beach. I know my actions were unacceptable, and I deserve-" but he was cut off before he could force himself to accept punishment.

"Yeah, you do." His father snapped "I don't care who you were with, or where you were. We don't know this area, the Metkayina don't know the forest, and you don't either. If you had gotten lost, if something had happened to you, we wouldn't know, we wouldn't have been able to find you." Neteyam's head snapped up, hearing some emotion in his father's voice he didn't expect. But he quickly turned away again when his father said "Do you not care about our families reputation? You heard the Olo'eytkan, we are nothing here. We do not know their ways, your achievements mean nothing here." Neteyam almost gasped at the open stab at ego. Neteyam could not believe his father had made this about himself and his image yet again. It was never enough to be worried for Neteyam's wellbeing, he had to attach it to himself and how it made him look. Neteyam didn't say anything, not trusting his mouth not to betray him. Instead he stood still, waiting for punishment. He never understood why his mother fell for his father. Maybe they were different younger, before children. Neytiri was by no means weaker than his father, but she was comforting. She called Neteyam by his name every time she talked to him, she held him when he cried about... well, anything. If he was sad because he killed an animal out of fear or defense, she was there. If he was angry over something Lo'ak had done and gotten him Neteyam in trouble for, she would help him forgive. His father did not. 

"You have disappointed me, I would expect this from Lo'ak, but not you." Neteyam was snapped out of his thoughts at the mention of his brothers. His father had already made it about himself, Neteyam wouldn't let him dig at his brother too, not for this.

"Don't bring Lo'ak into it, he did nothing." Neteyam raised his voice, not high enough to earn a harsher punishment, but enough he saw Lo'ak's ears twitch and his head flick towards him. Jake shook his head.

"I want you to focus on learning from the Metkayina. You don't have time for messing around in unknown territory with strangers." Neteyam blinked at the lack of punishment, but quickly forgot that at the word 'strangers'. Ao'nung was not a stranger, he had listened to Neteyam talk about home for hours, he had made him a gift, he had taught him how to ride an ilu. Ao'nung was so much more than no one. Deciding against bringing up the courting between them, Neteyam nodded and waited to be told he could leave. "Go." Neteyam winced at his father's tone, but obeyed, Kiri and Lo'ak following suit. 

"Impressive." Kiri said, looking at Neteyam with slight amusement. He couldn't be mad, they all got in trouble with their father, the two girls maybe less so. Lo'ak wasn't speaking, he was just staring and Neteyam in slight shock.

"What, skxawng?" Neteyam tried a smile at his brother, unsure what had silenced him.

"You defended me?" It wasn't a statement, Lo'ak didn't understand "He didn't even really say anything to me." Lo'ak said, trying to make sense of it.

"You're my brother, stupid." Neteyam grinned for real this time "I got you dude." Lo'ak smiled now, still seeming surprised at the show of affection. 

"What now?" Kiri asked, breaking up the moment.

"Dunno, Tsireya said-" Kiri raised an eyebrow and Neteyam smirked, Lo'ak stumbled slightly but continued "she told me that her and Ao'nung," now Kiri looked to Neteyam, who's smirk was wiped away very quickly "we're supposed to have a hunting lesson or something." Lo'ak mumbled to the end.

"Alright then, where are they?" Kiri asked, looking around the beach. 

"Ao'nung might be back at his marui." Neteyam suddenly became worried, what if Ao'nung had been scolded too? What if he had got it worse? He was the Chief's son, so he probably was treated very strictly. 

"Let's look." Kiri set off, Lo'ak eagerly following behind. Neteyam sighed and trudged after them, worried at what he might find. 

(Sorry this took so long, I rewrote it twice, I still don't love it but it's just filler kind of and set up, hopefully you can tell where it's going?)