Freak || Aonung

Twenty One

The entire Sully family is on edge with the recent events of yesterday. When Kiri got home, the family did everything in their power to wake Kiri up. 

She never woke. 

Jake turned to what he knew would work. Something that would give him answers. 

As Max and Norm arrived at the Metkayina, Neteyam, Jake, Zo, and Aonung, all waited on a sandbar to greet them. It is crucial that they get the two of them to Kiri as soon as they can. 

Aonung and Zo sit with the helicopter for a moment once the four of the men leave. 

"What is this?" Aonung asks her. Zo huffs out a breath. 

She is annoyed with everything going on, and her sister not waking up. The fear for her sister grows by the hour. "A helicopter. The human ikran."

"Its all this hard cold stuff." He touches one of the metal walls, sitting on a bench inside. Zo looks over at him from rustling around in equipment, trying to find something that can help. 

"Its metal. Human improved trees." She says with the same tone. 

"Can you come here?" He asks her, noticing that something is wrong. Her attitude has been bad, but slowly getting worse as time and things go by without helping. 

"Aonung, I am trying to fuc-" 

"Zo'ile." He says in a deeper voice, softly demanding. 

She turns around and looks at him. Slowly, she steps back and sits on the bench with him. Everyone around the strange contraption begin to fan out the longer it sits there, but Zo still notices them. 

She looks down at the handful of random tools in her hand, waiting for him to talk. 

His hand steadily wraps around her back. When it makes contact with her at the start, she jumped slightly. Getting no sleep, shes been on edge. 

"Im sorry about Kiri." He says. "Shes going to get better."

She lets out a pessimistic breath, and nods. "Mhm." Trying to stand, he grabs her arm. 

"It may seem like there is nothing we can do, but right now, it is okay." Zo leans her head on his shoulder, dropping every piece of expensive equipment on the ground. 

"I saw myself in the spirit tree. I was just rambling and praying to Eywa about bad things happening and getting ready. I am so scared Aonung." She whispers. "What if more things happen?"

He shakes his head against hers, his face instantly becoming sad. Zo'ile never even told him about what happened. Shes practically been on autopilot with her family. 

"Then I will be there. Someone will be there." Zo shakes her head. What if something happens to him? She thinks. "If they cant fix Kiri, my mom can. I know it."

Zo looks up to him quickly, her tears quickly leaving her eyes. "Your mom?" He nods. She stands up quickly, leaving everything in the helicopter as she jumps out. "We have to get her!" 

//

Aonung holds onto Zo discretely around the corner of the door of the Sullys marui as the youngest Sullys anticipate the waking of Kiri. His comfort quickly helps her with all of the anxiety. 

Neteyam and Lo'ak wait patiently with them, while Tuk is inside. They could barely keep her from running back in. 

"Where were you?" Neteyam asks him quietly. 

"None of your business." Lo'ak says, instantly getting defensive. 

Zo looks up at him, surprised. She knows exactly where he was. He was with Payakan again. 

"You werent there when Kiri-" 

"Neteyam!" Zo scolds in the middle of his own to Lo'ak. It is not his place to be the father. "Stop." She demands. 

"Im just fucking upset that-"

"I know you are but-" Within all of the interrupting, Tuks yelling interrupts their own bickering. "Shit, Kiri." 

They all run into the marui. Zo pauses right inside the door, her eyesight meeting Ronals as she leaves. 

Zo raises her hand to her forehead and brings it down saying 'I see you'. Ronal repeats the action. Back to the girl and leaves with that as their thank you and youre welcome. 

Even in the moment of chaoticness and happiness of Kiri waking up, Zo just thinks about that step to having a relationship with Aonungs mom.