Freak || Aonung

Twenty Eight

With the next couple days, Zo'ile finds the perfect balance for her family, friends, and Aonung.

Aonung is the one she gets most excited for because every time they are together, they seem to grow with their relationship more.

The couple walks together along the woven path suspended above the water to meet their siblings for an afternoon of fun. Their blue arms touch as a form of holding hands without holding hands.

"You know I would absolutely beat you at that." Zo says, as the two of them laugh without stopping.

"Okay, you may be faster, but I'm much for efficient."

"Im a freak remember, little forest girl, of course I'm fast. It's in my blood."

He laughs at her and grabs her arm for support. "That has to be fake."

She shrugs and giggles at him. The light warms her up as it comes out from being hidden by one of the many homes.

"You look amazing today Zo." Aonung whispers, closely behind her. Her stomach quickly drops from his attractive low voice.

She rolls her eyes and nudges him with her elbow. "You're ridiculous." She says.

He shrugs nonchalantly. His entire demeanor today is cocky, more like the beginning of their relationship. And Zo is secretly loving it.

When he gets like this Zo likes to play along and be an asshole back. They are both their own fires just teasing each other.

"Guys you have to come with us!" Tsireya says, running up the path with Rotxo and Neteyam. She grabs onto her friends had and drags them along to the water.

"Wait where is Kiri and Tuk?" Aonung yells as they hop through the water on their ilus. The couple has no idea where they are going, but follow Tsireya and the rest.

"They stayed back." Rotxo yells.

The group of young teenagers race out of their reef to three brothers rocks. Zo has still never been out of the reef when she wasn't flying. The ocean was even bigger down in it then she could have imagined.

"What are we even doing here?" Zo asks when they finally halt.

"Lo'ak has been coming out here." Neteyam explains.

Zo nods her head slowly, putting the pieces together. That is where he has been going all of this time. His killer tulkun is out here. To Zo it is not a surprise he doesn't listen to anything anyone has told him about the damn animal. It makes her mad that they drug her along to come out here and save him.

It is his decision if he doesn't want to follow the rules or not, his decision and consequences.

"Come on!" Tsireya says, hopping off of her ilu and into the warm bright water.

Aonung and Zo share a look, Zo particularly annoyed and jump into the water.

A hand slides around Zos waist as everyone swims down further into the huge seaweed covering the area. She turns and faces Aonung who gives her a big grin. He winks at her once, their bodies getting closer. Her eyes roll as he kisses her forehead.

Shoving him off with a smile, she leaves him in her current as she swims down to meet the rest of the teenagers.

The group swims together and stops when Lo'ak finally comes into sight in a clearing from the giant kelp forest. He is waiting for something.

And then his tulkun, Payakan, comes into sight. He is huge. And gorgeous. It feels like the sight of these will always amaze Zo'ile.

Lo'ak shrugs at his friend. Zo look over at Tsireya with confusion. "wait." She signs at her.

Zo turns around for a minute to glance at Aonung. To her, he looks so good under water.

He smirks at her and points forward. Zo'ile turns around and looks to the alarming scene playing in front of her. Payakan is opening his giant mouth, allowing Lo'ak to go inside.

Neteyam quickly budges from where he was treading the water, trying to save Lo'ak. Rotxo and Tsireya try to hold him back.

"why?" He asks, sighing quickly.

"You must wait." Tsireya says, nodding back towards them together.

Zo'ile rolls her eyes at everything happening. Clearly, lo'ak cant be saved now, and why try, he did this after the warning they gave him.

It is something she feels awful about thinking, but how could he even do this to his family.

She shakes her head and turns around, swimming back up towards her ilu. They all turn in confusion, trying to get her attention. But clearly, she cant even tell.

Aonung is stuck between the choice in following her and staying here just in case. And he stays, if anything happens, he can't be help responsible for not watching him. And he thinks Zo need some time to herself as well. 

She would have much rather sat back with Kiri and Tuk instead of going on this pointless mission.