Golden-Eyed Golden Child |Ao'nung x Neteyam| University AU

Chapter 65: Secret Place

They never make it home; Neteyam drags Ao'nung to the forest wordlessly, ignoring his questions and not even bothering to respond to any of his comments before pulling him to the security of their secret spot - they rarely visit it, but it was their favourite place to hang out during their first year, as friends with raging crushes on each other that everyone was aware of except them.

Now, it is their third year of university, and Neteyam feels they've neglected this place a bit too much.

The forest begins at the edge of the park between their shared apartment and the university. It isn't supposed to be there - not in the middle of the city, but it was planted there before their birth to preserve the natural plant life of the area in a modern world. There's a mixture of pine trees, deep, dark green, and willows, weeping gently in the wind. And there are plants native to the Pandoran continent, refusing to strive elsewhere but here, in a world of new mixed with old. Native and foreign mingling pleasantly. 

There's a wild array of autumn flowers dancing along the tender spikes of pale green grass and path worn by two boys, leading them to a clearing.

They used to bring a blanket here or a tent — sometimes they'd stumble here after a dorm party (Neteyam mostly sober) to talk about everything and anything at all. Ao'nung would listen to Neteyam swoon about Korean celebrities whose names he never attempted to pronounce or grumble about the nonsense Lo'ak managed to get into again. (Like the time he got caught shaving the side of his head and their parents didn't let him do the other side.) 

Ao'nung would grumble about his roommates (usually the brothers who shared a bed in a very weird way that he'd never want to remember, but here he is, for some reason, lost in his memories) and about the annoyance that is having to be a student with homework. Neteyam would giggle, voice deep and raspy, because of course, he always had double the work Ao'nung complained about. It never annoyed him.

They'd talk about Kiri and Rotxo and make bets on how long it'd take for them to let Spider join their relationship (3 years). Neteyam lost.

Neteyam would bring a little speaker and they'd listen to his favourite playlist quietly (and Ao'nung would secretly shazam every song). He still remembers In the Kitchen by Mree. It was the first time Neteyam ever told him about his inner struggles — it was also the first time Neteyam clearly told him that he liked men. Ao'nung had suspected it, but before coming to university, Neteyem never painted his nails or wore crop tops either. 

Their secret spot holds a lot of memories. 

This is the same place Neteyam had confessed to his very annoying watermelon allergy. Somehow, it's one of Ao'nung's favourite memories, because Neteyam had been sipping on a watermelon flavoured Somersby. Ao'nung got him got him a watermelon necklace the next day and Neteyam had sworn at him while laughing. He wore it until it broke. Ao'nung suspects that he still has it somewhere.

Nobody else ever comes here, only the birds chirp and even the mosquitoes hunt elsewhere, which Ao'nung is grateful for, because he's allergic to them beyond what is normal.

"What are we doing here, hm, baby?" Ao'nung grins, crowding Neteyam against a large tree, chest to chest. 

The sun is just beginning to set, gentle gleams peeking through the trees.

Neteyam smirks, tilting his head to expose his throat, receiving a sweet kiss.

He simpers playfully. "Each other."

"Oh, really?" Ao'nung cackles, caging Neteyam with his arms; Neteyam plays along, pretending he can't escape the surfer, though he's very much aware that he could overpower Ao'nung, no matter what. Ao'nung is fully aware too. He hasn't thought about it lately, but Neteyam is a trained soldier and somehow, that makes his femininity even more mesmerising. He's so slender, yet muscular all the same - Ao'nung loses himself in staring and Neteyam waits patiently, letting him.