requested by Being_0livia
aonung x human!reader
~
y/n pov
it's just past midday, and a light breeze is swaying the leaves above each of the suspended pods that were occupied with families eating lunch.
i was walking along the elastic bridges that connected each of the pods, hearing the mumbling of conversations from inside them along with the occasional hiss from my oxygen mask.
i was holding a large shallow bowl of different fruits from around the island, along with small flowers from the bushes lining the shores.
j also carried a bag that was hanging around my elbow and was filled with homemade goods that neytiri had made. the net bag consisted of different colours of loincloths, beautifully crafted necklaces, and delicate shawls that took hours to make.
neytiri hadn't been adjusting to the move very well, only participating in swimming lessons early in the morning before returning to our family pod for the rest of the day. that's how i had so many different clothes to give considering how little time we had been here.
i was making my way to the olo'eyktan's pod; it was only somewhat larger than the others and was located slightly in front of them, hanging over the ocean water between the larger roots of the trees that seemed to circle the island.
"hello!" i called out as i approached the opened side of the pod, taking a deep breath as my mask hissed once again. i stepped inside the pod, but still hadn't received an answer, so i assumed no one was home and i'd have to wait for the family's return to apologise for my brothers' behavior.
lo'ak had punched the shit out of the olo'eyktan's son, aonung, after he and his little group of friends had called kiri, and the rest of our family freaks. neteyam had joined lo'ak in beating up the group of metkayina boys.
i appeared next to kiri about halfway through the fight, and honestly, i was almost embarrassed as i watched lo'ak get dragged by his tail through the wet sand and shallow water.
"can i help you?" i spun around quickly, another hiss coming from my mask as i gasped slightly. aonung had seemingly materialised out of thin air. "um, i came to apologise for my brothers' actions toward you and your friends," i replied, lifting the bowl of fruit a bit, "that and neytiri thought it would be good for me to try and get on your mother's good side."
aonung let out a short chuckle. "i'm afraid no one can get on her good side, not even her children," he joked. it felt like he was staring me down, and more than just that i was feet shorter than him.
it felt like he was staring into my soul. my eye darted around the tightly woven straw floors, trying to avoid eye contact with the turquoise-coloured boy in front of me.
finally looking back up at him, i realise his left eye is swollen. i hiss at the potential pain he could be in. i bring one of my legs up to rest the bottom of the bowl i was holding and say, "that's going to bruise badly." i bring my now free hand up to point at the boy's eye.
aonung nods his head, "you must know a lot about bruises." i frown my brows, confused as to why he would assume that "you know cause of all the fighting your family has done against the sky people." i place my foot back on the ground and hold the bowl with both hands. "uh yea, i guess we did a lot of that." i nod back at him, looking back down this time to inspect the fruit and flowers in the bowl.
"it's kind of weird that you, a sky person, fight against your people." aonung starts to walk around me, circling me and stopping behind me, scrutinising every inch of my being. "i may be human, but i am not a sky person; i was born among the people; i grew up a na'vi," i argue with him as i lift my head and look over my shoulder at him.
"you will never be na'vi." ronal, aonung's mother, and tsahik of the metkayina clan, called as she and her mate walked through the opening in the woven structure, i bowed my head with disappointment, knowing a lot of na'vi saw me as nothing but a potential traitor.
"olo'eyktan, tsahik." i turn towards them and drop to my knees in front of them, saying, "i come bearing fruits and gifts as an apology for the trouble my family has caused you in such a short time of being here." i keep my head low, not wanting to meet ronald's harsh gaze.
"did neytiri put you up to this? did she send you to make you seem like a golden child? so that i may like you more even though you are human?" she questioned my intentions. "no, of course not, tsahik, i came to apologise on behalf of my family, nothing more." i gave a small glance up at aonung, hoping he wouldn't rat me out. he thankfully stays silent, watching the interaction off to the side.
"now, now, let's not blame the girl for the sky people's actions." tonowari holds his hand out in front of his mate, trying to calm her. "you can stand now, y/n," he commands.
i slowly stand and meet ronal's gaze. "is there somewhere you would like me to put this?" i ask, referring to the bowl of fruits and flowers in my slightly sore arms. "just put it in the corner." she quickly dismisses me. her hand motions towards the corner of the pod, which already had a small stack of food and a box.
i walk towards the corner, squat down, and place the bowl on the floor, making sure none of the fruit rolls out of the bowl before standing back up.
i turn back around to face ronald and nowari, moving the net bag that had been forgotten around my elbow to my hands, "i also have some clothing items for you and your family." i inform either one of the adults. ronal lets out a small, displeased grunt, barely able to hold back an eye roll.
"that's very sweet of you." tonowari gave me a fond smile, which i returned. "ronald, would you please look through them?" he asked with a small hand gesture towards me. she gave him a hard glare before directing it at me.
ronal walks up to me while i hold out the mesh bag full of clothing. she snatched it, pulling out the item on top, before moving the bag to rest on her elbow. she holds up a gorgeous pearl and shell necklace.
it had several layers of pearls, and in the middle of each layer was a unique shell with macramé around it holding it in place.
she turned the article of clothing in her hand, inspecting every detail of it; no doubt she was trying to find an imperfection to comment on. "there's something for everyone in there," i informed her and the other two standing idle in the pod.
i wish tsireya was here; she would already praise me like a god for the simplest gesture of kindness. i can only imagine how profoundly thankful she would be for the fruit and clothes.
"how has she been able to create all these in such a short time?" ronal's question was about neytiri, and i should've known she would try to find a way to shame my family and label us a useless.
"she has the gift of quick hands. kiri and i helped her with it as well." it wasn't entirely a lie; neytiri did have quick hands, and kiri and i had helped her make clothes. back in the forest. we had all been too busy learning how to live in the new environment, especially kiri. the water seemed to enchant the girl.
ronal puts the necklace back into the bag and digs around it, having a quick look at the rest of the items in it. "if anything is a bit too big or small, please let me know and i can fix it." i gave her a small smile.
although her face doesn't hold a frown anymore, it doesn't hold a smile either. "we appreciate your kindness; thank you for the gifts." on the other hand, tonawaris' face held a wide, greatful grin.
ronal drops the bag of clothes to the floor and takes an airy stride toward me. "you give gifts, but what about my son's face?" i was stunned by her question. i didn't really expect her to accept my apology, but to start this kind of drama was a little much.
"how are your fruits and clothes going to fix the pain my son is in?" she takes another step forward. "or the cuts on his hands?" she was now leaning over me. her face held anger, and i had to admit i was scared of her.
"umm, i could help him rap his hands and apply an ointment for the cuts." i don't know why i was offering to help heal her son; she didn't seem to want any of my family to be near hers, especially me.
"you will do as you say, and only then will i forgive you and your family." ronal quickly turns away from me and grabs her mate's hand, dragging him to leave the pod with her.
i spun around to face aonung, my mouth hanging open and my brows furrowed. i was beyond confused as to what just happened. never in a million years had i imagined ronal leaving me to treat her son's wounds.
"what the hell just happened?" i asked the boy in front of me, "i, uh, don't really know." it seemed he was just as confused as me.
"just sit down and i'll fix you up," i command, turning away from him before quickly turning back and asking, "where do you keep your medicines?" "they're in the box just over there," he says, pointing to a medium-sized box in the same corner as the food while he sits down.
i walk back over to the corner, squat down, and lift the lid off the box, pulling out a small roll of dried seaweed bandages and a small wooden jar full of cream for the small cuts lining aonung's knuckles.
closing the box, i stand and walk over to aonung with the helpful items in my hands. i lower myself to the floor and sit directly in front of him, placing the items between us.
i held out my hand for him as i opened the jar and dipped my fingers into the ointment with the other, ready to apply it to his knuckles. when neither of his hands moved from their position in his lap, i looked up at him, and although his face didn't show confusion, i could tell he didn't understand.
"give me your hand," i command the boy, still staring at his face. "what?" the confusion was definitely showing on his face. i now roll my eyes before instructing him again. "give me your hand, skxawng," his brows now frown in slight offence as his hand still sits unmoving in his lap. i roll my eyes once more before looking down and grabbing one of his hands.
i started to rub the small amount of cream that was sitting on my opposite hand along the small red splits across his knuckles. "ow, that stings," aonung tries to pull his hand back, "stay still," as i tighten my grip on his hand, pulling it closer to me, before continuing to rub the ointment into his hand.
once i was done applying the cream to both of his hands, i delicately rapped them in the dark green bandages, tucking the end of them into themselves and saying, "there's all better." i let go of his hand, going from my sitting position to my knees, and grabbed both sides of his face, turning it to one side to inspect his swollen eye a bit more.
"this is a bit forward, don't you think?" aonung looks up at me with an arrogant smirk; i had a slight height advantage in this position. "oh shut up, i'm just making sure lo'ak didn't break that perfect little nose of yours," i say in a baby voice toward the end before tapping the end of his nose.
grabbing the left-over bandages and jar of cream, i stand up and walk over to the box, putting the items back inside before resting the lid back on top.
standing back up and turning to say my goodbyes, aonung stands right in front of me, startling me slightly. "wha-" before i can even finish my question, aonung cuts me off, "meet me on the beach tonight." he wasn't asking. "why should i do that?" i stare up at his face, looking into his eyes, "because i want to show you something." he smiles widely, "i don't know." he grabs my hands, "please." it almost sounded like he was begging. i knew aonung was as mean as he pretended to be. he just hung around the wrong people.
his thumbs rubbed over my hands; between his radiant smile and comforting hands, i could say no more than, "okay, i'll meet you on the beach. what time?" his smile widens even more. "later, after your family has gone to sleep, try not to get caught." i nodded my head at his words, "okay." a small smile graces my face. "i should get going." i tell aonung, as his smile falls just a bit, "i'll see you tonight." i once again nodded my head at his words before leaving his pod.
i walk back along the stretchy yellow-tan coloured bridges toward my own family pod, walking through the large open space in a daze. "what took you so long?" kiri had asked from the floor as she was cleaning up dishes that had been left over from lunch, "no one was home so i had to wait a bit." i lied, not wanting her to know that i had taken so long because i had patched up her bully.
"well, you missed lunch," kiri says, turning her head back to the dishes in front of her, "oh, it's okay, i'll just have some fruit and wait for dinner." i walk past kiri and towards our own food corner, grabbing a vibrantly coloured piece of fruit.
i took a deep breath, my mask hissing, before i lifted it off my face enough to allow me to take a larger bite from the fruit before moving the mask back down on my face properly and taking a deep inhale through my nose, making it hiss again.
chewing the fruit in my mouth before swallowing, "where is everyone?" i ask kiri as i inspect the deserted pod beside the two of us: "tuk's out with tsireya feeding the ilu, lo'ak and neteyam are just outside swimming, and it's date afternoon."
now that i was listening, i could hear splashing and the occasional comment made by the brothers just outside, "mmm." i gave an acknowledging hum towards kiri's explanation before walking back over to sit with her and watch her clean the few dishes left before making small talk.
the afternoon seemed to drag on for a while, but it was finally dinner, meaning it was almost bedtime, meaning i would sneak out soon to see whatever it was that aonung wanted to show me.
neytiri had prepared an assortment of different foods, setting them out each in a different bowl in the centre of the circle. my family and i were seated on the floor, our own plates sitting in front of us with utensils.
once neytiri was done placing each item of food down in front of us, she sat down herself, joining the circle. she closed her eyes and said a meaningful prayer to eywa before reopening them and looking at each of us, giving a small nod that told us we were allowed to eat.
neteyam and lo'ak playfully fight over the pieces of food, seeing who can get them out of the bowl and onto their plate first, while kiri and i sit back and wait for them to be done acting like skxawngs. jake prepares his food, occasionally adding something to neytiri's plate as she was distracted helping fill tuk's plate with food.
once we were plated, we ate mostly in silence. "have you apologised to aonung, lo'ak?" jake breaks the silence. "no, not yet. mother sent y/n out with gifts to apologise on our behalf, though." lo'ak informs his father of my adventures and says, "mmm, that's not good enough. make sure you apologise to him tomorrow." jakes' voice held authority and a slight bit of anger while he gave lo'ak a look. "yes, sir." lo'ak quickly looked back down at his food, wanting the embarrassing conversation to be over.
i ate my food in silence, even though everyone around me was talking. neteyam and lo'ak argued over which of them was a better swimmer. kiri and tuk were babbling about random things, and jake and neytiri were talking about what they'd be doing tomorrow.
"is everything all right, y/n?" neytiri asked me from across the family circle, "you've been very quiet." the entire family's eyes were on me now. i felt like a small germ under a microscope. "just tired." i gave a small smile towards neytiri, showing my appreciation for her worry, but the truth is, my mind was wondering about aonung and what he wanted to show me, and the way he held my hands, begging me to come.
i spaced out and suddenly dinner was over, the dishes were clean, and we were all heading to bed, each of us laying down on our own individual thick mats, besides neytiri and jake, made from the furs of animals and stuffed with feathers. there were blankets folded neatly near by, but it was a bit too warm for them.
trying to keep myself awake wasn't hard as my mind was still racing. it had been a while since everyone had fallen asleep, but i waited a little longer just to be sure before carefully standing up and heading towards the large opening in the wall.
my mask lets out a sudden hiss. i turn my head around to look at my sleeping family, making sure i hadn't woken any of them up. none of them stirred in their sleep; instead, steady breaths and light snoring filled the pod.
i continue to make my way out of the pod, making it out, and i walk along the elastic bridge this time toward the beach.
i waited on the beach for a few minutes, starting to think aonung had stood me up, before deciding to wait a few more minutes, looking between the dark ocean and the starry sky.
i hear movement behind me and turn around, spotting aonung. "finally, i was beginning to think you'd never show up," i call out to the boy as he continues to walk towards me. "how long were you waiting?" he stops standing in front of me. "a while," i say, looking up at him. "oh, sorry." his gaze moves from my face to the sand.
"so what did you want to show me?" aonung's head instantly lifts back up, this time with a wide smile. "follow me." he turns and starts to walk down the beach away from the village. i follow after him, jogging a bit to catch up.
"i hope you don't mind a midnight swim," aonung calls over his shoulder as he dives into the water. i roll my eyes at his cockiness, following him into the water.
my oxygen mask is hissing louder and releasing bubbles with every breath i take under the water's surface.
aonung holds his hand out for me to grab, knowing i wasn't as fast of a swimmer as him. i hold onto his hand as he starts to swish his tail from side to side, his hips doing the same, while i kick my legs up and down.
we were swimming under water for a few minutes, swimming into the opening of a large rock, before aonung started to swim up, pulling me along with him. after being under the water for so long, his breathing became steady almost instantly.
looking around at where aonung had basically just dragged me, it seemed we were in a cave with a high ceiling that was dimly lit up with different bioluminescent vines and small glowing gems that were stuck into the wall.
i swim over to the side of the pool, hoisting myself up to sit off the edge with my legs still dangling in the water. looking around the plateau i was now seated on, there was a large amount of different plant life growing around the pool of water and up the walls.
"i'm pretty sure you'd be able to breathe in here." aonung's comment stunned me. i look back at him with shock, thinking, 'this boy is trying to kill me.' "what makes you think that?" i ask the boy, hesitant to believe his statement, "well, i was hiding out in here from my mother a while back, and i almost died from the lack of carbon in the air." aonung laughs like his close call with death was the funniest thing.
once he had stopped laughing and saw the bewildered look on my face, he walked toward me, only being waist deep in the water. "you don't believe me?" he asked, stopping in front of me. "not really, sorry." i looked down at my hands that were fiddling in my lap.
"would you at least try?" aonung asked, referring to me trying to breathe in the cave without my mask on. i stayed staring down at my lap now biting my lip.
aonung stepped closer to me, stopping in between my legs. his hands moved up from the water to rest on my knees. i looked up at him as he looked down on me, his eyes capturing my entire being. i sat still as he lifted one of his hands from my knee up to my face, his fingers dancing along the edge of my mask, asking for permission.
i don't say anything but give a very small, almost unnoticeable nod. he moves his hand to grip the bottom of the mask, pulling it completely off my face, and places it beside me. i hold my breath for a second before taking a shallow breath of the air around me.
i wasn't choking on it, but it seemed to sit heavy in my lungs. i took another deep breath, looking up at aonung in astonishment at the fact that i was somehow breathing.
aonung continues to look down at me with a wide smirk that says, 'i told you so.' i roll my eyes at the boy's facial expression before starting back into his silvery blue eyes that looked like they held all the constellations in them. he brings the same hand back up to my face, resting it on my cheek and rubbing his thumb along my check bone.
aonung starts to lean forward slowly. my heart quickens as i notice his eye flicking between my eyes and my lips. once he was only an inch away, i closed my eyes. my head was completely blank. my stomach tingled, waiting for what was about to happen.
he kisses me for just a second, and i open my eyes again, seeing a blushing boy in front of me. i let myself smirk at the flustered boy standing in front of me.
he leans in for another kiss, this one longer and more needy. he brings his hand that was still resting on my knee up to my waist, pulling me close to the edge and trying to pull me closer to him.
aonung's hand that was resting on my face was now resting at the base of my head; his fingers were tangled in my hair, deepening the kiss. he pulled away for a quick second, allowing us both to inhale, before he was kissing me again.
his lips leave my lips and start to trail along my jaw, giving it small pecks. "aonung". i breathe out as my hands rest on the boy's chest. i feel him smile against my jaw, scooting back a bit so i could see his face, and i bring my hands up to either side of it, asking, "what was that for?"
aonung hops out of the water, sitting next to me, before moving further out of the water to lay completely on the flat rock surface. i turn, bringing my legs out of the water, and lay on my stomach by aonung's side, my head resting on my hands, staring at him, waiting for an answer to my question.
"what? can't a boy kiss the girl he likes?" he answers my question with a question and a dumb look on his face. i roll my eyes at his cockiness, moving to sit on my legs. "you're a skxawgn." anung quickly leans up on his elbow. "you love it." he says it in a low whisper. he brings one of his hands up to the back of my head, pulling me down for another kiss.
the moment felt unreal, more unreal than the fact that i was sitting over an 8-foot-tall turquoise alien.
the glowing plants provided the perfect atmosphere in the cave, and i never wanted to leave. i wanted this perfect moment to freeze in time, but we both knew we had feuding families to get back to too.
"we should probably get going," i told aonung with a small smile. "why?" he asks, not wanting to leave the blissful atmosphere of the cave. "we can't stay in here forever; we'll suffocate," pointing out the fact that neither of us could stay in here long.
"i can think of other ways to suffocate us." aonung jokes grabbing my arm and pulling me down with him. i lay on his chest for a moment before pushing myself back up, saying, "come on, you big baby, i'll let you walk me home."
i grab my oxygen mask while standing up. aonung quickly doing the same, stopping me from putting my mask on. "one more," he says before giving me a leisurely, passionate kiss.
i smile widely up at the boy before continuing to put my mask back on. it hisses as i take a deep breath of fresh air. we both jump back into the water and swim out of the cave.
once we were back on the beach, aonung held his arm over my shoulder, keeping me close to his side. my arms were wrapped around his waist as we walked back towards the village.
aonung walks with me all the way back to my pod before he removes his arm from around me, bending down, and gives me a long kiss on the head. "i'll see you tomorrow." i smile at him and nod.
i watch him as he walks off in the direction of his own pod, and i step inside, tiptoeing towards my sleeping family and laying back down on the furry mat.
"where were you?" kiri's head pops up from over neteyam's sleeping body. my heart is beating quick in my chest, scared i had gotten caught. "i went on a walk." i shuffle around, trying to get comfortable and avoid this conversation. "you were gone for ages, though." she must've been awake since i left. "i got distracted by the stars." i answer before rolling over, leaving kiri to stare at the back of my head.
sleep came easy, having had a peaceful dream of the boy i couldn't wait to see in the morning.
~
word count : 4702
(a/n i have zero clue if the whole breathing in certain areas because there isn't a lot of carbon in the air is possible but oh well 🤷♀️)