NEW CHAPTER (plus some edits on Chapter 8, nothing big but if you care it's just before and in Neteyam's assurance speech, literally just a couple sentence additions and edits)
As they traipsed along the sand, Neteyam could not prevent himself from turning to look at Ao'nung. For a short time, Ao'nung didn't seem aware of the tentative eyes dancing over his skin, and this afforded Neteyam a window into a carefree Ao'nung. He was so different from the Ao'nung who had avoided Neteyam for days on end, stealing hidden glances are his back, accidentally finding himself staring disrespectfully at the strong stance in his hips, the soft rise of his lower back, the way Neteyam shivered when he stepped in the water. Now, Ao'nung looked truly happy. The sun turned his eyes into gems, glittering as they turned to see Neteyam looking back at him.
"Neteyam?" He laughed softly, smile faltering slightly.
"Hmm? Oh, sorry." Neteyam said sheepishly, arm raising to rub the back of his neck. "You're just, its-" he stumbled. Ao'nung waited patiently, eyes studying Neteyam's face.
"You're really pretty..." the boy finished, sure the back of his neck must have been glowing with heat. Ao'nung's eyes immediately turned down, looking at his feet nervously. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-" Neteyam began, worried we had made Ao'nung uncomfortable again.
"No, don't worry. I've just never... no one's ever called me pretty before." Ao'nung told him, remembering all the times he had been called handsome, strapping, or strong. "compliments always come from my parents or elders, and they are obligatory." Ao'nung told Neteyam. The shorter boy shook his head disbelievingly and rested his head on Ao'nung's shoulder.
"Well, let me tell you again. You, Ao'nung, are so pretty. I could stare at your face eclipse after eclipse. If the ocean held one drop of the beauty in your eyes, I would swim forever. No matter how long I could last without breath underwater, you will always leave me gasping for air." Neteyam told him, compliments falling from his lips like water, so naturally. Ao'nung tripped as they continued walking, positively shaking from the praise his... what?
"What I was going to ask earlier." Ao'nung started, hand pulling slightly at the braids now falling along his shoulder.
"Yes?" Neteyam encouraged quietly, willing to let Ao'nung finish this time.
"Can I call you..." Ao'nung heaved a nervous breath. "...my boyfriend?" It was silent for a few moments after, in which Ao'nung tried to prevent himself from running away again. Neteyam chuckled endearingly.
"Now that is a reputation I would wear forever." Neteyam breathed the last word. Falling into silence again, Ao'nung had to prevent himself from breaking down and crying. As he was about to choke back a sob, Neteyam said something else. "I take great pride in knowing I made you that nervous though."
"Careful or I might ask your brother for some other suggestions." Ao'nung said, taking pleasure in being the one to wink this time. Rolling his eyes, Neteyam released Ao'nung's hand. Before Ao'nung could protest or reach for his hand again, Neteyam had wrapped it firmly around his waist, pulling them closer together.
"As long as it's coming from your mouth, you can call me anything you want." he responded, voice still quiet as a whisper, as if they shared a secret. Ao'nung could revel in this feeling forever.
(I'm sorry my POV switches are literally a mess)
The pair continued walking in silence, not realising how far they had gone until they were facing the ocean along another edge of the island. After another 20 minutes of walking back the way they came, the two boys decided to pretend as if they had been swimming at the edge of the reef, making their exit less suspicious. Tsireya, having forgotten about giving her brother privacy, had been looking for him, and Ao'nung didn't need her seeing him returning from a long walk by the beach with Neteyam. Cringing at the cliché, Ao'nung raised his eyes from the net he was untangling. When his mother had given him the chore, it made him remember the first time he laid eyes on Neteyam. He had heard the alert rising throughout the village (is it a village idk) as he had been doing the same thing. Deliberating over this memory made the task slightly less soul-destroying.
-Neteyam POV (sorry I have done like none of these)
He had left Ao'nung's side only when it was necessary to avoid onlookers, such as their siblings. Not realising they had taken so long, Neteyam was surprised to see Tuk sprinting past marui's toward him, weaving between older Metkayina. Grunting under the sudden weight when she threw herself at him, Neteyam pulled her into his arms. Kiri, rarely far behind Tuk recently, was standing with her hands on her hips and an accusatory stare aimed at him. She had a way of intimidating him before she said anything, despite their age dynamic. Releasing Tuk with some difficulty, Neteyam walked towards his sister, not sure how defensive he would need to be.
"So," Kiri began, eyes narrowing slightly.
"So?" Neteyam responded, not wanting to confess to anything Kiri hadn't seen or figured out already.
"Where were you?" Kiri questioned, Neteyam almost crumbled under her scrutiny.
"I don't, um, what do you mean?" Neteyam stumbled slightly, not appreciating how nervous his little sister made him.
"Yeah, right. You disappear five minutes after Ao'nung runs away with his tail between his legs, and you both reappear almost immediately after each other. Tuk and I have been swimming since lunch, Lo'ak has been 'learning'," Kiri added finger quotes, and a picture of Lo'ak staring stupidly at Tsireya while she demonstrated correct technique with her ilu entered Neteyam's mind "and you have been absent, we didn't see you anywhere in the reef. So imagine my surprise when you both emerged from the same place at the same time." Kiri finished, now smirking slightly, cornering Neteyam. He sighed in defeat.
"If you must know," Neteyam began.
"I do know, I just want to hear you say it." Kiri interrupted, a little too smug.
"If you must know" Neteyam repeated, tilting his head in a small beg for mercy from his sister, who did not move. He continued, "Ao'nung and I went for a walk, he wanted to show me... something." He said awkwardly. When Kiri's mouth dropped open slightly at what he had accidentally implied "NO! Sorry, that's not what I meant..." Neteyam dropped his head, sighing in defeat. "I like Ao'nung, and..." but before he could finish with probably a more embarrassing accidental inuendo, Kiri pointed a finger and triumphantly exclaimed
"I KNEW IT! Tsireya was right!" She jumped again, punching the air.
"Tsireya?!" Neteyam's eyes went wide "What does she-?" he began to ask, before he was once more cut off.
"Oh relax, no one else has noticed, somehow." She said, rolling her eyes while smiling. "Her and I have seen you guys looking at each other one after the other, taking in turns to pine silently." Neteyam opened his mouth indignantly, but Kiri continued "She wanted to ask me about the 'fight'" She again employed finger quotes "you two had on the beach that she and I saw. I told her how miserably obsessed you two had been with each other. Funnily enough, she had noticed Ao'nung was distracted lately. I'm just surprised it took you this long to do something about it."
"I didn't even realise how much I liked him until... nevermind." He caught himself before he admitted to his sister he had now made out with someone, twice. Despite this attempt, her grin widened even more.
"Well, only you could be dumb enough to miss something that obvious." Kiri shook her head. "I'm happy for you, truly. Maybe you can finally get some action." She nudged him with her elbow, and Neteyam's eyes shot wide again.
"That wasn't what I meant!" Neteyam insisted, cursing his poor choice of words.
"Relax, I wouldn't have believed you if you did. Just be glad that it's me who noticed and not mum or dad." She reminded him, and he was indeed glad his parents had not caught on, or his other siblings for that matter. Kiri definitely had her annoying moments, and Neteyam had always gone to Lo'ak when looking for someone to annoy or ask if he wanted to go Ikran riding, but she always managed to make him feel better. Not that he was particularly upset in the moment, but she had eased the awkwardness from his mind, even if she had put it there first. "So, Ao'nung?" She prompted.
"Shut up or I might start giving you details." Neteyam threatened with a grin.
"TUK LET'S GO SAY HI TO KEYNARI!" Kiri turned immediately, and gathered up Tuk to visit her ilu. Chuckling, Neteyam turned back towards the direction of his marui, glad for his sister.
(I love Kiri and Tuk and I imagine them being super close and I wanted some Kiri rep so enjoy. Sorry most of this was kind of a filler chapter but I hope you still enjoyed) I WILL TRY REALLY HARD TO UPLOAD 2 CHAPTERS TOMORROW