(Im gonna accept this story is never ending)
Neteyam POV
The next hour was spent trying to concentrate on anything else than his plans for that night. As well was the constant pull and heat in his lower stomach, Neteyam found himself looking everywhere for Ao'nung, even when he knew he wouldn't see him. This resulted in very slow work. Something even more out of the ordinary however, was Lo'ak's reaction. Or perhaps, lack of such. He didn't seem to notice Neteyam until he apologised, every time. Confused, Neteyam caught his brother's attention again.
"Bro, you good?"
"What do you mean?" Lo'ak asked. He seemed confused, as if he wasn't staring into space a second ago.
"You've been out of it the past two hours," Neteyam pointed out. "Everything alright?"
Lo'ak opened his mouth, but apparently reconsidered what he was about to say, and let his breath out in a long sigh. Neteyam raised his eyebrows inquisitively.
"It's nothing-"
"Bullshit," Neteyam instantly cut him off. "Come on, you can talk to me, remember?" Neteyam thought of Lo'ak's last confession, of his admirer from the forest, and wondered if this was related.
"Fine." Lo'ak rolled his eyes, but sounded slightly glad Neteyam cared so much. "I.. Tsireya asked me," Lo'ak mumbled.
"Hey, what is it? You can say anything, I won't tell or judge I promise." Neteyam put a hand on Lo'ak's back. Lo'ak swallowed and nodded.
"It's not that, it's just... weird, to talk to you about it."
"About Tsireya? Did she do something?" Neteyam cautiously asked.
"Uh, kind of. She asked if," he swallowed again. "If I wanted to sleep with her..." He looked away.
Neteyam's eyes widened for a second, and then he asked
"Do you not want to?" An honest question. He was trying to understand the problem.
"No I do!" Lo'ak said quickly, and then shut his mouth quickly and looked at Neteyam, who grinned.
"Don't worry, I'm not telling anyone."
"Thanks."
"So, what's the problem?" Neteyam nudged him.
"I, I don't think I'm ready. But I don't want her to..." Lo'ak seemed helpless again.
"If you're not ready, there is no reason you have to bro." Neteyam assured him. "Please understand that, if you don't want something, especially this, you don't have to." Lo'ak nodded.
"But what if she expects it? I don't want to lose her." Lo'ak said, now looking right at Neteyam, eyes wide and worried.
"Do you honestly think Tsireya would break up with you because you weren't ready for this?" Neteyam tried to make it sounds obvious.
"I mean, I don't think so. But I also want to tell her about Li'riyat- Shit." Lo'ak stopped talking. Neteyam remembered Li'riyat, a strong warrior from the forest. The three of them had been good friends for a while, Lo'ak and Li'riyat making a game of trying to catch Neteyam as he ran, climbed, and flew around the trees. Then Neteyam remembered what Lo'ak had told him, the boy back home who was waiting for him. Who he didn't want to name.
"Was he the boy you told me about?" Neteyam asked gently. Lo'ak nodded, causing a tear to drop off his chin. "Why didn't you want to tell me his name?" Neteyam wasn't offended, but he wanted to make sure he didn't do anything to make his brother worried to share something with him.
"I thought that you might... That you would think about all the times we hung out together and think that I was just checking him out the whole time, or something." Lo'ak shrugged.
"Were you?" Neteyam grinned a little.
"No! I mean, not the whole time..." Lo'ak mumbled. "Sorry-"
"No, bro don't worry, I'm kidding. Of course I don't think that. Not that I would blame you otherwise. What do you think I'm doing and thinking around Ao'nung?" Neteyam tried to make a point.
"Do I want to know?" Lo'ak asked, eyebrows raised.
"Uhhh, maybe? Probably not." Neteyam conceded.
"Gross." Lo'ak smiled at Neteyam.
"So you want to tell Tsireya about him?" Neteyam returned to the subject matter, and Lo'ak deflated a little.
"I do, I really really do. But I feel awful. I can't figure out what's right. He promised to wait. For me!" Lo'aks voice broke. "He told me what we could be, what we could have, when I returned. But now, I don't know if I am returning at all. And I have Tsireya, and she is so much better than anything I could ever have thought I would have. But I can't possibly sleep with her when the possibility of," Lo'ak cleared his throat, and straightened his back slightly. "When Li'riyat is waiting for someone who might not come back. He was very popular, and I don't want him fighting off other prospects in the hopes I might return, when all I'm thinking about is how to talk to Tsireya."
Neteyam decided to comment on the part he thought he understood the most. "I don't believe Li'riyat would see it as anything else but an honour to wait for you." Lo'ak threw his hands up and looked exasperatedly at his brother.
"That's exactly what-" But Neteyam wasn't done.
"No, that's not what I mean. I agree, it sucks that you can't tell him, or even if you can, it still sucks. But," Neteyam remembered what Ao'nung had told him while they cuddled on Neykina's back. "Can I tell you something Ao'nung told me?"
Lo'ak nodded.
"When I was worried about the same expectation from Ao'nung, I thought he might want to mate with me before I was ready, I talked to him." Lo'ak winced at the sentence but stayed silent. "He told me he would wait for me, whenever I was ready. He said 50 years, 100 years, or never, he would wait. And even if I never did, he would have loved every minute of it, because he was with me." Neteyam was smiling widely at the memory. Lo'ak was staring.
"Was that a brag?"
"No, sorry. I mean, if you talk to Tsireya, I'm sure she doesn't want to pressure you, and I'm sure she would be happy to wait. But also, Li'riyat wouldn't see waiting for you as a chore, or something to suffer through. If he loves you, then you have nothing to worry about. I admit, having the two options at once sucks, as does not being able to talk to Li'riyat."
Lo'ak sighed shakily.
"Thanks bro." Lo'ak said, and pulled his brother in for a rough hug. Several pats on the back later, they broke apart and Lo'ak was smiling once more.
"So, are you going to tell Tsireya?" Neteyam asked.
"I think so, I'll tell her about him, and I'll ask if we can wait for a bit." Lo'ak decided.
"Did she actually ask you to?"
"Well, not explicitly." Lo'ak said. Neteyam rolled his eyes.
"So you might be overreacting?" Neteyam prompted.
"Yes, I might be. Sorry." Lo'ak scratched the back of his head.
"Don't worry bro, I'm glad it gave me an opportunity to help." Neteyam assured him. As he was about to leave - they had been talking for a while - Lo'ak asked
"So, are you ready now?"
Neteyam stopped "What?"
"For Ao'nung. You said he would wait for you. You seem pretty sure of your relationship."
Neteyam blushed, and looked down. "Um, I-" Neteyam 'err'ed and 'umm'ed for a minute or so before Lo'ak raised his hands.
"You know what? I'm good." He grinned, and so did Neteyam. As Neteyam began walking away, Lo'ak called one more time.
"Hey, bro. Good luck." Lo'ak winked and gave a thumbs up. Neteyam almost tripped
"Gross." he chuckled. "Thanks, brother." Neteyam was truly grateful for his brother and his support. Even though it was slightly odd to be so open with Lo'ak, Neteyam found he was comfortable with it.
Y'all wanted the smut so bad.
But Lo'ak is important too