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As the first light of dawn tiptoed into the marui, casting a soft golden glow, Ao'nung stirred beneath the warmth, the gentle caress of the morning breeze whispered through the curtains, coaxing him into consciousness.
With eyelids fluttering open, he found himself in the delicate embrace between dreams and reality.
"Good morning" he hears Tìyawn's voice, causing him to jolt up.
And there she was, sat on the far side, her hands occupied.
"Oh.. goodmorning" Ao'nung looked at her awkwardly. After last night, he was hoping that they'd be rather close to one another, when he woke up.
Yet it was the same just as any other day.
"I do not know what your mother made me drink last night, but my head is hurting. Is yours?" She asks him.
He shook his head no, looking at her blankly.
"Hmm. Probably because i drank a lot of it. You barely had any" Tìyawn responded.
"That is all you remember?" Ao'nung asks.
"The last thing I remember was us walking home.." she looked up at him, "I didn't do anything wrong did I?"
He gave her a side smile as he shook her head, "no. You were fine. Just tired."
"Well I'm glad" she chuckled, "I don't think I should ever drink anything your mother gives me again. She is dangerous."
"She is" Ao'nung then stood up, "as a matter of fact, I need to wash up and go see her."
"But I'm cutting your food up to eat" Tìyawn pouts.
"And I will come back for that don't worry" he responds, already out the marui.
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"You stop that!" Ronal shouts with a chuckle, swatting her mates' hand away from her leg.
"Does it tickle?" H asks, continuing to do as he pleases.
"Yes stop!" She laughs as she threw her head back, before laying down.
She had asked that he give her a massage yet now, she was laid down on the floor, into a fit of laughter.
"Mother. Father" Ao'nung interrupted their loving moment with his cold words.
Her laugh slowly died down, as she sat up.
"Oh Ao'nung. What brings you here?" Tonowari asks.
"I need to speak to mother. Alone" Ao'nung responds.
"Very well" Tonowari sighs as he stood up, "I have my duties to take care of."
He then turns around to Ronal, leaving her a peck against her head, "I shall see you later."
To which she smiled with a nod, watching Tonowari walk out.
As soon as he was nowhere in sight, she looks up at Ao'nung with excitement, "so, what happened last night?"
"You, mother" Ao'nung responded.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ronal asks.
"You and your meddling about in things. And not even in the right way!" Ao'nung sighs frustratedly as he sits beside his mother, "she told me she loved me. And so much. Only to forget the next morning."
"Oh, Ao'nung.." Ronal felt her heart break for him slightly.
"You should have not done what you did. It is not only messing with my feelings but hers too" Ao'nung responded.
"But that is impossible. It usually works on your father, so I thought..?" She looked at him confused.
"Well it does not work with her so please, stop. You had no right to meddle that way" Ao'nhng looked at his mother in disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Ao'nung. I just want to help. I can't exactly make her realise the life you had, I do not have magic. But I could at least help with some part of the romance between the two of you" Ronal explains herself.
"Just stop!" Ao'nung stood up, frustrated at his mother.
"Ao'nung.."
"I don't want your help with any of this. There is not need for help, if she does not remember. I'd rather not have any romance at all" he sighs and turns away to walk out.
Leaving his mother to feel guilty about her decision.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
On a positive note, to last night's endeavours, Lo'ak finds himself sat beside Tsireya, as the two of them were secluded.
Elsewhere.
Within many trees, and the perfect view of the ocean not far off.
"So, you think that gift giving is not a waste of time?" Lo'ak asks.
"Of course!" Tsireya responded back, "giving someone a gift is what shows that you care about them. Even the little things."
"I gave Tìyawn a gift once. I don't think she really cared for it" Lo'ak shrugged.
"What was it?" Tsireya asks.
"Something that I caught on my hunt. It was some type of stone?.. I'm not sure, it has been a while" Lo'ak shrugs.
"But is that what she likes?" Tsireya asks.
To which Lo'ak looked at her silently.
"Exactly!" Tsireya chuckles, "women only like gifts that are meaningful. Collecting a stone from your hunt, which relates nothing to her likings, is not a real gift."
"Well I wish someone told me that earlier" Lo'ak sighs, "she's still kept it."
"Which is a good thing. Even if she didn't care for it, her keeping it shows that she cares" Tsireya smiles, "so you are not as bad as you think you are."
"So, what gift do you have for me then?" Lo'ak asks, tilting his head, with a smile.
"A stone" she teases him as she stood up, running away.
"Hey get back here!" He shouts, before standing up to follow after her.
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"So.. she doesn't love you?" Rotxo asks.
"No Rotxo. No she does not" Ao'nung replied.
"And you are avoiding her, why?" Rotxo asks.
"I just.. I can't speak to her right now. This is the second time where she's made a move and then changed the next day and it's all just confusing" Ao'nung sighs.
"You can't blame her Ao'nung. It is not like she knows. And you haven't exactly told her" Rotxo responds.
"Told me what?" Tìyawn approaches the two of them, as she sits beside Ao'nung.
"I uhh.. just uhhh-how beautiful you look today!" Rotxo smiles.
"That is sweet" Tìyawn looked to Ao'nung.
He plastered on a weak smile, not even being able to look her in the eye.
"So Tìyawn, you will be receiving a tattoo soon. How does it feel?" Rotxo changes the subject.
"I'm excited. I'm thinking to get the same as Ao'nung" she points to his shoulder, with the tattoo he was given for becoming a hunter, for the first time.
"I have to go" Ao'nung spoke in a dull manner, as he stood up, ready to walk away."
"Where are you going?" Tìyawn looks up at him, her hand grasping onto his finger.
He looks down at her, his broken heart feeling a little flutter. But not enough to mend his feelings.
"Just.. somewhere" Ao'nung moved his finger out her grasp and walked away.
"He looks upset" Tìyawn looks back at Rotxo.
"Maybe you should go after him and try to talk to him" Rotxo encourages her.
"But what if he doesn't want to talk to me?" Tìyawn asks.
"That boy is smitten. He'd do more than talk" Rotxo gives her a little nudge, "go before you lose him."
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
"Ao'nung!" He hears Tìyawn's voice as she's running towards him, as he had already made his way quite far.
"Tìyawn why are you following me?" Ao'nung asks.
"Because you seem upset. What is wrong?" She asks, finally catching up to him.
"Nothing is wrong. Just.. go. I'll see you later" Ao'nung responds, turning away.
"Will you please just tell me? Or try to communicate with me?" Tìyawn asks, "I don't want us to argue with one another. Please."
He sighs, turning back around, "fine. Yes. Yes I am upset. I'm tired, aggravated and upset. Are you satisfied now?"
"Why? What did I do?" She asks him.
And that is when he realises that perhaps he has been harsh on her, that it would result in her blaming herself.
"Nothing" he responds.
"Then why are you-?"
"Because it is aggravating when one does not feel the same feeling for the other! When one!... When one burns for another" she could see the flare in his eyes, yet he managed to stay a lot calm than she'd expect.
She looked at him with a blank expression, trying to figure out what he had meant, yet to him, it seemed that she did not care for his words nor understand.
"Just go" He turns away once again, yet his hand was pulled by hers, for the last time.
"What? What is it?" He raises his voice at her slightly, "why do you not want me to go? What do you want from me Tìyawn?"
As she looks at him, her eyes linger on his lips, a silent invitation framed by the unspoken desire that hangs in the air.
There's a softness in her expression, a hesitant yet longing gaze that hints at the unexplored possibilities between them.
With a sudden yet graceful pull, she draws him closer, catching him off guard. His eyes widen in surprise, a mix of shock and delight playing on his features.
Time seems to suspend as their lips meet, a collision of unexpected passion that lingers in the air like a sweet, stolen moment.
She pulls their lips apart as she moves away, to take a look at his concerned yet confused eyes.
"I do... I feel the same way as you do" she responds.
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With a sudden crash, the two burst into their marui, their lips not seeing the light of day any longer, too busy in an entanglement with one another.
Pushing her against the wall, Ao'nung then pushes himself against her quite harshly, not being able to contain himself with his frustration and desire for her, knowing just how much he wanted her.
Needed her.
He pulls down the cloth that were over her shoulders, her collarbone now well exposed for him, as he begins to let himself kiss her elsewhere.
His heavy breaths syncing into her moans, as her cheek was now pressed against his head, her fingers curling around, behind his neck.
Ao'nung then uses one hand, tapping her above her thigh, as he lifted her leg up, to then let it rest against his hip.
His fingers digging deep into them, having her gasp to the feeling.
"Ao'nung? Do you have a moment?" They both stop, after hearing Ronal's voice calling from outside.
The two of them look ahead, to the dropped curtains which covered them, back to one another.
"What do we do?" Tìyawn whispers.
"Ao'nung, I know you're in there. And I know you're upset. But I just want to talk" Ronal pleads.
"Go hide through the back!" He whispers back, helping her get her cloth back on, whilst she pats down her hair to make it less.. noticeable.
She then runs out to the back, whilst Ao'nung neatens himself, before he walks towards the curtains, pulling them apart.
"Ao'nung" she looks at him with a pitiful smile, as she walks in, "I just want to say I'm sorry."
"It's fine mother. Really. You should go now" He places his hands over his crotch, discreetly.
"I just.. ever since Tìyawn has been here, you have been feeling so distraught. I just wanted to do something that'll make you happy. But I realised that the way I did it was wrong" Ronal shook her head, disappointed in herself.
Whilst Ao'nung tried to mouth to her to stop speaking, knowing that Tìyawn could hear, as she was hiding quite close.
Yet with all the disappointment, Ronal couldn't seem to look him in the eye, completely missing the signal.
"I'm just afraid it will take her a long time to learn the truth. About her life with you. Her baby. Her father. All of it. I just wanted you both to have a bit of romance between the two of you, before all that hits you both down" Ronal sighs.
"What truth?" Tìyawn then asks, walking back in.
Only then, did Ronal look up, as she turned to see Tìyawn's face.
"What truth?" She asks again, "how do you know? About my father?"
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