༺chapter eleven༻
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⇝ payakan

"I wish I had been there." Kiri smiled at lo'ak. "The ocean blessed you with a gift brother."

Amiryat hums turning back to him, the Sully siblings had joined Tsireya, Ao'nung and Rotxo by the ocean, as the sun behind them began to settle down with the orange sky shinning over them. Lo'ak had been telling them about his recent encounter with a tulkun.

"The tulkuns have not returned yet and anyways no tulkun is ever alone." Ao'nung told him pressing a hand to his knee leaning forward.

"This one was." Lo'ak states turning from Ao'nung to Tsireya. "He had a missing fin, like a stump on the left side."

The way the ocean girls eyes widen made Amiryat feel that it wasn't just any kind of tulkun that her little brother came across. "Payakan, it's Payakan."

"Who's payakan?" Amriyat ask glancing around them. "A young bull who went rogue." Rotxo answered from her right. "He is outcast, alone and has missing fin."

"They say he is a killer." Tsireya said softy to lo'ak caressing his arm. Lo'ak shook his head, disagreeing with her words. "No."

"He killed na'vi and other tulkuns." Ao'nung tells him, "not here, but far to the south."

"No, he's no killer." Lo'ak stared down refusing to believe that the tulkun he came across was a killer. "Lo'ak." Tsireya called his name. "You are lucky to be alive."

"I'm telling you guys he saved my life." Lo'ak glanced at his eldest sister, hoping that she would believe his word like she always did, Amriyat didn't know much about the sea creatures but she didn't know what to trust. "He is my friend."

"Lo'ak," Amiryat began leaning on her knees. "We know that you might think payakan is your friend but you can't trust that he won't kill you." Lo'ak frowns shaking his head, his heart swelling at her words, he wanted her to believe him like she always did, like she said.

Amiryat turned from him, not being able to hold eye contact with him. "My baby bro..." Neteyam rose placing down his hands on lo'ak' shoulders grinning from above. "The mighty warrior who faced a killer tulkun and survived."

Lo'ak hissed pushing his off to stand. "You guys aren't listening."

"No, lo'ak I'm listening." Tuk comments softly glancing down to Amiryat. "I was listening." Amiryat hums softly bringing her down to her chest. "I know, i know you were."

"Lo'ak, come back."

—

The sun had settled down and the ocean was completely silent with nothing but the ilu swimming around. Her siblings had gone with Tsireya and Rotxo to visit the sprit tree, Amiryat decided to stay out their way and stay with Ao'nung even if she was being watched.

Not in a complete weird way but her father wanted her safe and he believed having a clear view of his daughter with her possibly potential mate was the better than not letting her see the boy.

"My dad teases me constantly about it, and my mom— well she wants me to be happy." Amiryat stared up ahead at the glowing stars, with her head laying on Ao'nung shoulder.

"And are you, are you happy?" Ao'nung whispers into her hair with a kiss. Amiryat smiles pulling back staring into his ocean eyes, the eyes she grew to adore. "Do I make you happy?"

Amiryat hums glancing around his face stopping at his lips watching as the corner of his mouth lift up to a smile. "you make me really happy, do I make you happy?" She asked him but some how already knew the answer.

Ao'nung grins softly, pursing his lips together. "Eh." He muttered and Amiryat rolled her eyes with a smile painted on her face and push him back lightly, Ao'nung grasped her wrist laughing at her reaction. "That is a lie." She tells him sweetly as she laid in his arms, his laughter dialed down wrapping his arms around her body, chest to her back.

"I'm just kidding, you make me the happiest," Ao'nung kisses her cheek, he was glad that had gained the blessing from the Toruk Makto and his wife the great warrior, a couple days ago without Amriyat knowledge Jake Sully went to the younger boy, he wanted to know what were his intentions with his daughter and if his daughter made the right choice with him.

"Can I kiss you?" Ao'nung brought Amiryat from her daze, she twisted her body around pursing her lips together and shook her head, he frown not expecting that to be her answer, did she not like kissing him? was he a bad kisser? all these bad thoughts circling around in his mind.

Amiryat cradled his face locking her legs around his waist, giggling at his sorrowful expression. "It's not that I don't want to kiss because I do but—" she slapped her hand over his mouth stopping him from doing so. "My dad is probably watching us and it's weird."

They both turned their heads in time to find Jake peering outside his home when he quickly rushed back in by a scolding Neytiri behind him. "Looks like your mom handle it." Ao'nung smugly said pecking her nose.

Amiryat didn't waste time to capture his lips, she enjoyed the way their lips molded together, his hand wandered down to the small of her back bringing her closer, it was the perfect moment with a cold breeze and the stars made it so romantic, her hands intertwined through his loosen hair.

Ao'nung pulled away as much he hated to do so but he felt how she shivered beneath the moonlight. "you're cold, let's go somewhere much warmer."

She took his hand as they both rose from the sand, trailing after him squeezing his hand each chance she got, "Amiryat?" Her mothers voice reached her ears, twirling around to face her tugging Ao'nung along with her. "Where are you going?"

Amiryat glanced up to Ao'nung not finding any words to answer her, he stared into her doe eyes noticing that she was seeking help through them and quickly stepped forward "uh, i wanted to show her something, if that's okay with you— ma'am?" Amiryat snickered at the chose of word.

Neytiri eyed the pair, noticing the smile never leaving her daughter's face, who was she to stop love when she saw it, she nods slowly saying. "Okay, just don't be too late."

"Yes, of course, thank you." Amiryat nods to her mother before she and Ao'nung were away from the village into a cave hidden behind a waterfall, it always amazes Amiryat after many months of living with the sea people, that there were hidden caves.

"I came here once when my sempu grounded me from seeing my sprit animal." Ao'nung frown at the memory crouching down slightly as he entered between to rock walls quickly looking back to her, "be careful around here, the roof isn't as tall as I remembered."

Amiryat gripped his hand until they made in through into the cave, lips parted at the sight infront of her, the glowing water surrounding them, a river stream flowing down on the opposite side where they stood, a rock bridge in the middle of the ocean she kneeled dipping her hand in the water letting the fishes circle around her hand.

"This place is— amazing." Amiryat tells him smiling, she walked further until she reached the sand sitting down with her legs crossed, Ao'nung came back with a rather small shell in hand, she furrowed as he approached her taking a seat by her. "Where did you get that?"

Ao'nung didn't answer instead took her hand. "This is where I came to collect the shells for the jewelry you're wearing." he pointed to her chest, Amiryat ears jerked twisting her frame to sit in front of him, he reached up untying her necklace taking it for himself.

Amiryat didn't question what he was doing, instead watched silently as he added the black shell to the necklace. "My mother once told me that I would fall in tìyawn and have a muntxa, and just the thought of being love disgusted me but I was six and stupid." Ao'nung began glancing slowly away from the necklace to her face, her dimpled smile never failed to make him grow shy.

He blushed shaking his head lightly, she chuckled not ever realizing what effect she had on him. "Okay, sorry." He brought her hand up to press against his chest, her eyes widen at how fast his heartbeat was beating. "But you are the definition of love, you have a kind heart but can sometimes be hardheaded but I love that about you, everything about you is extraordinary." Amiryat smiled rubbing his chest. "nga lu nang sevin muntxa." He utters in one breath. (You are my beautiful mate)

Amiryat has never been so in love before, he was the one for her, they weren't mates yet but he knew and she knew that they would become one when the time was right, she would move mountains for him, anything, as would he, he didn't care about the constant teasing his sister gave him whenever he rambled on about his girl, his parents had sensed a change in their son, a good change.

"I know we are young to be mates but it's the only way that I know that your are mine." Ao'nung ties her necklace back around her neck, a new collection added, her heart fluttered with butterflies when Ao'nung brought her down with him as he laid down on the sand with a arm behind his head with her laying against his chest, ear to his chest wrapping an arm across his torso. "I've always been yours."

Amiryat said kissing his chest, they both stayed together cuddle in each other' arms for a moment when he decided to break the silence. "what do your brothers think of us?

It was question lingering in his mind, he was okay with them now, they were friends and hang out like they normally do but the idea of him with their older sister made him think that they wouldn't like it so much. 

Amiryat sat up only to rest back on her elbow gazing down at him. "I guess they're okay with it, we didn't get to talk about it, though Neteyam is the reason why my parents know your the boy I'm seeing." Amiryat clicked her tongue tracing a finger over his chest. "Yeah, I think they hate me." a frown appeared on her lips.

she would never admit that her own words wounded her, she didn't want to believe her brothers hated her for being in love, "they don't hate you, they love you, they look up to you. I see it constantly" Ao'nung reassured her smoothing a hand on her back.

"guess you're right, I just have to talk with them." She nods twisting the beads around his neck, Amiryat stared out to the water. "lo'ak different from us, he's always getting into trouble but that didn't matter to me, he's has always been by my side a once he could walk, he's my best friend and I love him and the thought of him hating me I..."

Ao'nung slowly sat up cupping her face, rubbing a thump over the scar as her eyes glistened. "I can't have him hating me, is that selfish? I can't, it's just—" Ao'nung brought her to his warm chest, caressing her head whispering sweet nothings in her hair.

Ao'nung listened to her cries turn to sniffs and her arms loosen around him, she pulled back wiping under her eyes. "gosh, this is embarrassing." She said staring up at him, doe yellow eyes making him want to awe he shook his head softly smiling moving her hair back behind her ear. "No, it tells me that you trust me with your family, and I trust you."

Amriyat smiled when a sudden horn sound echoed through the cave, the water rumbling, Ao'nung instantly stood up reaching down for her, with a confusion face she immediately took his hand. "What is that? What's happening?"

Ao'nung turned to her. "Something happened in the village, it's a call to come back home."

—