༺chapter nine༻
✧
⇝ nothing but friendship

Amiryat took in a small breath sitting down on the sand away from her home with her feet extended in the water, fiddling with the necklace that sat around her neck not knowing if she should get rid of it, it meant a lot to Ao'nung and it meant the world to her but she didn't want him to think she stopped caring, she cared to much to ever stop.

"Amiryat."

a soft voice called her name, Kiri kneeled before sitting down by her listening to the waves as the water brushed up against their feet. "I heard what happened with dad." She began, admiring the waves. "Im sorry."

Amiryat waved her off shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, it's— it's nothing to worry about anyways." She admits bringing her knees up to her chest. "Did you need something."

Kiri shook her head, squinting her eyes nodding slightly. "Well, I don't need anything but I need to tell you something, it's about Ao'nung." Amiryat turned at his name, nodding for the girl to continue. "His friends were the ones who started the teasing, he came to defend me then lo'ak came and pinned the whole thing on him but I mean why wouldn't he, Ao'nung has been nothing but a bully."

Amiryat hums turning her glaze back to the ocean, slowly letting out a sigh dropped her hands from around her legs twisting her body to face her sister, "why didn't you says anything before?"

Kiri could only shrug. "I didn't think of it sooner, and when I was going to the other boys kept talking and lo'ak punched Ao'nung then he punched him back and it was such a mess that I didn't think to say anything until now." Amiryat inhaled nodding slowly standing up from the sand.

"Where are you going?" Kiri asked following right after her, Amiryat didn't stop and said. "To talk with Ao'nung to hear his side of the story. Don't follow, please." She told her, storming into their home furiously searching for her mothers herbs, not angry with Kiri but with herself, she should have known that Ao'nung would keep his word.

Amiryat eventually found Ao'nung inside his home with a bowl of herbs in her hands for his face, standing by the home, not wanting to intrude by entering, Ao'nung ears jerked back with his heart beating upon her arrival, he didn't want her to see him like that, bruised and humiliated but he could smell her scent, a scent he grew to appreciate more then he thought he would.

he didn't want her to see him like that, bruised and humiliated, his eyes stayed on the ocean from where he sat inside his family's marui home alone since his parents weren't home, his face still ached from the hit he took from lo'ak. "Ao'nung." Amiryat stepped into the home moving over to him, taking a knee infront of him. Her yellow eyes meeting his blue ones.

Reaching out she grazed above his cheek, lightly touching the swollen skin, he hissed clutching her wrist stopping her midway, "pelun kefyak pga fìtsenge?" (Why are you here?) Ao'nung says dropping their hands down to his lap, keeping her hand intertwined with his.

Amiryat stroked his palm with her thumb shifting to sit on her butt, legs crossed, Ao'nung took in the small bowl right by her with a white-ish paste, knowing it was a herb, "i know what happened, Kiri told me and I want to thank you for sticking up for her." She says brushing the fallen hair back behind her ear.

"I thought you broke your promise when I found you with my brother and Kiri." Amiryat began, keeping her eyes down to their locked hands, "then you punched him back after he hit you, I was confused then, unless you did it to defend yourself?"

Ao'nung instantly nods. "yes, I did, I guess I deserve it from being a— shitty person?" He cocked his head at the word, he heard the word from Lo'ak it felt weird on his tongue, Amiryat snickered humming dipping a finger into the paste feeling his hand moved up to her forearm when the cold paste touch his face, she moved her hand further up holding his forearm, smoothing the white over his cheek gently. "I guess you can say that, but either way I don't blame you for punching lo'ak." Amiryat says wiping off the paste off her hands.

Ao'nung shrugs with his eyes moving down to her chest seeing the necklace he made her sitting perfectly around her neck, a warm adoration pass through his eyes. "I want to apologize for what my friends did to you and your siblings, it wasn't right." He said softly.

She simply smiled, noticing the glow in his eyes from the distance moon light. "It's okay, just— I want to know why you didn't say anything before, maybe then lo'ak wouldn't have given you that beat down."

Ao'nung exhaled using tracing circles inside her palm, keeping his head down. "I didn't think you would believe me," her heart sank cupping his face with both hands making sure to avoid the paste, he had a history of his parents never believing him, he wanted to thrive as a kid but his father pulled him away from that and was forced to train to be the next leader for the Metkayina tribe, and he didn't want to disappoint.

"Oh Ao'nung of course I would have believed you, you might think that I don't know you but— as cliché as it sounds, I do more then you think." Amiryat tells him when she lean forward kissing his nose softly, Ao'nung blushes turning away from her making her laugh. "Oh my, he blushes."

Ao'nung shakes his head meeting her eyes with a smile, "so what? you bring it out of me." He took her hand from his cheek down to press on his bare chest. god, how much she adored the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled.

"Ao'nung!"

A familiar voice came from outside the home, they both confusingly stood up together moving the tarp that cover the way out the home, meeting a very angry Neteyam as his beaded hair sway while he walked towards them. "Where is my brother?"

Amiryat frowned staring up at her brother but he never turned to her only keeping his eyes on the boy behind her, "what? I—I don't know." Ao'nung answered furrowed eyes reaching to Amiryat grasping onto her arm keeping her close.

Neteyam shook his head not believing him. "Nah, he came here to apologize to you and your friends and hasn't returned home since then, so where is he."

Amiryat heart thumped growing worried listening to his words, Ao'nung shrugs glancing between them. "I swear to you I don't know where he is, he came to me and apologized but after that he left, that's the last I saw him."

"And I was with him the entire time." Amiryat said truthfully, Neteyam glanced between the pair noticing the lingering glances Ao'nung gave his sister. "What about your friends? They might know something." Neteyam says.

Ao'nung scoffs already knowing that his friends infact did something incredibly stupid. "Yeah, I'll take you to them" Neteyam smirks at his words, Amiryat cocked her head watching as Neteyam left them alone for a moment.

"What are you going to do?" Amiryat asked him, Ao'nung took her arms slightly towering over her frame. "don't worry that pretty little head of yours, I'll bring your brother back." He sneak in a kiss to her cheek before chasing after Neteyam.

—

Eclipse was beginning to settle before them, lo'ak had been found outside the reef by the three brothers rocks, Amiryat ran past her father to her baby brother immediately embracing him to her body, kissing his face thanking her mother Eywa for protecting him. "Im okay, tsmuke, promise."

Lo'ak reassured her with a pat to her back when he glanced back catching a glimpse of one of the boys, cocking his head glaring up at them heading towards their way when Jake came down blocking them from his view, Amiryat stepped back. "Hey, hey Lets have a look at you."

Jake touched his back finding nothing but a few scratches on his body, Lo'ak continued to glare pass his father finding Ao'nung eyes. "He's fine, he's fine. It's just a few scratches." Neytiri came down taking lo'ak by his shoulders.

She clenched her jaw. "I pray for the strength that I will not rip the eyeballs out of my youngest son." She hissed clawing her hand to his face with a growl, lo'ak closed his eyes moving away.

"No." Tonowari spoke from above. "My son knows better than to take him outside the reef." He grasped Ao'nung forcing him down on his knee, Amiryat frowns meeting his eyes. "The blame is his."

Jake nods, not having the energy to talk further more about the situation and especially not wanting to start anything new with the clan leader, "no." Lo'ak utters catching their attention. "This is not Ao'nung' fault,"

Ao'nung ears jerked back blinking at his words, Amiryat caught his glaze knowing that her little brother was taking the blame once again. "It was my idea, Ao'nung tried to talk me out of it, really."

Jake gifs taking lo'ak by the arm storming away, Neteyam took Amiryat' hand following right after their family into the marui away from the crowd. "Dad you told me to make friends with these kids." Lo'ak said stopping in his tracks. "That's all i've been trying to do—"

"I don't want to hear it." Jake interrupted, facing his son with anger and embarrassment running through his veins, Amiryat stood by lo'ak watching how his ears shifted downward. "You brought shame to this family."

Amiryat turned to her father, lips parted in complete disbelief by his words. Lo'ak had been nothing but a reckless boy who didn't follow the rules but he was also very protective and a caring person but to Amiryat he was everything just like the rest of her siblings but he was different just like her.

Lo'ak eyes bored into his fathers. "Can I go now?"

"Any more trouble, I'll tie a knot in your tail. You read me." Jake warned, Lo'ak nods. "Yes sir. Lima charlie." Jake winched looking away from his youngest son, Lo'ak gave one last glanced to his family before walking away.

Amiryat heart ached calling out his name going to follow after him when a strong force brought her back by her arm. "And where were you when this all happened?" Jake raised a brow dropping his hand from her arm.

She stared off to where her brother had disappeared from turning to her father still upset from the last time they spoke. "With a friend." She answered, moving from him chasing after lo'ak finding him sitting by a rock with the ocean waves being the only thing being heard.

"prrnen tsmuk." Amiryat sang with a teasing grin on her face, he turned around catching her eye with a scoff and a tiny smile growing on his face, he remembered the times when his father would scold him when he got into trouble as a child which always lead him to run away into the forest and every time Amiryat would track him down singing his name to let him know she was near by, after that it started to become an old folklore story.

"You know I hate it when you're sad." She began moving over to sit by him, bringing her knees up to her chest, taking the view before her. "I know that you think I don't know how you feel but I do, it's my job as your big sister to know."

Lo'ak hums turning to face his sister, she never disappointed him she always found a solution to support or defend him in any situation, she was like him from being blood related to having five fingers on each hand, he was glad that he turned out to be like his older sister, someone he looked up to his whole life.

"Yeah, I know that, and I'm not sad... I'm just—" lo'ak sighs shaking his head staring down at his hands which happened to laid on his lap. "I'm so tired of being a disappointment to him and everyone around me."

"And I always try to live up to him but I can't, I always find a way to mess it all up." Amiryat wraps her arm around his shoulders bringing him down to her chest. "Oh lo'ak you're not a disappointment, okay? You are everything but that." Amiryat says pushing a stray of his hair back away from his face.

Lo'ak sighs arms circling around his sisters frame, "Thank you, Amir, don't know what I do without you." Lo'ak pulled back with a beaming smile. "Probably would be lost at sea." She teased patting his head when he scoff shaking his head. "What? Look what happened today."

—

Few days have gone by, the Sully's had adapted to the water, no more learning the ways, Amiryat had yet to speak with her father after their argument which was a couple days ago, she didn't want to speak to him and neither did he well he did try but she would excuse herself before he had the chance.

It was late in the day when Amiryat sat by her mother preparing dinner while her younger siblings spent it in the water, neytiri heard about it had happened between her eldest and husband a few night ago from Tuk, she thought that their relationship would suddenly be fixed when they moved to the sea clan but it she was wrong, it felt like everything was falling apart around them.

"Amiryat," Neytiri moved forward watching her placed down the folded plant by the smoking fire. "What's wrong?" Her daughter forced a smile staring up her mother as she shook her head. "Nothing is wrong, I'm fine." She says shrugging her mothers hand away.

Neytiri turned back coming to face her mate from where he sat gutting a fish, he had been watching them work for a minute now and he so desperately wanted to speak with his daughter, his miracle child, she didn't want to speak with him. "Im going to catch more fish." Jake utters standing up from the ground leaving the two alone.

"Why don't you go speak with your father." Neytiri suggested, taking the leaves from her hands, Amiryat turned to her furrowed eyebrows, noticing the desperation in her mothers eyes. "rutxe, ma ʼite." (please, my daughter). Neytiri knew her daughter got her stubbornness from her, Amriyat took in a sharp breath nodding her head. "I will."

"Mama! I'm hungry." Tuk yells as she ran into the marui saving Amiryat from the awkward conversation burning to happen. "Ah Tuk always ohakx." (hungry) Neytiri chuckles at her youngest turning her attention to her.

Tuk giggled plopping down the dinner table, "oh Amiryat, Ao'nung wanted me to tell you that he missed you today." She said out of nowhere, diving straight into the bowl of cut fruit immediately taking a bite and wiping the juice that dripped down her chin, Amiryat froze keeping her eyes on her hands, feeling her mothers eyes on her.

"Ao'nung?" Neytiri spoke lowly, leaning back on her feet. "The chefs son? Why am I just now hearing about this?" She questions glancing at Tuk then back to her eldest when the rest of her children walked into the home laughing.

"Did you three know about your sister seeing the chefs son?" Neytiri stood up facing her three kids. Kiri eyes widen not meeting her mothers eye, Lo'ak on the other hand stared down at Amriyat in disbelief? Confusion? He didn't know what to feel about the idea of his sister with a boy.

"I thought everyone knew." Neteyam says shrugging, Amriyat sighs closing her eyes forcing herself up to her feet. "Mom, it's not like that, really?" She told her lying straight through her teeth, it was most definitely like that, but they were to young to mate. Neytiri twirled around growing sad inside. "It that why you've been so sad? Has this boy done something to you?"

Jake walked in hearing about some boy, his wife holding their eldest with an expression he could only describe as sad or sympathy. "Look dads back." Lo'ak mentions pressing his lips together taking a piece of fruit off Tuk' plate. Neytiri pulled back smoothing down her daughter hair. "What boy?" Jake says glancing around them.

"No boy, there's no boy, no boy?" Amiryat mumbles stepping out from her mothers embrace, Jake dropped the net bag down stepping into the room, Amiryat glanced at her siblings seeing that they all wore the same expression, shaking her head with a smile. "Don't worry about it, it's cool, uh, I'm going to the beach."

"But you have yet to eat dinner?" Neytiri said sitting down by Tuk with the rest of his family move around the table, "it's okay, I'll be back to eat all your leftovers, promise."

Amriyat smiled as she left the marui heading down to their spot, as soon as she arrived she spotted Ao'nung standing with his hands on his hips facing the ocean. "It's pretty nice isn't it." She says with glee in her eyes moving to stand by him.

Ao'nung swifted around catching her eye, immediately smiling at the sight of Amiryat, "what I'm looking at is a lot better." He smirks with a boy-ish grin moving down closer to her towering her. "You got my message, yawne?" He took her hand taking them away from the village.

She nods squeezing his hand. "Yes, but my mom might have found out about us," Ao'nung gulps, his heart dropped at her words none of their parents knew about them because they didn't know how would they react to the idea of them, "she didn't really ask me much about you, only if you were the reason I was so upset." She said not noticing where he was taking her.

Ao'nung came to stop, they stood on a mountain surrounded by tress, you can still hear the ocean whistling from where they stood Amriyat smile shined brightly taking in the view around them, she chuckled lightly wiggling her toes on the grass, it reminded her of home.

"Why were you sad?" Ao'nung snapped her out of her daze, bring his hand up cupping the side of her face concern written across his face, Amiryat stared into his blue eyes taking in the small details they held, she smiled pressing her lips together.

"I'm not sad, really, it— it's my dad." Amiryat admits, leaning into his palm, which drew a charming smile to his face. "God, I shouldn't talk about this, it's weird, is it weird?" She ask him furrowing her eyebrows.

Ao'nung shook his head. "No, I want you to talk about this, no pressure just know that I'm here whenever you need me," Amiryat eyes glistened nodding. "Thank you, it's means a lot that you care."

The teen face softened at her words, he had fallen deep for the girl that made his heart run miles when she appeared or when someone mentioned her name, he wanted all of her, he judged her family without reason and regretted all of it. "I always cared for you, ma tiyawn." Amiryat breath hitched with her heart beating rapidly against her chest. "and I know that it's fast and you probably don't trust me when I say it—"

Ao'nung took her face with both of his hands. "I have never felt like this with anyone and i want all of it with you, I see you." Amiryat broke out into a smile nuzzling her face in his hands. "I just know eywa brought you to me, and I don't want to waste a moment without you, you brought me a warmth I didn't think I deserve in my years of living."

Amiryat has never heard those three little words from anyone, but he did, he stood there spilling every once of his love for her, he didn't care if they weren't allowed to be together or he wanted her that all he knew in his mind.

"I see you."

Amiryat spoke very soft and quiet only for him to hear, Ao'nung moved before he could think, before the nerves get to him, he could feel Amiryat breath ghost over his lips until he closed the space between them.

Her eyes fluttered closed, it felt like a piece of a puzzle finally finding its place, like home. Amiryat hands trailed down to his waist leaning further into his embrace, chest to chest, he found comfort in her lips, the heat and smell of her, parting his lips taking her lip with a gentle suck with one hand trailed down to the small of her back.

She tightens her grip on his waist, pulling him closer if it was even possibly, Amiryat hands traced his back before moving up to his hair, Ao'nung chuckling smiling against her lips making them pull away, she scrunches her nose with a dimpled smile.

"That's was— something." She cocked her head taking his hands into hers with a squeeze. Ao'nung drew in a sharp breath nodding. "That's not the only reason I brought you up here." He tells her.

Amiryat frowns when out of nowhere a Ikran flew pass them, soaring through the sky flapping its wings, it was Kro, her Ikran. She smiled with a gasp leaving her parted lips. "How'd you call for him?" She asked as kro flew down closer to them.

Ao'nung step back slightly, the flying creature still didn't like him even after the dozen fishes he had given him. "Nothing but friendship." He says with a teasing grin, Amiryat tilted her head laughing. "You did say you were going to show me the sea from the skies." Ao'nung tells hers.

Amriyat hums petting KRO face with her nuzzling her nose against her owners cheek. "I didn't think you would want to." She tells him stretching out her hand to him. "zaʼu." (come) She utters, Ao'nung glanced over to kro with very careful eyes. "po ke a syäʼä." (He's not a bitter) She reassured him, then he took her hand.

His hand stayed on Kro' head with a smile on the his face. "See he likes you, and he doesn't like easy," Amiryat drop her head on his shoulder. "I learn your ways now you will learn mine."

—

Happy Valentine's ❤️