When They Pretended

"Hmm. What about her?"

"Where?"

"The tall, pouty one by the fire who's glanced in our direction a total of three- no four times in the last minute." The female was openly glaring at Ayelýn now. "Oh, she doesn't seem happy with me at all."

"Mm, maybe." Aonung answered dismissively.

"Eywa," Lýn snickered. "Definitely her. Skxawng, just how many hearts have you broken, hm? I'm starting to lose count."

"Not my fault," he mumbled into her hair, his breath tickling the tip of her ear. "They all knew nothing more would happen after."

It had gradually become a sort of game between the two of them. By now, Ayelýn had attended numerous clan gatherings, feasts and ceremonies as his formal courting partner- during which she'd sometimes guess whether or not he'd slept and or fooled around with her pick of a random female.

While definitely not tasteful in the least, it had only started out of pure boredom on her part, sprinkled with a bit of curiosity each time she received an ugly sneer or muttered curse or even an outright confrontation from an upset, jealous female that thankfully at one time, Lo'ak and Rotxo were there to intervene.

And Aonung being Aonung- shameless about his past entanglements, usually entertained the game, mostly by engaging her with cocky remarks and teasing that sometimes- always made Lýn blush.

Tonight however, he was reserved.

Lýn frowned at this. "What? No overly snarky comeback?"

With his chest pressed against her back, his arms tightened around her, and, head falling to the side, he nuzzled his face into the juncture of her neck. "Not tonight."

Forgetting about the game, she turned in the circle of his arms to face him, earning a disgruntled noise of disapproval from him losing his comfortable spot.

Upon her arrival a little while ago, she'd been pulled between his thighs as he leaned- half stood, half sat against a mangrove root and she'd been there ever since- not that she was really putting up much of a fight.

In the months they'd been playing pretend, they'd gotten quite good with their act. Their physical affections had become more of a habit rather than a necessity and their arguments turned bickering, tethered the line of excessive flirtation.

"That's a first," she said. "What's with you tonight?"

"My hunting party went way past the boarders every night this week. Guess I'm just tired."

"Oh." Fiddling idly with the talon hanging around his neck, Lýn wondered whether she should leave. But she had just arrived though. The dancing hadn't even begun yet for tonight's celebrations.

"Oh?" he voiced, catching her serious expression.

"It's- Well, you've been spending most of your days at Keftxo. Hunts at night- not to mention your other responsibilities... When exactly do you sleep?" she wondered, feeling a little guilty. He was only coming to Keftxo after all, because of her. 

Aonung cocked his head to the side with a soft smile. "There you go again... worrying about me."

Eyes fiery, she jutted her jaw. "Well someone has too!" she snapped. "Three weeks ago, somebody stabbed himself with a fishhook and didn't even bother to get it tended to. The cut would have gotten infected if I hadn't stepped in!"

"Accidentally stabbed, gorgeous. Accidentally."

She ignored him. "And then last week, you thought it was a good idea to go exploring during a storm. A storm, Aonung."

"I didn't go!" he exclaimed in defense. "Your nagging was enough to make any man go crazy."

"My nagging probably saved your life," she muttered. "How exactly have you survived this long without me?"

"That's an excellent question."

Her comment was meant as a joke, but seeing his face scrunched up as though he were actually considering the question, made her chortle and smack him playfully.

"Speaking of sleep, you're not sleeping either, I see."

Her brows narrowed up at him. "How'd you know?"

Without responding, his hand framed her jaw and a thumb brushed under her left eye. She shivered from his intimate touch and silently cursed the wretched dark circles for giving her away.

"You need to sleep, Lýn. Otherwise you'll be cranky and snippy more than usual and though I have yet to lure you into my bed, you'd most definitely try to smother me in my sleep like you're always threatening."

There was the teasing bastard she knew and despised.

"You have a really punchable face. Did you know that?" she asked sweetly, making him toss his head back with a loud bark of laughter that earned them many stares.

"Have you been speaking with Lo'ak again?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "In fact," she continued, "I think I'll daydream about doing just that right before I sleep tonight." She made a pretend, dramatically slow swing for his face but he caught it. "Might just do the trick. No?"

Aonung's eyes darkened and Ayelýn knew she'd just set herself up.

"Gorgeous, I know of a few other things you can think of that might work a lot better for you," he taunted, voice low and deep as he teasingly made her palm run down the length of his chest.

Her hand was stopped precariously low near his tweng, making her inhale sharply.

It was not the first time they'd found themselves treading in dangerous waters, but it was getting harder every time to hide just how affected she was.

She smacked him and squirmed when his tail curled around her calf with no intention of releasing her. "Enough with the flirting, skxawng." Turning serious when he released a wide yawn, she poked his side. "I know it's still early, but you should probably rest. I can g-"

His hands tightened around her hips as though she were about to leave. "I'll survive. Stay."

"Aonung," Rotxo called low as he approached them. "Heads up, brother, but Ezly is here tonight."

Aonung cursed and Ayelýn perked up in interest, especially when he hugged her closer and began to scan the crowd of Na'vi from over her head.

"Who is Ezly?"

"No one."

Palms flat against the panes of his stomach, she pushed off him and perched on a high mangrove root beside an amused Rotxo.

"Come back here, Lýn," he ordered grumpily. "Ayelýn."

"Shush. I am talking to my friend Rotxo."

"Everytime we hang out, I think I like you a little more each time, Lýn."

"The fuck-"

"Aw, Rotxo. That's so sweet," Lýn responded, ignoring Aonung's mumbling theatrics. "I like you too."

"Have I gone invisible?" Aonung muttered to himself.

"So, you were saying, Ro'? Who is Ezly?"

The man snorted, then hesitated as though realizing who he was talking to exactly. His eyes flickered to his best friend then back to Ayelýn's inquisitive ones.

"Ez is from the Nanlu village and she uh... strongly believes that she and Aonung are meant to be. She's overly persistent about it and it's a pain for us all whenever she visits."

"Persistent is putting it kindly," Aonung snarked, arms folded as he sulked.

"She's quite terrifying," Rotxo admitted. "Even Aonung thinks so."

Lýn laughed. "She can't be that bad." When neither man cracked a smile, her face fell. "Oh."

And when Lo'ak showed up ten minutes later with a panicked, "Psycho bitch alert!" Rotxo scrambled and disappeared behind the omaticaya man while Ayelýn suddenly found herself accosted by a wall of muscle and a delicious wave of what was starting to become her favourite scent in the world.

"Hi."

"Hi?" she squeaked, mildly amused by the odd change in his behavior, hands automatically resting on his forearms... She liked his arms.

"Do you remember when you told me about your list of rules?"

"My rul- Wh-" Brain gone frazzled, she failed to comprehend his words... Most likely because she found herself desperately trying to not erupt into flames from the scorching palm that suddenly wrapped rather possessively around her upper thigh.

Legs dangling, her knees bracketed his hips and although she was very accustomed to his familiar touch by now, this... this had her feeling flushed and bothered and very tempted to do something foolish.

"Lýn, are you with me?" he asked, either unaware of the effect he was having on her or too distracted to care. "I'm going to kiss you."

That snapped her out of her haze.

"You will not! My rules were clear and-"

"It's one kiss, Ayelýn."

"Because of Ezline?"

"Ezly," he corrected. "And yes. She'll back off once she notices that I'm preoccupied."

"I am not going to kiss you just because you couldn't keep your dick in your tweng. This Elza or whoever is your problem, not mine."

He grinned wickedly and leaned in further. "Oh? Well one- my dick loves when you talk about him-" She made a disgusted face but he continued, "-and two. I never slept with Ezly."

"One- yuck and two, then why is she so obsessed with you?"

"Okay. Okay. I know what it is. I know why you won't kiss me."

"What?"

Aonung nodded sympathetically. "You're a bad kisser. That's why."

Her jaw dropped. "I'm-" She scoffed. "I'm not a bad kisser, you skxawng!"

"Really? Then prove it, gorgeous. Or is the sight of my face really that repulsive?"

"You're trying to trick me."

"Nope. I'm a simple man, standing here, begging you to give me one measly, little peck."

"You're begging? Ha! History has been made. Shall I tell the tale at the next storytelling gathering?"

"Funny." He pinched her side making her yelp in the middle of her snicker.

"I can't believe you pinched me!"

"I'll kiss it better later. Now would you do me this one favor?"

"I'm doing you quite a lot of favors already, if you didn't notice!"

They were so close now, their noses brushed- him so freakishly gigantic that he hovered over her even though she sat on a high mangrove root.

"Is she really so bad?"

"The worse. You are my only hope," he mumbled dramatically. His voice rumbled deep and Ayelýn shivered, making him grin.

"Aonung! Aonung!" a shrill voice called from nearby.

Aonung froze and in response so did Ayelýn.

"Is that-"

"Ayelýn, p-"

And without another thought, she cupped his cheeks and fused their lips together.

~

Now Aonung had had his fair share of kisses in life... but-

Kissing Ayelýn was-

Fuck.

Aonung's brain went completely blank. Tense muscles relaxing, he sank into it as the sounds of the clan surrounding them turned mute.

It was just him and her.

Slow and sweet.

And perfect.

To his pleasant surprise, her tongue ventured first, curiously sliding along his bottom lip- and damn if it wasn't hot when she found his own and sucked.

He almost hated that she wasn't wrong- she was a fucking fantastic kisser and he never wanted them stop.

She was gentle yet demanding and when he won their battle for dominance and deepened their kiss, the sound she made went right to his dick. He didn't even care that she most definitely could feel it either- rapidly growing hard and pressed up against her stomach- and far too intimate.

Ayelýn didn't know how long they'd been at it- truthfully, part of her didn't care, but eventually her lungs began begging for air and her lips were slowly turning numb. Breaking the kiss first with a deep gasp, she mewled, fingers digging into his biceps when Aonung dived for her throat, unable to help himself.

As though he'd been deprived of a great gift and couldn't seem to grapple with restraint and self control, he was ruthless. The hand on her thigh burned a path of heat against her skin as it travelled higher, landing on her ribs, thumb brushing just under her left breast. The other held her in place by the nape. 

He wanted her. Badly.

"Ah- Aonung!" Ayelýn rasped. Dizzy, her stifled moan came out as a needy whimper when he sucked at her pulse. Eywa. "I- I think Ezla's gone," she managed.

And then just like that, when he'd registered her words, he suddenly felt cold and very, very tired.

~

In the few weeks that followed, Lýn's mood plummeted. She'd deduced that it was most likely because she hadn't spent much time with Aonung.

When exactly that became a thing... She wasn't quite sure.

And in truth, while they weren't exactly spending time together, she still technically had been seeing him around- almost every other day in fact, sometimes multiple days in a row. 

He'd been spending most of his free time at Keftxo for the past month and some. Leading a team consisting of members from both Awa'atlu and Keftxo- Ayelýn's father included, their little village was slowly changing before her eyes.

Ayelýn didn't think that Aonung would take her request so seriously, much less he himself work alongside the others... but everytime she caught sight of him scaling high to help weave a ceiling into place, or pull hard on ropes- she knew would cause blisters- to secure a new doc, her heart melted a little more and her feelings for him grew.

That was another new discovery she'd been battling with. She didn't know the exact moment it happened, only that one day she found herself wondering what it would feel like if their situation were different... were real.

At first, she'd brushed it off.

It was a stupid crush she'd told herself.

But then the skxawng had somehow convinced her to kiss him, and well, it had been no help. If anything, it made things worse. It took everything within her to stop the kiss, and even more, it was taking everything within her to guard her heart.

They were on a timeline that had an end date...

He wasn't hers to keep.

~

"You're avoiding me," she finally snapped one evening as she dried her freshly washed face.

Ayelýn had had a long, grueling day of work. Her fingers ached, she was tired and coming home to find him sitting at her family's table as if he belonged there had only soured her mood even further. 

Aonung's attention flickered to her for a fleeting second while two other pairs of eyes stared at her- wide and innocent.

"That's dumb. Why would he be here if he were avoiding you?" Kaiiff asked, nose wrinkled in confusion as he, Aonung and Khalhan continued to tinker away at some foreign object. "You live here, Lýn."

"Kaii has a point," the skxawng smirked.

Ayelýn made an unimpressed noise. "Kaiiff, Khalhan. Go play outside, please."

Khalhan had already gotten to his feet from the request but Lýn's littler brother protested. "Wh- but Aonung is hanging out with us! Can't you yell at him for whatever it is, later?"

"Kaiiff!"

"Fine!" the eight year old hollered. Then to Aonung, "If you survive, don't finish our project without us."

Aonung raised his hands at the bossy order. "Promise, I won't."

The second the two boys left, Ayelýn was demanding answers. "Is this about the kiss?"

His head snapped towards her. "The... the kiss?"

Oh that got his attention alright.

"No, it's-"

"What else should I think it is then?" Her arms folded and her hip cocked.

"It's not! Eywa. You're overreacting, woman."

"Am I? Look me in the eye and tell me you've not been avoiding me because of that."

He couldn't.

"See, I knew we shouldn't have-"

"Ayelýn, will you stop! The kiss didn't even mean anything! It was nothing but a stupid mistake."

She bit the inside of her cheek. Realistically she knew that, but his words still stung. "A mistake." No. It hurt. "You asked me to, Aonung."

"Well. Now, I'm thinking I shouldn't have."

"...Right."

He blew out a tired breath as he stood. "I'm going to head home, it's getting late."

"Yeah- okay," she nodded, shifting to the side to let him pass. Better that than throttling him like she so very much wanted to.

"I'll see you next week, Lýn."

But she didn't want to wait until next week... Her fingers snagged his own before he could get any further.

"Aonung." Voice soft in vulnerability, her eyes were almost pleading. "I hate this... I hate this."

"Fuck," he whispered tiredly. He was such a scum. He was hurting her. Aonung pulled her into his arms and she just about melted into his embrace in relief. "I'm such a skxawng, Ayelýn."

"The biggest," she agreed, words muffled into his chest as she squeezed him tight. "Swear," she continued. "You're behaving like an idiot teenager who's just gotten their first kiss and doesn't know how to handle it. And we both know you've had your fair share. I thought we were friends, Aonung. You can't treat me like that."

"We are friends, and I'm sorry. Though it really wasn't about the kiss," he lied again. "And to be fair, I think you kissed the stupid out of me."

"Oh no, there's definitely a whole lot of stupid in you still," she rebutted, making him cackle. "Stupid you, stupid me and that stupid kiss."

He snickered, and tickled her side. "Take that back. Our kiss wasn't stupid. And I told you, it wasn't the kiss."

Ayelýn's chin poked a pectoral when she gave him a look that read, I don't believe you, you big stupid liar. "Do you not remember just saying it was a mistake?"

Giving a hesitant nod, his jaw ticked. "I- Lýn, I shouldn't have said that. I was... upset."

"With me?"

He twirled a lock of her messy hair. It was always tangled and wild after a long day of work... he liked it like this. "No. No, not with you... with myself. I'm sorry I took it out on you."

For the past few days, Aonung had been trying to decide whether or not he should continue with this farce of a plan he'd concocted. Ayelýn had him spiralling and feelings he had no damn right feeling for her stirred inside of him, all bittersweet and confusing.

He went about dealing with it the wrong way of course. Avoiding the woman he had so clearly grown real feelings for however, only intensified what he felt. And with that distance, he missed her which then made him even more moody and dickish.

Aonung had missed her pretty scowl and her insults and their banter. And this... Their casual- turned intimate touching was nothing but comfort and safety for him.

'When this is all over, I don't know what I'll do with myself,' he kept thinking. What was he going to do without her?

"So, if it wasn't about the kiss, what was it then?"

"Look, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't about that," he admitted.

"It's a simple yes or no question, Aonung!"

"No. Believe me, gorgeous, it is anything but! Not when it comes to you."

"What is that even supposed to mean?" she frowned. "Remind me to never kiss you again- unless I want you to ignore me for another two weeks," she grumbled.

Contemplating her words, his tongue poked his cheek. Then, as if coming to a decision, mirth danced in his eyes and his signature smirk grew. "What if I prove it to you?"

"Prove what?"

"That it wasn't- the kiss."

It damn well was the fucking kiss. Who was he trying to fool?

Catching his meaning, her mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. They were still hugging, and although the man was gigantic, his shoulders were slumped, allowing his face to hover precariously close to hers.

"What do you say, hm?"

"You want to kiss me again..." she said slowly, as if trying to understand.

"Yes."

"To prove that it... wasn't the kiss?"

"Yes."

Her eyes fell to his lips. She wondered what it would be like to run her tongue over the cute spot he had resting just above.

"That's a dumb idea. Better yet, that's the worst idea you've ever had."

"We've already established that I am, in fact, a skxawng, gorgeous. I don't know why you're so surprised."

That made her laugh. Only it ended on a nervous note.

"You're overthinking, aren't you?"

"No," she lied and as if determined to not back down, she jerked her chin stubbornly. "Do it then."

"Yeah?" he breathed in surprise, thumb already running along her jaw as he inched closer.

"Yeah," she answered just as quietly as he.

Their feet moved, almost like a slow dance as he walked her backwards until she was pressed up along a beam.

He made the first move this time, claiming control of her lips so she didn't have another second to think.

She was grateful, because she was instead suddenly focused on the intense heat rippling through her body. Starting with her lips and traveling downward, her nipples tingled, pebbling in want before the serge roamed lower, pulsing between her thighs.

They broke apart far too soon for her liking- her licking her lips unconsciously and sucking in a shaky breath of air. And him- blinking as though he were making sure she was real- that she was indeed, actually there.

"Well?"

"Well what?" she asked in a wobbly tone that betrayed her, showing him just how affected she was.

"Mm. You don't look convinced enough to me." His nose nudged hers affectionately, one big hand curled low on her hip, the other cupping her cheek while his tail slid around her calf.

"No?"

"Not even a little."

And instead of stopping him like the sane part of her mind was nagging her to, she greedily leaned in for another kiss, this time pressing up onto the balls of her feet, desperately seeking more.

Before she could complain about how freakishly tall he was, Aonung was hoisting her up. She squealed in surprise as strong arms hooked under her thighs, but she wasn't complaining, and in response her legs wrapped around his back, encouraging his actions.

Teeth and tongues and lips moving in sync, their kiss intensified.

Aonung swallowed her shocked gasp when he bit her bottom lip, his low growl of appreciation sending a deadly vibration straight to her core.

Eywa. The man could kiss.

Back arching, her hips bucked on their own accord. Once, twice and then she was grinding, cursing in annoyance when there was no friction found.

"Aonung."

"Mhmm? Frustrated, gorgeous?" he murmured in taunt against her throat, biting a bruising kiss that would no doubt leave a mark. "Need something?"

She smacked him with her tail. "Such a damn skxawng."

"A skxawng, who has you making some very pretty sounds," he teased in agreement, licking her pulse.

As if proving his point, when kissed her again, she moaned into his mouth- a sweet melodic hum that had him straining in his loincloth. He loved that sound. He wanted to hear it again and again.

His hands roamed. Finding and squeezing her ass, he encouraged her frenzied efforts to turn into a slow, needy rhythm- her core rubbing against his hard stomach. Eywa. Her moans were driving him wild! Everything about her drove him wild.

"Can you come like this?"

"What? N-no, I don't thi- ah!" She yelped when she was suddenly dropped- core landing directly onto a thigh... a thick, toned thigh. "Ohh, Great Mother..."

"Just Aonung will do," he quipped, reaching behind to tug her tail.

She mewled sweetly as he moved her hips for her-  his thigh hard and warm and pressing up against her clit fucking deliciously.

"How about now, gorgeous? Think you can come for me?"

"Maybe, I-" She hissed at the sting of his nipping teeth. "Maybe I can."

"That sounds like a yes to me."

Like clay in his hands, he manipulated her to his liking. With her feet dangling off the ground and hips and ass in his hands, Aonung did all the work- playing her like an instrument. 

Kisses sinful and bruising and clit dragging just right, the build up was fast, blinding, intense.

It was mildly terrifying to a degree when the cusp of her orgasm began to swell- panic taking hold of her. "Ohhh- Ngh. I'm gonna c- Wait, wait!"

Aonung kissed her, effectively distracting her panic away. Her body shook beneath his hands, trembling as she broke. She came with sweet, sweet noises that mingled with his own soft groans.

As she caught her breath, he peppered her with gentle pecks- lips, chin and down the length of her neck, toward those little breasts he wanted to lavish.

When clarity emerged from the fog in her brain, she hid her face, palms muffling her disbelieving moan. "I can't believe I just did that," she groaned, shuddering from a rippling aftershock.

"Do you normally not come or something?" Aonung asked, shifting her onto his other thigh. He grunted when he accidentally brushed against her. His poor dick hadn't had a woman's touch in over a year now, no surprise it was painfully begging for her attention.

She peered up at him incredulously. "I come just fine, you skxawng," she snapped, unsure whether she should laugh or not. "But I'm talking about the fact that we- "

"And when you say just fine. Is this by yourself? With someone els- wait, wait... Do you have a playmate I don't know about?"

His teasing tone had turned into one of jealousy and his expression was so serious that it made Lýn burst into laughter. She had a feeling he was doing it all on purpose- and it was effective. He probably knew she would be overthinking and panicking over what they'd just done.

"Aonung, you're incorrigible."

"And you," he hummed, pecking her lips between his words, "are gorgeous and sweet and oh so dangerously, deliciously tempting."

She melted and returned his gentle affections, lips grazing the corners of his mouth before kissing his chin.

"Still haven't answered my question though."

"Aonung. You know my routines better than anyone else by now. I work all day and then all my free time is taken up by you or my family. How could you possibly think I have the time for a-"

Rendered speechless by his lips for the umpteenth time, she giggled at his eagerness. Their kiss this time was a playful fight for dominance, full of nips and teasing bites and wandering hands.  

So entangled and focused on each other, they both took no notice when a poor, none the wiser, Bwena came strolling in. Her arms were laden with baskets of produce- freshly caught fish, fruit, and seeded grain all collected from the village's communal stock and some rare herbs she'd bartered for with passing a trader from the Tipani clan.

A soft gasp and quiet call to the Great Mother fell from her lips at the sight of Aonungs back- and the legs wrapped around it. "Oh Eywa..." Then, she admonished a rather loud, "Ayelýn!"

"Sa'nok!" Ayelýn squeaked- a squeal following when Aonung almost dropped her.

They scrambled to right themselves and Aonung thanked all that had power in the universe that his raging bulge had simmered to hideable and unnoticeable. He still purposely kept Ayelýn to his front and was able to discreetly adjust himself. He very much did not need to scare the poor unsuspecting woman any further.

From the threshold, Bwena shook her head disappointedly. "I must say, I am very surprised at the two of you. Now I understand that you are young and in love-"

"Love?!" Both Lýn and Aonung sputtered at the same time.

Bwena paid them no mind, going on with her lecture, diplomatically. "-but please do have some respect for our home. What would your poor father say if he found you like this? Courting is a sacred time between and man and a-"

"Sa'nok, please!"

"-woman. It is the nurturing of your connection. Spiritually and emotionally, all with the aid of the Great and Mighty Eywa."

"Sa'nok!" Ayelýn whined, utterly humiliated now. She stepped forward to take a basket from her mother's arms- Aonung following her lead to help as well. "Trust me- there will not be a repeat of that- any of it. Ever! You have nothing to worry about."

"Ever Ever?!" Aonung worriedly asked in alarm. He grunted an, "ooff" when he earned a smack of a tail from the woman he so loved to rile.

Seemingly recovered from her shock, Bwena disposed of the rest of her items, humming without a care as Aonung and Ayelýn held a hushed debate filled with wild gestures behind her back.

"Not happening!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"We never talk about it again, agreed?"

"No. No, agreed."

They straightened up quickly and planted neutral expressions on their faces when her mother spoke again.

"Aonung dear, will you and Khal be staying for tonight's feast?" Bwena enquired as she collected items from around the marui in an empty basket.

"No. He said was just leaving, sa'nok."

"Actually, we would love to stay for tonight's feast."

"Wonderful! You can help me and my sister scale some fish then. Come along!"

"You are exhausting," Ayelýn hissed under her breath when her mother's back was turned again.

"And you love it," he grinned, smacking a kiss on her cheek and tugging at her tail before cheerfully following after her mother.

~

Drench.

Scrub.

Scrub.

Scrub.

Rinse.

Wring.

Repeat.

A cheerful hum accompanied the monotonous task Lýn was conducting. With a wet smack, she heaved a mat into her basket and reached for another from the unclean pile.

"T'is a beautiful melody you sing, sweet girl," Slwen voiced from across the marui, her own hands busily working at a massive tapestry.

"Oh." A blush tinted Lýn's cheeks. "I hadn't realized I was so loud."

"Nonsense. The louder the better for my aging ears. My Lýn singing is good. Means you're happy," the old woman said with a knowing smile. "It's that boy, isn't it?"

Ayelýn began to shake her head. "No-"

"Bah! Who'd have thought little Ayelýn would woo the heart of the chief's son."

"His name is Aonung," Lýn corrected.

Spending as much time as she had with the man she was pretending with, led to learning a great deal about him.

The one thing that stood out most of all to her was that he despised being referred to as, "the chief's son." He hadn't outright said this to her, but she'd picked up on it. And the one time she tried to bring it up with him, the skxawng brushed it off with a half assed, "I'm not just the chief's son."

Since then she was awfully protective and found herself correcting people whenever they referred to him as such.

"Ahh. My apologies, sweet girl. Carry on singing about your Anoung," Slwen teased as she got to her feet, heaving her overfilled basket onto her hip with surprising strength and leaving the marui before Lýn could protest.

"I was not singing because of him," she muttered to an empty pod.

'Liar, liar,' her mind mocked.

And as if she'd somehow summoned him, he came strolling in a few seconds later- or should she say was being pulled.

"Ask her! Ask her, puh-lease, Aonung!" Kaiiff begged as he yanked on the man's hand. "She'll say yes to you."

Aonung chuckled but put up no fight at the youngling's tugging. "Kaii, she never says yes to me."

"What is this about now? And why are you here? Don't you have training with your team today?"

"Well hello to you too, gorgeous," he snarked sarcastically. "Can't I just drop by for a visit?"

She plopped her final piece onto the rest of her clean pile and raised a suspicious brow at him.

"My team and I were nearby and I thought I'd be nice for them to take a little break." He nodded towards her brother. "Kaiiff spotted me on the beach and we had a nice chat."

Aonung beat her to it when she attempted to lift her basket, hoisting it with an ease she envied. It also made his muscles pop and- oh fuck. He definitely caught her ogling him.

When their eyes met, his expression was molten and a hint of something mischievous played on his lips.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Kaiiff frowned up at the two of them, his little head shifting left and right as they just... stood there... staring at each other.

'Were they having a staring competition?' he wondered.

They were so weird.

Thankfully his sister seemed to lose, because a second later she was marching right out of the marui and Aonung and Kaiiff had no choice but to quickly follow her out into the sun.

"Aonung said I can go with him to explore the Sulruck Cove tomorrow," Kaii announced.

"Is that right?" Lýn asked, striding towards the village's drying stones.

The stones in question were massive boulders that had been scraped and filed till smooth. They held heat well and served as the perfect tool to dry large quantities of laundered items.

"Yes, he really did say," the eight year old confirmed. "Can I go, Lýn? Please, please?"

Ayelýn grabbed the first article from the top of the basket in Aonung's arms. "Sulruck Cove? Isn't that past srakat infested waters?" she asked with a frown as she laid it out on a hot stone.

"It's safe this time of year," Aonung shrugged.

Dropping the basket onto the sand and lifting a wet mat, he spread it out on the same stone as Lýn's, batting her hands away when she tried to tell him he didn't have to help her.

"They've migrated to the southern seas. Mating season," he explained, laying flat another article. "It'd be perfectly safe."

"Seeee, perfectly safe," Kaii echoed, that boxy grin of his wide and infectious.

"Mmm. I don't know, little brother. I'm not sure sa'nok would approve if she were here."

"She would! She definitely would, Lýn!"

Their parents had journeyed to Jer'hxen village to visit their father's family for two weeks. The birth of his sister's child was due anytime now and so Kaiiff had been left in Ayelýn's care.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm taking Khalhan as well."

"Khalhan?!" Kaii exclaimed, stepping out of the way when Anoung hauled up another mat.

At this point, Lýn had been practically shooed away and had no choice but to watch him do her duty.

"Yep," Aonung confirmed with a smile, ruffling Kaii's hair when he stood straight. He'd completed all her work for the day without realizing it. "Lo'ak and Rotxo's going too," he told Lýn.

"Oh alright, go have your fun," she said, giving in.

"Wa-hooo! Jes! Thank you, thank you!" Kaiiff jumped happily, tail flickering rapidly behind him. He squeezed his sister in a speedy hug- slim arms around her waist before he was dashing to do the same to a chuckling Aonung.

"I'm gonna go tell Talu! Bye!" he yelled, hugging Aonung one last time for good measure.

"Think you just made his year," Lýn said. She went to get her empty basket but again, he beat her to it- head ducking with an awfully cute tilt to find her eyes.

His gaze made her pause- and that fluttery, swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach came to life again.

"Behave," she said, reading his mind all too clearly- though the near blushing smile that broke through her lips made him grin in return. 

"I didn't even say anything, gorgeous. Don't know what you're thinking but my thoughts are all innocent," he said in a faux serious tone. "Come on." He linked their fingers with his free hand and walked her back to the washing marui- stares, like always following them as they did.

The Na'vi sure loved their gossip.

Stopping at the threshold, he pulled her palm up for inspection. Running his thumb across her blisters, he tsked at the sight of the broken skin.

"So I might have had an ulterior motive for venturing this far out."

"I knew it."

"My parents are hosting guests from Tipani next week. My mother said you're invited to come."

"Did she?" Lýn's tail twitched- a nervous tick that Aonung picked up on.

Arm around her waist, he tugged her to his chest and she went willingly.

"Yes, but don't worry, I'm planning on keeping you to myself all night. These things can get terribly boring."

"Ah. So I'm to be used for your entertainment then?"

"Guilty," he grinned. "Also..."

"Also...?"

He shifted and looked away. "Are you busy tonight? I thought we could- we could maybe do something- if you want."

Was he...?

"Do something... As in, just you and me?"

"Mhm."

"Oh- um, yeah. I'd like tha- Shoot. I can't. I've got Kaii, remem-"

"Sweet Kaii will stay with me tonight," a no nonsense voice called out.

Ayelýn and Aonung blinked at each other, then simultaneously peered into the marui to find-

"Slwen!" Lýn admonished. "Were you seriously eavesdropping? I thought you were hard of hearing?!"

The elder huffed. "I'm going deaf, girl. Not blind. Now say your goodbyes to your lover and come help me finish this."

Shoulders shaking and closed fist over mouth, Aonung was trying hard to contain himself. He finally broke, laughter escaping him as he walked them both out of Slwen's line of sight- tucked in the shadow of a jutting mangrove root.

Ayelýn giggled as well and when they finally sobered up, eyes unable to stop staring at each other, he kissed her cheek sweetly, making her breath hitch.

Lingering precariously close, he waited, and at her little nod of silent consent, his lips met hers for a searing kiss.

They reluctantly broke apart and with the promise that he would see her later, he left.

~

Neither of them questioned or acknowledged what was happening between the two of them- both too afraid of what the other would say.

~

Back out on the beach where his waiting team lingered, Aonung avoided Lo'ak's annoying, knowing smirk.

"Shut up, forest boy," he gritted, hailing his skimwing.

Lo'ak cackled. "I didn't even say anything, fishlips, though you sure look like you had a grand time during your break... Should I tell the lovely Ayelýn that you never let us take breaks?"

"Lo'ak."

"Or that we never travel this far out for a simple training lesson?"

"Lo'ak, I'm not going to warn you again."

"Yep... Shutting up."

~

Not until they had almost made it back to Awa'atlu and with relatively safe distance between him and Aonung, did Lo'ak tauntingly call out-

"Sooo, did you invite your gorgeous mate to be to my party?"

~

Hello friends! 💛

Don't know why I was so nervous to post this part lol

So originally, I planned for this part to be a bit more angsty, but then all that fluff and pop of spice happened... These two are just so surprisingly fun to write.

You'll find in my works I love a good embarrassing moment lol. Bwena walking in on them was a last minute insert- I couldn't help myself.

Anywhooo- As always, please let me know what you think.

Also I'm giving you guys the heads up, I have a hectic schedule this week, so I can't say when exactly the last chapter will be out.

And finally, feel free to let me know if there's anything you'd like to see happen before this mini series come to an end.

Spoiler alert- Ayelýn has some things to say to Ronal... and we have some visitors.