Chapter Text
The sun hung low over the shimmering waves, casting golden light across the lagoon. Aonung stood waist-deep in the water, his gaze steady as he watched Neteyam paddle beside him; The young Sully's movements were confident, but Aonung knew mastery was more than muscle; it was harmony.
"Relax your breath," Aonung instructed softly, stepping closer. "Feel the rhythm of the water not as a battle but as a dance."
Neteyam inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly beneath the surface. Aonung reached out his hands, steady as they rested lightly on Neteyam's ribs, feeling the rise and fall of breath. His fingers adjusted the curve of the boy's tail, guiding its motion to flow smoothly with the current.
"Again," Aonung murmured, voice low and calm.
Neteyam's eyes flickered upward, meeting Aonung's, an unspoken trust passing between them, in this moment the usual strength Neteyam wore like armor softened. He let go of his guard, the vulnerability thick in the sea salt air.
Aonung's hands lingered a moment longer than necessary, warmth radiating through the water. "You carry strength in your calm," he said, a rare softness threading through his words.
Neteyam swallowed hard but didn't look away. "I'm trying," he admitted.
"You're learning the Way of Water," Aonung replied, "and in that you'll find more than just swimming. You'll find yourself."
The lesson continued; the space between them filled with quiet breaths and patient guidance, each touch a silent connection beneath the endless sky.
As dusk settled, the two found themselves drifting further from shore, where the water deepened into sapphire shadows. Aonung gestured toward a coral outcrop, its crevices alive with darting fish. "Dive with me," he said, the challenge laced with something warmer than competition. Neteyam hesitated then nodded, his pulse quickening as he followed Aonung beneath the surface.
The current here was stronger, tugging at their limbs and Neteyam's breath hitched as the pressure built in his chest. Aonung noticed instantly, swirling around him with effortless grace, and he pressed his palm flat against Neteyam's stomach, grounding him. "Slow," he mouthed through the water bubbles trailing between them, their eyes locked and Neteyam forced his lungs to ease the heat of Aonung's touch searing even through the cool depths.
A sudden shift in the tide sent them spiraling closer, chests nearly brushing as Aonung's arm wrapped around Neteyam's waist to steady them; Neteyam's fingers twitched against Aonung's shoulder, gripping tighter as the water roared in his ears. Then foreheads pressed together the way Aonung had shown him before, sharing breath, sharing focus. Neteyam's pulse pounded, but not from lack of air this time.
The current relented, but neither moved apart. Aonung's thumb traced the dip above Neteyam's hipbone slowly and deliberately, his gaze dropping to the way Neteyam's lips parted slightly. The silence between them stretched, charged with something neither could name, until Neteyam's tail flicked nervously, stirring up a cloud of bioluminescent specks that swirled around them like scattered stars.
Aonung exhaled roughly through his nose, his grip tightening. "You're thinking too hard," he murmured, voice thick. His other hand slid up to cradle the back of Neteyam's neck, fingers tangling in the beads of his braids. "Let the water carry you."
Neteyam shivered not from cold but from the way Aonung's thumb rubbed absent circles against his skin. His own hands found purchase on Aonung's shoulders, claws pricking lightly into muscle, and the water around them pulsed with the glow of tiny creatures painting their faces in flickering blue. "Is this–?" Neteyam started, then cut himself off, breath hitching as Aonung pressed closer.
Aonung didn't answer with words; instead, he tilted his chin up, noses brushing, and let the current sway them into each other. Their lips met in a hesitant press at first, then deeper when Neteyam made a soft noise against his mouth. The taste of salt and shared air mingled between them, and Aonung swallowed the sound like it was something precious.
Around them the bioluminescence flared brighter, reacting to the sudden heat of their bodies. Neteyam's claws dug in harder, not enough to hurt but enough to make Aonung groan, the vibration thrumming through both of them. The water carried the sound away, but the way Neteyam shuddered told Aonung he'd felt it too.
The kiss deepened, Aonung's tongue tracing the seam of Neteyam's lips before slipping inside, slow and deliberate like the tide claiming the shore. Neteyam gasped, his tail coiling instinctively around Aonung's thigh, the friction drawing a ragged exhale from both of them. The water around them seemed to be still, as if the ocean itself was holding its breath.
Aonung's fingers tightened in Neteyam's braids, pulling just enough to tilt his head back, exposing the line of his throat. Neteyam's breath hitched as Aonung's lips trailed down his jaw, teeth grazing the sensitive skin where a pulse thundered beneath the surface. The water around them grew warmer, their bodies moving in sync with the push and pull of the current, no longer fighting it but riding it together.
The coral outcrop loomed behind them. Its jagged edges softened by swaying tendrils of kelp, their shadows stretching long in the fading light, Aonung guided Neteyam backward until the rough texture of the reef pressed against his shoulder blades, the sharp contrast of cool stone against heated skin making him gasp. The sound was swallowed by the water, but Aonung felt it–felt the way Neteyam's fingers clenched around his biceps, claws pricking just shy of breaking skin.
The bioluminescent glow intensified around them as Aonung pinned Neteyam against the coral outcrop, their bodies tangled in the embrace of the reef's natural alcove. The kelp swayed like a living curtain shielding them from the open ocean beyond, while tiny fish darted away in silver flashes. Neteyam arched into the contact of the rough ridges of the coral etching faint marks along his back, a sensation that was half pain and half pleasure, grounding him in the moment as Aonung's mouth found the curve of his throat again.
Aonung's free hand slid down Neteyam's side, fingers catching on the beadwork of his loincloth before gripping his hipbone hard enough to bruise. The water between them grew thick with shared heat, their tails entwining instinctively, scales catching and slipping in a rhythm that mirrored the pulse of the waves overhead. Neteyam's breath came unevenly, bubbles escaping in frantic bursts as he dragged Aonung closer. Their chests flush now, the press of muscle against muscle stealing what little air remained in his lungs.
The reef shuddered as Aonung hooked an arm beneath Neteyam's thighs and surged upward, breaking the surface with a gasp that was half laugh, half groan, seawater sluicing down their tangled limbs. Neteyam barely had time to register the shock of air against his wet skin before Aonung was dragging him onto the nearest jutting rock, its sun-warmed surface rough against his back. The tide lapped at their ankles, retreating and returning like the ragged rhythm of their breathing, while Aonung loomed over him, water dripping from his braids onto Neteyam's heaving chest.
Neteyam's fingers scrambled against the slick rock as Aonung's knee pressed between his thighs, the friction drawing a throaty moan from him before he could bite it back; the sound seemed to startle them. Both Neteyam's eyes widening, Aonung's grip faltering for a heartbeat before Aonung growled low in his chest and captured Neteyam's mouth again, fiercer this time, the taste of salt and desperation clinging to them, mingling with the metallic tang of Neteyam's claws digging into Aonung's shoulders as he arched up against him.
The rock beneath them was unyielding, scraping lines of heat along Neteyam's spine, but he barely noticed, not when Aonung's hand slid down to grip the base of his tail, thumb pressing into the sensitive junction where scales met skin. Neteyam jerked violently, a ragged cry tearing from his throat as electric pleasure surged through him. His tail lashing wildly against the rock, Aonung's answering smirk was devilish, his fingers tightening deliberately just to watch Neteyam unravel further.
Neteyam's breath came in short, sharp gasps as Aonung's fingers traced the delicate ridges where his tail met his lower back, each deliberate stroke sending tremors through his body. The rock beneath him scraped raw against his skin, but the sting was nothing compared to the heat pooling low in his belly, tightening with every calculated movement of Aonung's hand. "You–" Neteyam choked out, his voice breaking as Aonung's thumb pressed harder, circling that spot again until his vision blurred at the edges. "Aonung, I can't–"
Aonung's laughter was dark and honeyed, his breath hot against Neteyam's ear as he leaned down, teeth grazing the shell of it. "You can," he murmured, voice rough with promise. His free hand slid up Neteyam's chest, nails scraping lightly over a peaked nipple before pinching just enough to make Neteyam arch off the rock with a strangled moan. The waves crashed around them, salt spray mingling with the sweat slicking their skin as Aonung dragged his lips down Neteyam's throat, biting marks that would bloom purple by morning.
Neteyam's claws scored deep lines down Aonung's back, his hips jerking helplessly against the press of Aonung's thigh between his legs; every movement sent sparks crackling up his spine. His tail thrashing against the rock in a rhythm too frantic to control, Aonung groaned when Neteyam's teeth sank into his shoulder, the sharp pain only fueling the fire licking through his veins. "Fuck like that," he growled, grinding down harder, the friction drawing a broken cry from Neteyam's throat.
The tide surged around them, waves slamming against the rock with enough force to send spray arcing over their tangled bodies. Aonung caught Neteyam's wrists in one hand, pinning them above his head as he licked a stripe up the column of his throat; Neteyam arched beautifully beneath him, muscles taut and trembling, his breath coming in ragged gasps that hitched every time Aonung's teeth found new skin to claim. "You're mine," Aonung snarled against his pulse, the words more felt than heard over the roar of the ocean.
Neteyam's tail lashed violently, smacking against the rock with a wet slap, his entire body coiled tight as pleasure crested sharp and sudden. Aonung felt the exact moment he unraveled, the way his muscles seized and his claws scrabbled uselessly against stone, his cry lost to the wind. The sight of him, wild-eyed, wrecked, utterly undone, sent heat scorching through Aonung's veins; he barely had time to catch his breath before Neteyam was surging up, flipping their positions with surprising strength.
Aonung's back hit the rock with a grunt, surprise flashing across his face before Neteyam crashed into him, all teeth and desperate hands, their tails twisting together in the shallows. The taste of salt and sweat filled Neteyam's mouth as he bit down on Aonung's lower lip, swallowing the groan it ripped from him. Aonung's legs came up to bracket Neteyam's hips, heels digging into the small of his back as he arched, pressing them flush from chest to thigh. "Show me," Aonung panted against his mouth, fingers tangling in Neteyam's braids to yank his head back. "Show me what the mighty Omatikaya can do."
Neteyam's breath hitched at the challenge and at the way Aonung's pupils blew wide even as his smirk stayed sharp. He dragged his claws down Aonung's sides, relishing the hiss it earned him, before gripping his hips hard enough to bruise. The tide surged around them, foam licking at their tangled limbs as Neteyam rolled his hips down slowly at first, then harder when Aonung's tail thrashed beneath him. "Like that?" Neteyam murmured, voice rough as he watched Aonung's breath stutter.
Aonung growled, arching up to meet him, his hands sliding down to grip Neteyam's ass, fingers digging in as he guided him into a rhythm that had them both gasping. The saltwater made every movement slick, every drag of skin against skin electric, and Neteyam groaned when Aonung's cock pressed hot against his thigh. He rocked down harder, their tails twisting together in the shallows, scales catching and slipping in a rhythm that mirrored the waves crashing around them.
Neteyam's thighs trembled as Aonung's fingers, slick with seawater and something warmer, traced the cleft where his tail met skin, dragging slow circles that made his breath hitch. When Aonung pressed inside just the tip of one thick finger breaching him, Neteyam's claws scraped against the rock, his tail thrashing in the shallows. "Easy," Aonung murmured against his throat, but the roughness in his voice betrayed his own restraint. He worked Neteyam open with torturous patience, the drag of his fingers deliberate, every twist and curl wrenching ragged moans from Neteyam's chest until he was writhing desperate, his cock dripping against Aonung's stomach.
Aonung's free hand gripped Neteyam's hip hard enough to bruise as he added a second finger, stretching him slowly watching Neteyam's face, the way his lips parted around silent pleas, and the flutter of his lashes when Aonung crooked his fingers just right. The rock beneath them was unforgiving, but Neteyam barely noticed–not when Aonung's thumb brushed that sweet spot inside him, sending white-hot pleasure arcing up his spine. "Aonung." Neteyam choked out, his voice breaking as his body clenched around the intrusion, his thighs shaking with the effort to stay still. Aonung's answering growl vibrated against his collarbone, teeth sinking into the tender skin there as he scissored his fingers wider.
Neteyam's breath came in ragged bursts as Aonung withdrew his fingers only to press the thick head of his cock against him without warning. The stretch burned even through the slickness of seawater and arousal, forcing a punched-out gasp from Neteyam's throat as he bore down, his claws gouging into the rock beneath them. Aonung didn't rush, didn't relent, and just pushed in steadily until his hips met Neteyam's ass, the bulge of his cock visibly stretching Neteyam's rim where their bodies joined. Neteyam writhed, overwhelmed by the fullness, his tail thrashing against the surf as his inner walls fluttered around the intrusion.
Then Aonung moved a single brutal thrust that sheathed him completely, wrenching a guttural moan from Neteyam as his back arched off the rock. "Fuck–like that," Neteyam snarled, his voice raw, as he locked his ankles behind Aonung's thighs and pulled him deeper. Aonung groaned, his fingers digging bruises into Neteyam's hips as he pulled out almost completely before slamming back in, the force of it sending spray arcing around them. Neteyam met every thrust with a roll of his hips, taking Aonung deeper with each snap of his pelvis, his cock leaking untouched between them.
The rhythm was relentless; The slap of skin against skin was lost beneath the roar of the waves breaking over the rock. Aonung's braids swung like a curtain around them, dripping saltwater onto Neteyam's heaving chest as he leaned down to bite at his collarbone. Neteyam's claws raked down Aonung's back in retaliation, scoring deep enough to draw blood, and Aonung laughed dark and breathless before fucking into him harder, the angle shifting just enough to drag against that spot inside Neteyam that made his vision whiten at the edges.
Neteyam's moans pitched higher, lost to the wind as Aonung's thrusts grew erratic, the rock beneath them slick with seawater and sweat. Every snap of Aonung's hips sent sparks shooting up Neteyam's spine, his tail curling tight around Aonung's thigh as pleasure coiled like a storm in his gut. He could feel Aonung unraveling too– the way his breath hitched and the way his fingers trembled where they gripped Neteyam's hips–and it only made him clench tighter, dragging a ragged curse from Aonung's throat.
Neteyam's thighs trembled as Aonung's thrusts grew rougher, each snap of his hips hitting that deep sweet spot until Neteyam's claws shattered a chunk of rock beneath him. The pain barely registered, not when Aonung's teeth sank into his shoulder, not when his own cock throbbed untouched between them, dripping onto his stomach with each brutal drive forward. Aonung's breath came in hot, ragged bursts against Neteyam's throat, his rhythm faltering as he neared the edge, fingers digging bruises into Neteyam's hips like he was trying to fuse them together.
Neteyam's vision whited out when Aonung's hand finally wrapped around his cock, stroking in time with his rough, wet perfect thrusts. The dual sensation of being filled and touched shattered whatever control he had left; his back arched off the rock as pleasure ripped through him, his release hitting him so hard he barely registered the way Aonung snarled his name, following him over the edge with a final grinding thrust.
Their bodies slumped together, slick with seawater and sweat, chests heaving as the tide lapped gently at their tangled limbs. Aonung's breath ghosted hot against Neteyam's throat, his fingers still trembling where they traced idle circles on Neteyam's hipbone. The bioluminescent glow of the water pulsed faintly around them, casting shifting patterns of blue light across their skin, illuminating the fresh bite marks and scratches that mapped the night's claiming in vivid detail.
Neteyam exhaled sharply when Aonung finally pulled away, the sudden emptiness drawing a shiver from him despite the lingering heat between them. Aonung smirked at the reaction, dragging his thumb through the mess on Neteyam's stomach before bringing it to his own mouth, tongue flicking out to taste. "Still thinking too hard," he murmured, voice rough with satisfaction as he leaned in to nip at Neteyam's jaw. "Or have I finally shut you up?"
The distant cry of a night predator echoed across the water, breaking the spell between them. Neteyam tensed warrior instincts kicking in but Aonung just chuckled, pressing a lazy kiss to the pulse point beneath his ear. "Relax," he muttered, fingers tracing the fresh marks along Neteyam's collarbone. "Only an ilu, not like anyone's brave enough to interrupt us." His grin turned wicked as he added, "Unless you want them to."
Neteyam's tail flicked indignantly, sending droplets arcing into the air but the effect was ruined by the way his breath caught when Aonung's hand slid possessively down his spine. The water around them had cooled but their skin still burned where they touched. Aonung's thigh hooked over Neteyam's hip, keeping him close even as the tide tried to pull them apart. "You're insufferable," Neteyam grumbled, but the way his fingers curled into Aonung's beaded braids betrayed him.
Aonung laughed, a rich smug sound that vibrated against Neteyam's shoulder where he'd buried his face. "And you're a terrible liar," he countered, teeth grazing the fresh bite mark he'd left earlier, his tail coiled lazily around Neteyam's calf, the rasp of scales deliberate. "Your heart's still racing like you're waiting for round two."
Neteyam exhaled sharply through his nose but didn't deny it, not when Aonung's hand was already sliding lower, fingertips teasing the sensitive base of his tail again. The ocean sighed around them, waves nudging their intertwined bodies as if urging them deeper somewhere beyond the reef an ilu cried out, its mournful sound drowned by the sudden hitch in Neteyam's breath as Aonung's fingers pressed inward.
"You're still tense." Aonung murmured against his throat, the words vibrating against damp skin. His free hand traced the fresh scratches down Neteyam's back, each ridge a testament to how thoroughly they'd wrecked each other. "Thought I wore you out." The smirk in his voice was palpable, but the way his own body shuddered when Neteyam's claws pricked his hip betrayed his exhaustion and his desperation.
The tide ebbed around them, leaving their skin damp and prickling with salt as Aonung's fingers curled deeper, drawing a ragged moan from Neteyam's lips. "Not enough," Neteyam managed between gasps, his tail thrashing against the rock as Aonung's thumb found that spot inside him again, sending electric sparks up his spine. Aonung's answering chuckle was rough with exhaustion and arousal, his own cock twitching against Neteyam's thigh as if in agreement.
Aonung's growl reverberated against Neteyam's throat as he flipped them with predatory grace, seawater sluicing off their entangled bodies. His claws scraped possessively down Neteyam's chest, not enough to draw blood this time but enough to make him arch before hooking beneath the beaded loincloth and tearing it away. The beads scattered across the rock like falling stars as Aonung shoved Neteyam's thighs apart, his own arousal glistening thick and flushed against his stomach. "Tsahik help you," he snarled when Neteyam smirked up at him because the Omatikaya warrior knew exactly what that sight did to him.
Aonung's claws dug into Neteyam's hips as he flipped him onto hands and knees, the rock scraping rough against his palms. Neteyam's breath hitched when Aonung's tail coiled possessively around his thigh, the muscular appendage dragging him backward until his ass pressed against the thick heat of Aonung's cock. The Metkayina warrior didn't tease this time; he just slicked himself in one rough stroke before pushing in with a single relentless thrust that punched the air from Neteyam's lungs. The stretch burned deeper than before, the saltwater doing little to ease the way as Aonung's ridges caught on Neteyam's rim, each ridge dragging against his inner walls with exquisite friction.
Neteyam’s claws shattered another fragment of rock as Aonung’s cock split him open deeper this time, the thick ridges along its length catching against his inner walls with each brutal thrust. The stretch burned impossibly wider as Aonung’s knot began to swell at the base, the primal pressure wrenching a guttural cry from Neteyam’s throat–half pain, half pleasure– as his body strained to accommodate it. Aonung’s answering growl vibrated against his spine, teeth sinking into the nape of Neteyam’s neck in a claiming bite as his hips pistoned faster, driving them both toward the edge with relentless force.
Aonung’s teeth sank deeper into Neteyam’s nape, the sharp sting syncing with the rhythmic pulse of his knot, stretching Neteyam’s rim wider with each thrust. Neteyam gasped as the swollen base caught against his entrance, the pressure sending sparks up his spine, every ridge along Aonung’s cock dragging against his oversensitive walls until his thighs trembled. Aonung’s claws dug into his hips, pulling him back onto each snap of his hips with a wet slap of skin, the force of it driving Neteyam’s chest against the rock. The taste of blood bloomed between Aonung’s teeth as Neteyam’s back arched, his tail thrashing wildly when Aonung’s knot finally popped past the tight ring of muscle, locking them together with a groan that vibrated through both their bodies.
Neteyam’s vision fractured as Aonung’s knot swelled fully inside him, the unbearable stretch morphing into molten pleasure when Aonung ground his hips in tight circles. The rock scraped raw against Neteyam’s forearms as he clutched at it, his cock dripping untouched between his legs, each movement of Aonung’s knot against his prostate drawing choked whimpers from his throat. Aonung snarled against his shoulder blade, one hand fisting in Neteyam’s braids to yank his head back while the other slid beneath him, fingers wrapping around Neteyam’s cock in a rough twisting stroke. “Come for me,” Aonung growled, his voice thick with command, and Neteyam shattered his release, stripping the rock beneath them as his body clamped down on Aonung’s knot in pulsating waves.
Aonung’s hips stuttered as Neteyam’s convulsions milked him, his own climax hitting with a guttural roar, his cock pulsing deep inside Neteyam, hot sperm filling him in thick spurts that made Neteyam’s oversensitive body jerk. The Metkayina warrior collapsed over Neteyam’s back, teeth still locked on his nape as their tails twisted together in the shallows. Neteyam felt every throb of Aonung’s cock inside him, the knot keeping them locked together as the ocean lapped at their trembling limbs, the primal connection deeper than anything he’d ever known.
When Aonung finally released his nape, licking lazily at the bite marks, Neteyam shuddered at the scrape of fangs against his pulse. Aonung’s hand smoothed down his flank gentler now, fingers tracing the fresh scratches and bruises mottling his hips. He chuckled when Neteyam’s tail twitched weakly, the motion sending ripples through the water. “Still alive, forest boy?” His voice was roughened by exertion, but the smugness lingered, especially when Neteyam’s breath hitched as Aonung’s knot shifted inside him.
The moment Aonung's knot deflated enough to slip free, Neteyam barely had time to gasp before being rolled onto his back again. Aonung's weight pressed him into the rock as razor-sharp teeth grazed his jugular in clear warning. "Not done with you," Aonung rumbled, one broad hand splaying possessively over Neteyam's abdomen, fingers dipping into the mess of their combined release still painting his skin. Neteyam's legs instinctively parted further when Aonung's tail slid between them, the ridged underside rasping against his oversensitive slit in a way that drew a broken whimper from his throat, his body reacting despite the exhaustion, inner walls fluttering around nothing.
Aonung's growl vibrated through Neteyam's chest as he guided his cock back to Neteyam's entrance with deliberate slowness, the thick head catching on his stretched rim still glistening with their previous coupling. The stretch burned hotter this time, Neteyam's body protesting even as his nails scored fresh marks down Aonung's biceps, his hips arching greedily. Aonung didn't relent, sheathing himself to the hilt in one brutal thrust that punched the air from Neteyam's lungs, the rock scraping his shoulder blades raw as Aonung's teeth clamped down on his collarbone, anchoring them together.
Aonung’s braids swung like a curtain around them, dripping saltwater onto Neteyam’s heaving chest as he leaned down to bite at his collarbone. The claiming bite sent fire through Neteyam’s veins, his thighs trembling as Aonung’s cock stretched him impossibly wider, the ridges along its length dragging against his oversensitive walls with each deliberate thrust when Aonung’s knot began to swell again at the base. Neteyam’s breath hitched, his body remembering the primal fullness, his tail lashing as his rim strained around the thickening bulge. Aonung snarled against his throat, fingers tangling in Neteyam’s braids to yank his head back, exposing the column of his throat as he pistoned into him with ruthless precision.
Neteyam’s vision whited out when Aonung’s free hand found his tsaheylu—the neural whipcord sparking to life as their bonding queues slithered together instinctively. The moment their tendrils connected, pleasure detonated through them both, Aonung’s rhythm stuttering as Neteyam’s consciousness flooded his. Their shared sensations amplified every thrust, every drag of skin. Neteyam felt everything: the way Aonung’s cock throbbed inside him, the way his own pleasure crested higher with each snap of Aonung’s hips, and the way their shared ecstasy threatened to unravel them completely. His back arched off the rock as Aonung’s knot forced its way inside again, locking them together as their mating bond seared through their nerves like liquid fire.
Aonung snarled against his throat when Neteyam’s tsaheylu coiled tighter around his, their minds syncing in a way that left no secrets. Neteyam could feel the possessive hunger curling through Aonung’s chest the way his pulse spiked every time Neteyam clenched around him, the raw need to claim him deeper than either of them had anticipated. The ocean roared in their ears as their shared climax ripped through them. Neteyam’s release splattered hot between their stomachs as Aonung’s sperm flooded him in thick pulses, their bodies trembling in tandem, their tails lashing wildly, scales scraping against rock as the mating bond flared brighter, binding them in ways neither could sever now.
Their Tsaheylu pulsed like a second heartbeat between them, Aonung’s neural tendril twining possessively around Neteyam’s as their minds merged, thoughts blurring into shared hunger and shared heat. Neteyam gasped as Aonung’s memories flooded him: vivid and raw, the first time he’d seen Neteyam stepping off the ikran, a forest boy out of place but standing tall; the way his stomach had clenched the first time he watched Neteyam surface from a dive, beads of water clinging to his lashes like fallen stars.
In the bond he felt the exact moment Aonung had fallen, not out of pity but for the way Neteyam laughed at him during training, all sharp teeth and defiance. Aonung growled, thrusting deeper as if to bury those memories inside Neteyam’s body, his hips grinding in tight circles to make Neteyam feel every ridge of his cock through their bond, the physical and mental pleasure becoming one and the same.
Neteyam arched with a choked cry as Aonung’s Tsaheylu pulsed brighter, their consciousnesses bleeding into each other, no barriers, no secrets. He could taste Aonung’s desperation like salt on his tongue and could feel the way his own stubbornness had driven Aonung to madness and the way their rivalry had always been a dance toward this moment. Aonung’s teeth found his shoulder again, sharper this time, as if marking him in both body and soul, their shared breath syncing with the rhythm of the tide.
Aonung’s tsaheylu coiled tighter, their neural tendrils locking in an unbreakable spiral as Eywa herself bore witness to their bond flaring gold bright beneath the waves, illuminating the frantic rise and fall of their chests. Neteyam gasped as the connection seared deeper than flesh, Aonung’s consciousness flooding into his like the tide, the salt sting of his jealousy when others watched Neteyam dive, and the possessive heat curling low in his gut when Neteyam’s thighs strained around an ilu’s saddle. Neteyam retaliated by pouring his own memories into the bond–the way Aonung’s smirk had made his pulse jagged during training, the way his hands burned hotter than any forest fire.
Their bodies moved in perfect sync now. Aonung’s thrusts were no longer just physical but ceremonial, each snap of his hips carving Neteyam open for Eywa’s blessing. The ocean swelled around them as if responding, bioluminescent tendrils of algae twisting up their legs like living vows. Aonung’s growl vibrated through their joined tsaheylu as he bit down on Neteyam’s mating mark anew, his cock pulsing thickly inside him, not just claiming but binding their essences mingling in the sacred way of the People. Neteyam’s back arched off the rock, his cry lost to the water as pleasure detonated through them both, the bond searing their souls together in a flash of blue-gold light.
Aonung’s claws scraped reverently down Neteyam’s sternum, parting skin just enough to let their blood mingle with the saltwater as an offering. Neteyam mirrored the gesture without hesitation, dragging his fingertips through the shallow cuts on Aonung’s chest before pressing their palms together above the tide. The water hissed where their blood met, swirling in intricate patterns that mirrored the neural whorls of their still-entwined tsaheylu. Eywa’s voice seemed to hum through the current, the reef itself humming approval as their shared breath synced with the pulse of the ocean.
Aonung’s tsaheylu throbbed against Neteyam’s as he pressed their foreheads together kuru to kuru, their mingled breath syncing with the rhythm of the waves crashing around them. The neural bond pulsed brighter, tendrils tightening until Neteyam could no longer distinguish where his pleasure ended and Aonung’s began. Every shared gasp and every shuddering thrust amplified through their connection. Aonung’s growl vibrated through Neteyam’s ribs as he bit down on his lower lip, their shared blood metallic and sweet, the taste sealing their union deeper than any vow.
The ocean surged around them in response, bioluminescent algae swirling up their entangled legs like living chains binding them to each other and to Eywa’s will. Neteyam arched as Aonung’s cock swelled impossibly thicker inside him, the ridges along its length catching his rim with each primal thrust, not just mating now but weaving their essences, merging in the ancient way of their people. Aonung’s claws scraped down Neteyam’s chest, reopening faint scars in deliberate lines that mirrored the sacred patterns of the Tree of Souls, their blood mingling with saltwater as an offering to the Great Mother.
Aonung's breath seared against Neteyam's lips as their kuru pressed tighter, their foreheads fused like molten ore, their shared pulse throbbing where skin met skin in Eywa's most sacred gesture. The Metkayina warrior's cock twitched deep inside Neteyam as their tsaheylu convulsed, tendrils writhing like mating eels, binding them beyond mere flesh. Neteyam's gasp was swallowed by the ocean as their very breaths synchronized, Aonung exhaling when he inhaled, their lungs moving as one organism beneath the shimmering waves.
Aonung's hips rolled in slow ceremonial circles, each motion designed to weave them together rather than take his ridges, catching Neteyam's rim not to stretch but to imprint the swollen base of his cock, keeping their essences locked as tightly as their neural bond. Bioluminescent fish swarmed around their joined bodies, drawn by the electric pulse of their mating bond, their blue glow illuminating the way Neteyam's claws carved matching patterns into Aonung's back—not the frantic scratches of passion but deliberate twinning marks that mirrored the sacred swirls of the Tree of Voices.
Neteyam arched as Aonung's breath hitched against his lips, their shared air turning thick with salt and musk, the Metkayina warrior's rhythm shifting into something older than either clan, hips moving in the tidal pulse of Eywa's first songs. Their tails coiled together like mating vines, scales rasping in unison as Aonung's knot swelled to its fullest, locking their bodies in a way that made Neteyam's vision blur–not just physically joined but fused, his muscles fluttering around Aonung's cock in time with the ocean's heartbeat.
The swell of the tide mirrored the pulsing rhythm between them as Aonung's knot locked them together, their tsaheylu spiraling tighter like the roots of the Hometree binding not just flesh but souls, their shared breaths syncing with the ocean’s ancient hymns. Neteyam gasped as Aonung’s consciousness flooded him fully now, no longer fragments but wholeness: the salt-crusted longing in Aonung’s chest when he watched Neteyam laugh with his siblings and the way his fingers had trembled the first time he braided a shell into Neteyam’s hair. In return, Neteyam poured his own truth into the bond–the way Aonung’s smirk had haunted his dreams and how the Metkayina’s touch burned deeper than any forest fire.
The roar of the ocean seemed to soften into a rhythmic hum, the Great Mother’s breath moving through the reef as the frantic heat of their union began to settle into a deep, soul-shaking glow. Aonung did not pull away; instead, he leaned his forehead against Neteyam’s, their kuru still tightly entwined and pulsing with a bright gold light that illuminated the wet rock beneath them. In the quiet after the storm, the shared memories continued to lap at their minds like a gentle tide, no longer sharp or desperate, but steady and acknowledging.
Aonung’s hand, usually so rough and challenging, moved with a reverent softness as he traced the fresh mating mark on Neteyam’s neck, his thumb lingering over the pulse that beat in perfect synchronization with his own. “The Way of Water has no beginning and no end,” Aonung murmured, his voice a low vibration that Neteyam felt in his bones more than he heard in his ears. “It is in you now, my sea is in your blood, and your forest is in my heart.”
Neteyam exhaled a long, shuddering breath, his fingers curling one last time into the intricate beads of Aonung’s braids. The weight of his responsibilities, the armor of being the "perfect son," felt distant and light, replaced by the undeniable truth of the bond they had just forged. He looked into Aonung’s wide pupils and saw not a rival but his own reflection anchored in the vastness of the Metkayina spirit.
“I see you, Aonung,” Neteyam whispered the traditional greeting, carrying the weight of a lifelong vow.
Aonung’s grip tightened momentarily in a final possessive squeeze before he slowly began to disentangle their tails and their neural tendrils. As the tsaheylu disconnected, the sudden silence was jarring, but the warmth remained etched into their skin and carved into their spirits. They stayed there for a long time, two shapes of blue and shadow against the bioluminescent sea, watching the stars reflect in the water, knowing that when they returned to the village, they would no longer be just a teacher and a student or a prince and a refugee, but two souls woven together by the tide.