Okay so this is going to be short and sweet bc i feel like this singular weekend is just taking so long to get through bc so many things happened for them (me over here acting like i didn't do that to myself sorry lol) so this will just be what happened from Neteyam's pov
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Neteyam found it difficult to sleep that night. Ao'nung had taken off his shirt before he fell asleep. He had mumbled about being too warm at the time. A few minutes after saying this, he corrected himself, saying he just wanted to feel Neteyam's bare arms on his shoulders and back. That single sentence had, of course, been enough to send Neteyam's heart racing. Ao'nung had giggled his way through this, stopping and stuttering and smiling so wide that Neteyam could see his white teeth in the darkness. The darkness was what was keeping Neteyam together. He couldn't see Ao'nung. He couldn't see how his eyelashes looked with his eyes shut. He couldn't see the curls that fell across his forehead. He couldn't see the way Ao'nung's perfect lips fell on their own as he slept, slightly ajar and chapped. Neteyam knew that if he could see the boy who laid with him, so close that he could feel Ao'nung's heartbeat pound against his own, he would press Ao'nung so close to him that their souls would fuse into one, and they would never, ever be separated. He stayed awake long after Ao'nung had drifted off, not wanting to miss a single second. He had to commit this to memory in its purest and most perfect form. Neteyam knew that moments like this would not happen often, and that they would not truly be his to cherish. They would belong to Ao'nung, just as he did. Ao'nung would make him swear not to tell another soul, and Neteyam would. He found himself split between two sides of him - the side that was humiliated at the thought of something he considered flawless being seen as some terrible secret, and the side that was so entranced by the entire thing that the secrecy was almost enticing. The side of him that was deeply enthralled by the boy he laid with was in charge now. Neteyam counted the intervals between Ao'nung's sleepy breaths, memorizing the rhythm and hoping it would replay in his mind forever, never fading. Another thought plagued Neteyam's mind. When the night ended, and Ao'nung woke up, what would happen? Would he be ashamed? Would he be angry at Neteyam for going to his friend's house, for potentially being seen? Everytime Neteyam felt himself grow giddy at his current situation, that thought brought him back down to earth with a pit in his stomach. Ao'nung was twitching in his sleep. He was dreaming. Ao'nung was dreaming in his bed, with his arm under the back of Neteyam's neck, pulling him closer. Because Ao'nung wanted Neteyam closer. He didn't want to risk him rolling away in his sleep. That meant something to Neteyam. Ao'nung's other hand, resting around the side of Neteyam's chest, with his fingers lined up with his ribs, meant something to him. The beat of Ao'nung's heart, so close and so strong, meant so, so much to him. He let himself fall asleep, drowning in the warmth of Ao'nung's skin. He would deal with the turmoil of secrecy and fear in the morning. Tonight, this moment was his, and he would not let it be taken from him.
Neteyam woke when his room was still darkened by night, but less so. The first thing he noticed was how calm he felt. Usually, Neteyam was startled awake by an alarm or a sibling. This was different. He was warm. He felt secured to the bed by the linked arms that surrounded his torso. He had turned onto his back in his sleep, but Ao'nung still clung to him. Clung to him like he needed him, like he needed this as much as Neteyam did. Neteyam kept his eyes closed. Waking up meant he would have to deal with the real world, and he wanted to stay in this fantasy for just a little longer. He rolled onto his side, suddenly aware of how close their faces were. Neteyam folded his arms against Ao'nung's bare chest, exhaling deeply at how warm and smooth and soft he felt. Neteyam heard the pillows shift as Ao'nung touched his nose to the tip of Neteyam's, so gentle it barely felt like a touch at all. Opening his eyes into Ao'nung's was the most surreal experience of Neteyam's life. They were so crystal-clear blue, beautifully contrasting with his dark features even in the low light. Almost more so in the low light, actually. He felt the air die in his chest. Ao'nung's soft smile was pure. It was genuine. It was the real smile that he saved exclusively for Neteyam. He was seeing the side of Ao'nung that was his, and no one else's. He felt a smile spread across his face, almost subconsciously. He lifted his hand to Ao'nung's cheek, trying to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He felt Ao'nung's smooth skin against the pad of his thumb, and a whole new wave of disbelief crashed down on him. This was real. This dream came true, and it was real. "Sleep good?" he asked softly, unable to look away from Ao'nung's eyes. He nodded. "Mm. Good." Neteyam felt sleep creeping back upon him, brought on by the lack of anxiety in Neteyam's heart and the warmth and comfort of Ao'nung's arms around him. He felt Ao'nung slide his arm from the back of Neteyam's neck down to his shoulders. He was pulled closer into Ao'nung's embrace, so close that his cheek rested against the skin of Ao'nung's neck. Neteyam laughed softly, gently reaching around Ao'nung's shoulder and tangling his fingertips in Ao'nung's soft curls.
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