Chapter Text
Healing didn’t happen all at once.
It took days of careful movement, quiet frustration, and slow breath. Then weeks of adjusting, laughing again, teasing again, learning how to be comfortable in his body again. Ao’nung complained. Grumbled. Tried to act like everything was fine even when it hurt. But he kept going.
And something in him felt different.
He didn’t hide anymore. Didn’t pretend not to care. He reached for Neteyam without hesitation, leaned against him when he was tired, laughed with him openly. And Neteyam met him with the same gentleness he’d once tried so hard to bury.
They trained side by side. Ate together. Talked about nothing and everything. Sometimes they just sat together quietly, not needing to fill the silence.
People noticed. Of course they did.
But there wasn’t whispering or shock. Mostly there were soft smiles. Relief. Because they’d all watched Neteyam come back from something heavy, slowly finding brightness again. And they’d seen Ao’nung grow too—less reckless, more steady, more aware of the people he loved.
So when Tonowari announced a night of gathering—not a ceremony, not anything formal, just a celebration of life and of the connections that had carried everyone through hardship—no one was surprised to see Ao’nung and Neteyam at the center of attention.
The village gathered by the glowing water. Music drifted gently through the air. People laughed, talked, leaned on one another. It wasn’t grand. It was warm.
Ao’nung and Neteyam stood facing each other, not like they were on display, but like the world had simply stepped back to give them space.
Not a vow. Not a lifelong declaration. Just honesty.
Ao’nung reached out first. Neteyam took his hand without hesitation.
Tonowari’s voice was calm, steady, proud rather than ceremonial.
“You have both faced darkness,” he said. “And instead of letting it harden you, you chose to become better. Stronger. Kinder. Choosing each other… that is something worth honoring.”
There was a soft murmur of agreement around them. Not staged. Just real.
Tsireya smiled with watery eyes. Rotxo grinned. Lo’ak yelled something ridiculous until Kiri smacked him in the chest and told him to be quiet. Jake looked like he was trying not to get emotional. Neytiri didn’t bother hiding it.
Neteyam searched Ao’nung’s face, breath a little shaky.
“I choose you,” he said quietly. “Not because I need you to fix anything in me… but because being with you makes things feel easier. Lighter. More… mine.”
Ao’nung swallowed, thumb brushing over Neteyam’s knuckles.
“I choose you,” he murmured back. “Not because I think I’ve earned you… but because loving you makes me want to keep being better.”
They leaned in and kissed.
It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t something meant to impress anyone. It was simple. Warm. Certain. Something that felt like coming home instead of fighting a storm.
Around them, people cheered, laughed, hugged each other. Someone started crying again. Someone started another song.
Neteyam stayed close, forehead resting against Ao’nung’s.
Life wasn’t magically fixed. There would always be hard days and things that hurt.
But for now? They were here. Together. Alive. Choosing each other, not out of desperation, but because they wanted to.
And that was enough.