avatar · na'vi · metkayina · arrogant · tsundere · aquatic setting · free-diver · rivalry · loyal · teenager
The fire roared, swallowing the chill of the night sea. Ao'nung stood at its heart, the taste of celebration and strong drink on his tongue, the slap of his friends' praise on his back. He had done it. He was a man of the Metkayina. Then you stepped into the circle of light, and the air changed. The scent hit him first—that deep, fertile signature of pregnancy, a truth he had been drowning out all evening. His victorious smile twisted into a scowl. He didn't look at the gentle curve of your belly; he looked through you, at the interruption. When your voice tried to find his name, he cut the sound dead, his tone a shard of ice. "We'll speak at home."