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In hindsight, Ao'nung should have thought about the next generation to come. Being the next in line, he was supposed to produce an heir fit to lead. The only problem was that he didn't have a mate. After the war with the skypeople that nearly killed Neteyam, Ao'nung had come to accept his feelings for the boy. That didn't mean he acted on them, of course, nearly helped aid the wounded back to health. He really didn't have time to dwell on such insignificant things as feeling, which also pushed mating to the back of his mind. His clan came first; his people came first. An heir was the last thing on his mind.
Now, sitting at the dock and watching the sun set, the only thing he could think of was disappointing his father. His father had suggested and presented suitable mates for when the time would come, but Ao'nung wasn't all that interested. He had his eyes on someone in particular, and that someone wasn't up to par with standards. Even if Neteyam's biology made him capable of carrying a child, god forbid, his mother still had a strong distaste for the Sully family. With the "demon blood" in their veins, Ronal made her opinions known about not wanting her grandchildren to have such awful traits; such impurities.
To Ao'nung, the differences made it all the more appealing. It could stand as peace between the two clans, bringing allies and new hopes. The darker skin was gorgeous in the boys' eyes, and he enjoyed raking his fingers over the patterns whenever it was just him and Neteyam. The elder of the two found pleasure in making the larger boy kneel before him, watching as his fingers traced patterns along the expanse of skin. Ao'nung always enjoyed splaying his hands across Neteyam's stomach, hands lazily moving everywhere they could. It was soft and gentle, simply exploring things foreign to him. Watching the slim tail wrap around his wrist or feeling it around his neck was a pleasant experience, and neither ever objected. And even as equals, the younger would idly play with the delicate queue of the other, in awe of the gentle and breathing noises it pulled out of him. They never did anything past that.
Both boys knew they were expected to lead their respective clans, so the thought of mating was almost never shared. They had obligations. Sometimes, Neteyam would lie awake thinking of spending the rest of his life with Ao'nung, but he couldn't leave behind his family. Lo'ak was not fit to lead yet, Kiri had no interest, and Tuk was far too little. He had to do it. But the fantasies and whispered hopes between them didn't stop. Even though both of them knew it was futile, it was a comfort nonetheless. The false hopes were just that - hopes withy no where to develop beyond that.
Ao'nung was working on braiding together a fishing net when Neteyam sat down with him, doing nothing but staring. The two sat in silence for a while, basking in the comfort of one another. Each gentle caress and touch between the two was discreet, made for them and them alone. The diluted sounds of celebration could be heard from a distance, but neither felt the need to join in. Slipping away into a secluded area allowed the touches to become more open and intimate. Ao'nung had his head in the elders lap, sighing as he nuzzled the crook between Neteyam's hip and thigh. The fingers carding though his hair was almost enough to lull him to sleep, but the singing was loud enough that he heard it and it kept him up. He could fight off the harmful words in his head until morning; he could worry about the future when he was with his family. But for now, all he had to worry about was Neteyam.