Mine
Omaticaya!female reader
The communal fire crackled as the clan gathered for the evening meal. You sat with Kiri and Tuk, laughing at one of Tuk’s animated stories about her day, when you felt eyes on you.
“Someone’s staring,” Kiri sang under her breath, not even bothering to look up from her food.
“He’s always staring,” you muttered back, fighting the smile tugging at your lips.
Neteyam sat with his parents and Lo’ak across the fire, supposedly listening to his father’s conversation, but his golden eyes kept flickering to you. You’d been mated for only a few weeks, and he still looked at you like you were the only person in the clan.
“It’s disgusting,” Lo’ak announced loudly enough for you to hear, earning himself a swift smack to the back of his head from Neytiri. “Ow! What? It is! He’s been like a lovesick yerik since the bonding ceremony.”
“Lo’ak,” Jake warned, but you could see him trying not to smile.
“I’m just saying, before he was only mostly annoying. Now he’s completely unbearable. ‘Have you seen her? Where is she? I need to check on her,’” Lo’ak mimicked in an exaggerated voice.
Neteyam’s ears flattened against his skull. “I do not sound like that.”
“You absolutely do, brother,” Kiri called over cheerfully. “Yesterday you asked me three times if she was okay when she was literally sitting right next to me.”
Your cheeks flushed as the family dissolved into laughter. Even Jake was chuckling now, while Neytiri tried and failed to hide her amused smile behind her hand.
“My son, the mighty warrior,” she teased gently, reaching over to pat Neteyam’s arm. “Reduced to following his mate around like a baby.”
“I do not follow her—”
“You literally walked into a tree yesterday because you were watching her,” Tuk piped up helpfully.
The gathering erupted in laughter again. You covered your face with your hands, torn between mortification and affection for your completely smitten mate.
Neteyam stood abruptly, his tail swishing in agitation, and started making his way around the fire. Your heart picked up speed as he approached with clear purpose in his eyes.
“Oh, here we go,” Lo’ak muttered. “Incoming.”
“Neteyam—” you started, but he was already there, offering his hand.
“Walk with me.”
“We’re eating—”
“Now, yawne.”
Kiri snorted. “So commanding.”
You took his hand anyway because, despite his family’s teasing, you’d follow him anywhere. He pulled you to your feet and immediately started leading you away from the fire, his fingers laced tightly with yours.
“Your family is never going to let you live this down,” you said, laughing as you walked toward the edge of the gathering.
“I don’t care.”
“You walked into a tree?”
“A small tree. Barely a tree. More like a large branch.”
You were still giggling when you reached the quieter outskirts of the celebration, near the large roots of Hometree where the light from the fire barely reached. The bioluminescent plants cast a soft glow around you, and the sounds of the clan faded to a gentle murmur.
Neteyam turned to face you, and something in his expression made your breath catch. The playfulness from moments ago had shifted into something more intense.
“You were talking to Ka’vio earlier,” he said, his voice low.
“I… what?” You blinked, trying to remember. “Oh, at the hunt gathering? He was just asking about—”
“He was standing very close to you.”
“Neteyam, he was asking me about herb preparations for his mother—”
“And smiling.”
“People smile when they talk, my love.”
His hands found your waist, pulling you flush against him in one smooth motion. Your hands instinctively came up to rest on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath your palms.
“He has been smiling at you a lot lately,” Neteyam said, his face dipping close to yours. His voice had taken on a rough edge that sent shivers down your spine. “I do not like it.”
“Are you jealous?” you breathed, even though the answer was obvious in the way he held you, the possessive gleam in his eyes.
“Of Ka’vio? No.” His lips quirked up in a smirk that made your knees weak. “But I think perhaps I need to remind him who you belong to.”
“Oh?” You tried to sound unaffected, but your voice came out breathy. “And who’s that?”
His hands tightened on your waist, and he leaned in until his lips brushed against your ear. The question came out in a low, teasing rumble that made heat pool in your belly:
“Who is your mate, yawne?”
Your breath hitched. “That’s not fair—”
“Say it.” He pulled back just enough to look at you, eyes dancing with mischief and desire. One hand slid up to cup the back of your neck while the other remained possessively on your waist. “I want to hear you say it.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” you managed, but you were smiling, heart racing.
“Maybe.” He nipped playfully at your jaw, making you gasp. “Say it anyway.”
“Neteyam—”
“Who?” His tail wrapped around your leg, and you could feel the rumble of satisfaction in his chest at having you caged in his arms.
“You,” you finally surrendered, pulling him closer by his necklace. “You are my mate, Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk’itan. Only you. Always you.”
The smirk melted into something softer, more reverent. “That’s right,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to yours. “Mine.”
“Yours,” you agreed, and then his lips were on yours, claiming and tender all at once.
The kiss deepened, his hand threading through your hair while yours explored the strong lines of his back. You forgot about Ka’vio, about the teasing, about everything except the way Neteyam held you like you were precious and his all at once.
“THEY’RE MAKING OUT!”
You sprang apart to find Tuk standing several feet away, hands cupped around her mouth, announcing your private moment to literally everyone.
“TUK!” you and Neteyam shouted in unison.
“I FOUND THEM! THEY’RE BEING GROSS!”
Lo’ak’s cackle carried across the clearing. “I TOLD YOU! He can’t keep his hands off her for five minutes!”
Neteyam dropped his head to your shoulder with a groan while you buried your flaming face in his chest.
“Your family,” you mumbled against him.
“Our family,” he corrected, but you could feel him smiling. “Come on. Let’s go somewhere they can’t find us.”
“There is nowhere they can’t find us.”
“Then we’ll go somewhere they won’t follow.” He took your hand again, that mischievous glint back in his eyes. “I know a spot.”
As he led you deeper into the forest, you could still hear Lo’ak’s voice carrying through the night: “Dad, they’re leaving! Should someone tell them that we can all see their bioluminescence trails? …Dad? Dad, are you laughing?!”
You looked up at Neteyam, who was definitely trying not to laugh, his ears still pink from embarrassment but his grip on your hand unwavering.
“Worth it?” you asked.
He stopped, pulled you close again, and kissed you soundly. “Always.”
————————————————————————
Later at the secluded waterfall…
You know,” you said, trailing your fingers down his arm as you sat tucked against his side on the smooth rocks, “you really don’t have to worry about Ka’vio. Or anyone else.”
Neteyam’s tail twitched. “I know that.”
“Do you?”
He was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “I see you. I see how the other warriors look at you. How could they not? You are beautiful, kind, fierce…” His arm tightened around you. “Sometimes I still can’t believe you chose me.”
You turned to face him fully, cupping his face in your hands. “Neteyam, I didn’t just choose you. I see you - all of you. The mighty warrior, yes, but also the male who brings me flowers he thinks I’ll like. Who lets Tuk braid his hair even when she tangles it hopelessly. Who worries about everyone but himself.” You pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “You’re stuck with me, my love. No amount of smiling warriors will change that.”
He searched your eyes, then smiled - that soft, genuine smile he saved just for you. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Even when you’re being a possessive skxawng.”
“I prefer ‘protective.’”
“You walked into a tree.”
“I thought we agreed never to speak of that again.”
You laughed, and he kissed you again, slower this time, reverent. His hands traced patterns on your skin that made you shiver, and you felt the bond between you pulse with warmth and affection and desire.
“Although,” you murmured against his lips, “I didn’t hate the jealous thing. The whole ‘who is your mate’ question was—”
“Was what?” He pulled back with that insufferable smirk, reading your flushed face perfectly.
“Nothing.”
“No, no. Please continue.” His hand slid up your thigh, his touch feather-light and teasing. “You didn’t hate it?”
“Neteyam…”
“Should I ask again?” He leaned in close, voice dropping to that low rumble. “Who is your mate, sevin?”
Your breath caught, and you could feel him smile against your neck.
“That’s what I thought,” he murmured, and proceeded to spend the rest of the night thoroughly reminding you exactly who you belonged to - and who belonged to you.
————————————————————————
The next morning at breakfast
You have leaves in your hair,” Kiri observed dryly.
“And your lips are swollen,” Lo’ak added with a grin. “Both of you. It’s like you’re allergic to subtlety.”
Neteyam just smiled, completely unrepentant, and pulled you closer. His family groaned in unison.
Jake shook his head, but you caught him squeezing Neytiri’s hand, a knowing look passing between them.
“Young love,” Neytiri sighed, though her eyes were warm.
“Young idiocy,” Lo’ak corrected.
“You’re just jealous,” Tuk announced matter-of-factly. “Because you don’t have a mate who looks at you like Neteyam looks at her.”
Everyone turned to stare at the youngest Sully.
“What?” She blinked innocently. “It’s true. It’s nice. I want someone to look at me like that one day.”
Neteyam’s expression softened, and he reached over to tug gently on one of Tuk’s braids. “One day, tsmuke. But not for many, many years.”
“Agreed,” Jake said firmly. “Many years.”
You leaned into Neteyam’s side, watching his family bicker and tease, and felt overwhelmingly grateful. For him, for them, for this chaotic, loving, ridiculous family you’d married into.
Neteyam pressed a kiss to your temple, and you felt rather than heard his quiet words: “I see you.”
“I see you,” you whispered back, and ignored Lo’ak’s gagging sounds entirely.
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Author’s note: again writing I had stored up let me know if you guys like it