โฎ โ โ summary: gentlemen can still get their dicks sucked. michael thinks heโs exempt because youโre too pretty. AHNT! wrong.
โฎ โ โ smut, oral sex (male receiving), a very shy and flustered michael because I genuinely donโt think heโd be any way else at this age, female reader. wrote this with the โitโs wonderful day!โ interview in mind.
Michael isn't sure how he got in this predicament.
One second she'd been curled against him on the bed, tracing lazy shapes against his chest while the television hummed quietly somewhere in the background. The next, her lips were brushing against his ear, soft and plush and devastatingly warm, whispering something sweet as melted honey that made his stomach flip straight into his ribs.
He didn't even fully process the words, only the feeling of all the blood from his head rushing straight to his pants.
A featherlight breath against his skin.
A little kiss tucked just beneath his ear.
The way her voice wrapped around him slow and warm, making him melt before he even realized he was melting. And somehow after that, she was on her knees between his legs.
Michael sat frozen at the edge of the mattress, staring down at her with wide brown eyes while she looked up at him like he'd hung the stars himself. The lamp beside the bed washed everything amber gold, catching in the blush already flooding his cheeks and the nervous shine of his bitten lips.
She looked downright lovesick.
The kind of gaze that made his pulse scramble like frightened birds in a cathedral. Her pupils looked enormous beneath her lashes, soft and syrupy and practically heart shaped with how fond she seemed of him. It made him duck his head immediately, one hand flying up to cover his face as a helpless laugh escaped through his trembling fingers.
โBaby..โ he laughed weakly, voice embarrassingly breathless. โDon't look at me like that...โ
โWhy not?โ
โโCause...โ He peeked at her through his fingers only to instantly regret it when she smiled. โYou know why.โ
Her hands settled on his thighs then, thumbs smoothing absent little circles against the fabric of his jeans while his knees twitched under her touch. Michael inhaled sharply, shoulders pulling inward with shy tension as she started inching upward, slow enough for him to want to instinctively close his thighs as his stomach tightened when her fingers brushed his belt.
โCan I taste what's in here, angel face?โ she spoke softly, tilting her head.
Michael made the tiniest strangled sound. Immediately his head tipped back with embarrassment, curls tumbling across his forehead. โDon't say things like that..โ
โLike what?โ she asked, all faux innocence and sparkling eyes.
โThose cute names when you're being..โ He swallowed hard. โ..dirty.โ
A grin tugged at her lips. โI think you like it.โ
Michael shook his head too fast to be believable. โN-no! Iโm a gentleman.โ
โLiar.โ Her fingers hooked lightly into his belt loops now, teasing without actually pulling. The anticipation alone had him squirming beneath her touch, one leg bouncing nervously while he tried very hard to avoid looking directly at her.
It didn't help that she looked beautiful like this.
Too beautiful, and the thought escaped before he could stop it.
โYou're too pretty to be down there..โ he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. โMessin' with something so.. perverted.โ
She blinked up at him, trying not to laugh. โPerverted?โ
Michael groaned softly and buried his entire face in both hands this time. โPlease don't make me repeat stuff.. Iโm really shy..โ
The sound of her laughter was gentle, fond. She leaned forward just enough for her cheek to brush against his knee affectionately, and Michael nearly folded in on himself from the sheer tenderness of it.
โYouโre shaking, Mikey..โ Her hands left his belt slowly.
For a second Michael thought maybe she'd noticed how overwhelmed he was getting. The poor boy could barely breathe correctly anymore, all flushed cheeks and twitching thighs and nervous little laughs muffled behind his hands.
But then she reached for one of them.
Michael peeked through his fingers just in time to see her guiding his larger hand into her lap, her own looking impossibly small wrapped around it. Long fingers. Elegant fingers. The kind that belonged behind piano keys beneath stage lights.
โMama..โ he whispered, already embarrassed again.
She ignored him completely and instead, she turned his hand over gently and pressed a kiss to the tip of his thumb and Michael visibly melted.
Another kiss landed against his index finger.
Then his middle.
Then the next.
Slow little kisses. Unhurried and affectionate enough to make his pants feel unbearably tight. Michael stared down at her in stunned silence, lips parted slightly while heat crawled all the way down his neck. This was almost worse than the teasing because it was too sweet. Way too sweet.
His thighs shifted restlessly beneath her as she kissed the tip of his pinky last, eyes never leaving his face onceโ she was watching every single reaction bloom across him in real time.
Michael tried to hide again instinctively, but she still had his hand still holding him there. Her gaze dropped briefly and she took his longest finger gently between her lips, and Michael forgot how to breathe for a solid three seconds because all he could focus on was her mouth.
The softness of it. The shine of it. The way her plush lips looked wrapped around his finger while she looked back up at him through her lashes. She started sucking, bobbing her head up and down on the digit as her tongue swirled a little too good around the flesh.
Michael sucked in a shaky breath so suddenly it almost sounded painful. His free hand immediately covered his face again, utterly overwhelmed.
โHoh, God..โ he laughed weakly into his palm, voice trembling around the edges. His thighs tried to cave inward again, only stopping because she was still between them.
And she looked entirely too pleased about that fact.
This time her hand slid upward, fingers disappearing into the curls at the nape of his neck gentle and possessive in the softest way possible. She tugged him downward carefully, and Michael followed without resistance, folding toward her like he was helpless against gravity whenever she touched him like this. One of his hands caught against the mattress beside her head to steady himself.
He looked unbearably pretty up close with his flushed cheeks, heavy lashes and hips parted slightly from nervous breathing.
And still shy. Still hiding little fragments of his face from her whenever she looked at him too lovingly for too long. Her thumb brushed along his jaw and Michael's eyes fluttered shut the second her lips met his.
When she pulled back barely an inch, his eyes opened slowly. Dazed. She smiled at him so fondly it nearly finished him off right there. โCan I make you feel good, my angel?โ she asked softly.
He ducked his head immediately, forehead nearly falling against her shoulder while a breathless giggle escaped him in pure embarrassment. โYou already are..โ he mumbled shyly.
Moments of movement and shuffling pass before Michael's breathing is completely uneven now.
Every inhale came sharp through parted lips, every exhale trembling back out because he couldn't quite steady himself anymore. His face stayed turned away half the time, curls falling over his eyes while little helpless sounds kept slipping from him no matter how hard he tried to swallow them down.
โMm.. mmโbaby.. babyโโ The words barely even sounded intentional. More instinct than speech as his fingers flexed uselessly against the sheets beside him before curling tight enough to wrinkle the fabric. A second later they were in his hair instead, tugging lightly at the curls near his temple while he whines under his breath in disbelief. A completely overwhelmed sound, genuinely not able process how good this felt.
Her tongue swirls around the sensitive head of his pretty mauve flushed brown tip, the wet warmth of her mouth enveloping him completely. Her small hands grip his base firmly, matching the rhythm of her mouthโs movements.
Michael squeezed his eyes shut again, brows pulling together while another soft moan escaped him, quieter this time. Almost ashamed of itself with pink flooding across his cheeks, lips parted helplessly and chest rising too fast beneath the open collar of his shirt.
Every little reaction crossed his face openly before he could hide it. And god, he kept trying to hide it. Every time a sound slipped out, heโd duck his head immediately afterward, one hand covering his mouth like maybe he could physically stop himself from making another. It never worked.
โPlease..โ he whispered at one point, though it didn't even sound like protest. More like he was overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of being wanted this way.
Her mouth is filled with the prettiest cock sheโs ever hadโ slender but long, with a graceful curve that hits the back of her throat perfectly. And such a precious shade of cooked honey, the head thick and smooth. His pelvic area is impossibly smooth, completely hairless and perfectly groomed. She can see every detail of his erection without obstruction; the way his shaft rises from the clean shaven pelvis as her hands run over his smooth pubic bone, feeling how soft the skin is stretched tight over the area.
Another broken little moan caught in his throat.
Michael swallowed hard afterward, eyes glassy when they fluttered open again. He looked almost distraught from pleasure alone now.
โThis is so..โ He exhaled shakily, unable to finish the sentence.
Dirty.
Dirty and deply intimate in a way that made his stomach twist itself into knots. Michael looked almost painfully pretty like this. Completely unraveled by tenderness and desire all at once. Every soft sound leaving him admittedly was very pathetic and he couldn't understand how heโd ended up here at all. With a beautiful girlfriend who likes, noโloves him enough to put his.. thing in her pretty mouth. Theyโve been intimate before this, but heโs still so shy when they do fool around heโs just like this every time. He hasnโt even seen what in between her legs looks like yet but heโs felt it before with his fingers.
A particularly shaky moan slipped out of him then, and he immediately groaned afterward biting the knuckle of his pointer finger. โI can't hold it.. I can't hold it..โ he mumbled weakly against his skin, mortified. But even then his thighs trembled.
Michaelโs breath stutters as his entire body tightens for a brief, helpless second before he loses whatever shaky control heโd been holding onto. He sits up almost involuntarily, pulled by instinct more than thought and immediately folds forward over her, shoulders hunched, curls falling around his face as he cradles her head with both hands. Heโs cumming.
โLordโhave mercy..โ
His fingers press gently into her hair, careful not to mess it up too bad while his forehead dips close. He tries to steady himself against her, a soft broken sound caught in his throat, as he stays there feeling her tongue roll against the underside of his dick. He.. doesnโt quite know how to come back down from the intensity except by holding on.
And thatโs what he does until he bashfully lets her pull away, a big flirty smile on her face as she wipes the corner of her mouth.
โWhat? Donโt look at me like that..โ His little accent is thicker now.
โWeโve been dating for months and youโre still so precious! Come hereeeee~! โช โ She chirps going in to tickle him, to which he preemptively starts screaming.
pairings aged-up!neteyam x metkayina!female reader
notes arranged marriage, reader is the youngest daughter of ronal and tonowari (someone requested a ronalxtonowari daughter grieving ronalโs death hehe), opposites attract, reader is literally a mini ronal, neteyam is a hardcore yearner even when reader is mean and rude to him, aoโnung and tonowari the matchmakers <3, smut (p in v), oral (f receiving)
synopsis hardened by the grief of losing your mother and fueled by the rage you have for both the sky people and the sullysโ who brought their war on your shoresโ you made it your mission to avoid them at all costs. unlike your siblings, you never softened up to them, and you loathed the fact that neteyam, their eldest, just wouldnโt stay out of your sight.
That was always how the dream started. In your memory, the ocean of Awaโatlu was a perfect, piercing turquoise, but in your nightmare, it turned the color of blood. You saw the skimwing first, its riderโs face blurred, and then the body draped on the skimwingโs large body, unmoving and lifeless swaying rhythmically with the waves.
โMother?โ you tried to scream, but no voice seemed to come out of your mouth.
You heard your fatherโs loud gasp, his feet moving instinctively. You watched him lift your motherโs body off the skimwing and onto the sand. Your father bellowed in pain and you fell on your knees, looking around, not knowing who to ask for help. Your mother was wounded! She was bleeding!
When the Tsahik is wounded and dying, who do you ask for help?
You saw the Sully family standing just a few paces away, their golden eyes wide with a guilt that wonโt bring your mother back. Then you felt a hand on your arm and it felt so real. You knew who it was. Your head swiveled back and saw Neteyam. He was looking at you, his face etched with a pity you didn't want.
You remembered screaming at him then, but your dream was cut short when you bolted upright in your hammock, its woven ties creaking at your sudden movement. The smell of moss and sea attacked your nose, overpowering the smell of blood your brain had conjured during your dream, as if to completely horrify you. For a moment, you stayed perfectly still, waiting for the pounding of your heart to calm down.
You were nineteen now. The soft roundness of the fourteen-year-old that your mother will always remember has long yielded to the sharpened lean of a huntress. The same dream had plagued you for years and you knew your entire day would be shrouded with grayness. You stood and grabbed your spear, its blade carved from crystal coral.
You didn't look at your older sister who was still sleeping peacefully next to your hammock. You didn't want Tsireyaโs comfort, because it always came with a plea for forgiveness and understanding for the Sullys. The morning mist was thick as you made your way to the docks and saw that you were not the only one up. Near the edge of the water, a figure was preparing his mount.
Even from a distance, you recognized the way the man carried himself with a different strength and grace you donโt see among the men of your clan. โYou're late for the patrol check,โ you said, your voice cutting through the mist.
He turned, now a man fully grown, his braids longer and his stature a mimic of his legendary father. He simply tightened his grip on his rideโs harness. โThe sun hasn't broken the horizon,โ he pointed out.
You lifted your chin up, looking down at him who is already submerged in the water while youโre still on the woven pathway. โThe sky people don't wait for the sun. I bet you know that,โ you snapped. You tried to look past the way the morning light caught the patterns on his skin. The patterns you once thought Eywa had spent extra of her precious time on... You still think that, and itโs annoying.
โI understand. It wonโt happen again,โ he said softly. His voice had deepened over the years, becoming a calm anchor that usually soothed others. To you, it only sounded like he was avoiding an argument by placating you with words.
โSee that it doesn't,โ you said, turning your back on him and walking to the other side of the village to dive into the water.
The cold water of the reef was the only thing that felt honest anymore. As you dove, the pressure against your skin comforted your from your nightmare. You spent the morning in the deeper currents, hunting for a silver-finned fish. It was solitary work, the kind that allowed you to sharpen your focus until the world was reduced to the tip of your spear and the shadow of your prey. But the solitude didn't last.
Breaking the surface for air, you saw them. A patrol of Metkayina warriors moving in a synchronized glide, and right at the center was Neteyam. Even among your own people, he stood out, riding his skimwing with a disciplined, military precision that is so distinct compared to the fluid nature of your people.
You saw his head turned, his eyes locking onto yours immediately despite the distance. You donโt know why he's always had his eyes on you but you felt the familiar heat of irritation rise in your chest all the same. You know that your siblings constantly worry for you, your father even more so, and this heavy, watchful gaze from someone you know had always been the guardian felt like an insult.
He guards you on behalf of your siblings, you have long concluded. So, with a sharp roll of your eyes, you tugged your mount's reins and dove back into the water, leaving nothing but a mocking splash in your wake. Much later, you had returned to the village with a successful haul, but the grayness of your morning had turned into a desperate, hollow boredom and so you found Kxat by the mangroves. He was your second โinterestโ just this moon, a boytoy, if you will.
You donโt even like him. He was simply a man with strong arms and a head full of empty flattery. He was merely a distraction, and more importantly, he was a way to watch your fatherโs forehead crease in silent disappointment and your brotherโs jaw tighten with displeasure. You are not your perfect sister, alright. You are just you, the one they left behind when they took on mature duties following your mother's death.
As you led Kxat into the thick shadows of the woods behind the village, you felt the thrill of the hunt. Not for any prey, but for a reaction. You pushed him against a moss-covered trunk, the air thick with the scent of damp soil so different from the smell of the salt air from the sea. He leaned in to kiss you and you kissed him back, his hands wandering with a clumsy boldness toward your chest.
But before he could fully touch you, the sound of a dry branch snapping under a heavy foot alerted both of you to a presence. You canโt help but smirk as you moved your lips away from Kxat. Like clockwork. You pulled away slowly, smoothing your hair with a practiced nonchalance as you turned to find the intruder.
Neteyam stood ten paces away. His face was a mask of stone, his scarred and broad chest on display. He looked like the perfect image of a warrior carved from stone, unmoved by the intimacy he had just interrupted.
โYour brother is looking for you,โ he said, his voice dropping into a cold clip. He didn't even spare Kxat a look, as if the other man didn't exist. He turned his back, ready to walk away.
โCanโt that wait?โ you called out, your voice dripping with honeyed venom. You leaned back against the tree. โYou see, Iโm having fun here.โ
He stopped, turning back slowly, his eyes narrowing until they were slivers of molten gold. โNo, it canโt,โ he said, his gaze finally flicking to you. โAnd I doubt that. You looked nauseous.โ
The insult hit like a physical slap, but before you could snap back, Neteyam shifted his focus to Kxat. He simply looked at him, standing there with the quiet, terrifying authority of a commander, a look that always reminded everyone that while the Metkayina were his hosts, he is still the firstborn son of fearsome war leaders.
Kxat, who had been acting so bold with you only a minute ago, withered. He lowered his gaze, his shoulders slumping as he wrangled his hands. โI... I should go,โ Kxat stammered, not even looking at you before he scrambled away.
You watched him go with a sneer of pure disgust. Weak. Another one. You turned your fury back on Neteyam, who was already starting to walk away again. โYou have no right!โ you hissed, stepping after him. โYou donโt get to scare off the men Iโm with just because youโve decided to play babysitter!โ
Neteyam didn't stop. He didn't even look back to see how angry you are. โI donโt care who he is to you,โ he said over his shoulder, his voice firm on. โIf he were half the man you pretend he is, he wouldnโt have run. Youโre wasting your time on cowards who probably wouldnโt be able to stand in front of your father and ask for your hand. Your brother expects you, princess.โ
He left you standing there, your chest heaving with a rage that felt dangerously like something else. He was infuriating. He was so arrogant. And the worst part, the part that made you want to scream, was that he was right. All of those men were weak. No matter how many men you brought to the woods, they all crumbled the moment Neteyam te Suli appeared to remind you who you are to this clan.
You stomped through the village, the woven walkways yielding against the soles of your feet. You didn't care who saw your temper. The gray cloud from your nightmare had turned into a storm cloud over your head. You found Aoโnung near the training sands, sharpening a set of practice spears. He didn't even have to look up to know it was you, the crass way you approached him gave you away.
โTell your watchman to leave me alone!โ you hissed, slamming your hand against the wooden rack beside him.
Aoโnung blinked, looking up with a confused frown. โWhat are you talking about?โ
โNeteyam!โ you snapped, pacing the small space. โHeโs a parasite! Every time I turn around, there he is, looming and acting like he owns the woods. Did you order him to watch me? Did you send him? Did you tell him to go find me and ruin my afternoon?โ
Aoโnung set the spear down, a slow sigh escaping him. โI didnโt send him to do anything specific. We were discussing patrol routes. He just... offered to go get you. Itโs not intentional.โ
โOffered to go get me?โ you growled.
His eyes narrowed then, his protective brotherly instincts finally catching up to the context of your anger. โWait. You were with someone? Again? While the sun is still up?โ He stood to his full height, his face hardening into an expression that looked like your fatherโs. โYouโre fooling around again?โ
โOh, for the Great Mother's sake,โ you groaned, flicking a hand dismissively. โIs it such an issue? Iโm nineteen, Aoโnung. Mother was already mated and pregnant with you at this age. Iโm just living.โ
โThat is exactly the point!โ Aoโnung stepped closer, his voice an angry rasp. โMother was mated! She chose a warrior of honor. You have no interest in actually taking a mate. Youโre just fooling around to make a point. You are a daughter of the Oloโeyktan! These worthless, spineless men do not deserve to even stand in your shadow, yet you let them touch you just to spite us!โ
You rolled your eyes so hard it hurt, moving past him to sit lazily on a pile of woven mats, looking bored. โAre you done? Or do you have more rehearsed speeches about my virtue? Tell me what you called me for so I can go back to having fun.โ
Aoโnung went quiet. He looked at you, then looked toward the path where Neteyam had likely returned from. A strange shadow of realization crossed his face. โI... I actually didn't have anything urgent to say to you,โ he admitted slowly.
Your head snapped up, your eyes narrowing. โThen why am I here?โ
Aoโnung tried to remember what had happened. Neteyam came to talk to him about the western reef patrols. He couldnโt even remember how the conversation veered to you, but he remembered Neteyam telling him he needed to speak with you for some reason and when he said heโd talk to you when he sees you you next, the man had looked him right in the eye and said, โYou can talk to her now. I saw where she is.โ
Aoโnung tilted his head, his gaze lingering on you with a sudden, sharp enlightenment. He remembered how many times Neteyam had happened to be the one to find you, heโd practically lost count of it over the years. He remembered how Neteyamโs jaw would set whenever your name was mentioned in relation to the village boys. You had always been very restless, hot-tempered like Ronal, that Tonowari himself had long given up in his attempts to straighten you up.
They all have, to be honest. You were of age, after all. It was only Neteyam that seemed to still guard you, which is funny, because he doesnโt even guard his own sister. A slow, knowing smirk began to tug at the corner of Aoโnungโs mouth, a look that made you feel suddenly very anxious.
โWhat?โ you demanded, feeling a prickle of unease. โWhy are you looking at me like that?โ
โNothing,โ he said, his tone suddenly much lighter, almost playful. He picked back up his spear, his anger seemingly vanished. He just found the perfect solution so that your โboytoysโ will no longer be a worry for them. It seems youโve already met someone who has the guts to challenge you. You just haven't realized it yet.
โWhat is that supposed to mean?โ you barked, standing up.
โNothing. Just...โ he looked at you again and stifled a smirk. โGo on with your day.โ
He turned on his heels and walked away. If you want to keep fooling around, you might want to find a place where a certain Omatikaya warrior isn't constantly watching your every move. But he doubts such a place exists.
You were with Neteyam and several hunters in the next morning patrol near the reef. You were on a long range scout in the southwest, having parted ways with the team so you could patrol each corner of the reefs, when you heard the familiar groan of engines, a sound that always made you tremble in anger.
You gritted your teeth at the sight of a small gray vessel. A familiar large weapon on its deck, followed by a larger black vessel. They were too close to the tulkun calving grounds.
โStay low!โ Neteyamโs voice commanded over the waves. He was leading the wing, his skimwing cutting through the water toward you. โWe observe and report. Do not engage unless they cross the reef line.โ
Observe and report. The words grated in your ears and it made you tilt you head. You looked at the metal ships and sniffed, knowing that inside those metals were the same demons who killed your mother. Your vision blurred red.
โObserve this,โ you hissed under your breath.
You tapped your skimwing into formation before it drove into the deep water. You have never been a rule follower, but you try. However, you canโt possibly let a situation like this slide... your blood demanded a debt be paid. As the scout vessel turned to track the unusual movements underwater, you broke the surface, locking a spear into your thrower and throwing it with all the force your arm can give.
You saw it punch through the glass of the scoutโs cockpit, impaling the pilot and making the boat swerve violently. You saw four men with guns looking for where it came from. One of them saw you, but you didnโt wait for him to aim his rifle, launching another spear, catching the man in the chest.
โY/N, back off!โ You heard Neteyam scream, his mount cutting through the waters with lethal efficiency.
You ignored him to throw another spear for the man on the deck who was trying to deploy a sonar buoy. The kind that deafened the tulkun. The spear hit him square in the neck and you felt a grim satisfaction upon seeing him fall into the water, the water blooming into the same crimson shade as your nightmares.
Your trembling hands reached for another spear but a heavy weight slammed into your side. Neteyam had driven his mount right into yours! Before you could even look at him, his large hand had already gripped the reins of your skimwing to force it into a deep dive. You squirmed in protest but the sight of bullets piercing through the waters like lethal hailstones made you drive you skimwing deeper.
The muffled sound of bullets passing through the water above you made you look back to Neteyam,ย seeing him drive his skimwing faster to follow you. You both didnโt stop until you were far enough, breaking the surface for air. But Neteyam continued moving until you both reached the shore near the village.
You were shaking, and you know that it didnโt have anything to do with the fear, but from the sheer electricity of the kill. This isnโt the first time, because you had killed a few before, in the battle years ago... But this, it provides the thrill of revenge.
Neteyam vaulted off his mount and waded toward you, his face no longer a mask of stone. It was a mask of fury. You saw his arm bleeding and your eyes widened. โNeteyamโโ
โYou are careless!โ he roared, his hands frantic on your arms, checking for any wound as if he wasnโt wounded himself. He was literally heaving, closing his eyes to calm himself down after heโs checked your arms, chest, and shoulders for anything. โYou could have been killed! They had a turret tracking you!โ
You were breathing as heavily as he does, shoving his hands off you. โI killed three of them! They were going to the calves!โ
โI know,โ he said, his voice calmer now. โBut you cannot risk yourself like that. You are the daughter of the Oloโeyktanโโ
โI am the daughter of the woman they murdered!โ you screamed, your voice cracking with the weight of grief. You stepped closer until his breath fans your forehead. โYou can hide behind your discipline, because I know that you're scared, Neteyam. You've been scared since the day you ran from the forest from whence you came. But I will not hide from the demons who filled the sea with my motherโs blood!โ
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut. Neteyamโs jaw tightened so hard you heard his teeth gritting. His gaze dropped to your mouth, then back to your eyes, his nostrils flaring.
โYou think I'm scared?โ he whispered, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous rumble that made the hair on your arms stand up. โYou think I don't want to kill every one of those demons until they are all gone?โ
He stepped even closer, his presence overwhelming you that you unconsciously stepped back, a move that brought heat to your cheeks. Shame!
โI am trying to keep you alive, you stubborn, arrogant girl. Because unlike those boys you lure into the woods, I actually know what it's like to lose a world. And I will not let you be the next thing the ocean takes.โ
Your nose flared. โStay out of my way,โ you hissed, though your heart was suddenly hammering against your ribs for an entirely different reason.
โI canโt do that,โ he said, his voice soft but terrifyingly firm. โAnd I wonโt. I will not obey you.โ
He turned away to walk, and you watched him glance at his arm, and probably only saw then the wound on his arm. You heard him hiss and your hands trembled. He is annoying. Infuriating and meddlesome and a parasite. But as you watched him walk with his arm bleeding, you felt a pinch in your heart and some anger for yourself for having caused that.
Neteyam made his way back to the village, going straight to the healerโs tent, walking with a bravado that didnโt belong on a wounded man. He heard Loโakโs voice mingling with Tsireyaโs, hissing under his breath that the two had to be here at this hour. He was aiming for a random healer to tend to him, so he wonโt be asked any questions.
He moved the beaded curtains and walked inside, making Loโak snap his head to his direction.
โWhat happened, brother?โ Loโak asked, his eyes wide with panic as he saw the state of Neteyamโs arm.
Neteyam didn't answer immediately. He was standing like a pillar, his face still that infuriating, stoic mask even as blood trailed down his bicep. But the moment you stormed in, he whirled around, his golden eyes widening, flickering with surprise.
โGive me your arm,โ you commanded, your voice hard enough to crack stone.
โDid you shoot him?โ Loโak blurted out in horror, his gaze darting between you and his brother.
Your head snapped toward him, a snarl curling your lip, but Neteyamโs voice boomed before you could lash out. โNo!โ
"Then what happened?" Loโak pressed.
Tsireya moved closer, her hands reaching for a bowl of clean water. โIt is a bullet wound. Thankfully, only a graze. Let me see it, Neteyam.โ
โNo. I got him,โ you said, stepping toward him and he met you halfway, his gaze never leaving yours. You reached out and Neteyam offered his arm with a heavy submission that made your heart stutter.
โDoes she even know how to treat that?โ Loโak muttered, his worry making him bold. โShe doesnโt have formal healer training.โ
โShe is a Tsahikโs daughter, Loโak. Of course, she had training.โ Tsireya whispered, before her eyes met yours with a soft, knowing look. โYou got it, sister?โ
You nodded firmly and you gave Loโak a final, lethal glare until he withered.
โWell, then... I guess weโll leave you for now,โ Tsireya said, her voice laced with a strange, quiet satisfaction as she grabbed Loโak by the elbow and dragged him toward the exit.
โWhat if she purposely causes an infection or somethingโโ
โShe wonโt do that!โ Tsireya hissed, her voice fading as they disappeared behind the beaded curtain.
Then, there was only the two of you.
Neteyam didn't need to be told, he lowered himself onto the mat, and you followed, your knees hitting the floor. Up close, the graze looked worse. There was an angry jagged wound in his skin where the metal had hissed past, leaving the flesh raw. You bit your lip so hard until you tasted a metallic tang. You deserve that.
You worked in silence, cleaning the wound with meticulous care, your fingers, usually so steady on a spear, trembling just enough that you hoped he wouldn't notice. You applied the poultice, the cool herbs to make him feel better. You were so careful, so precise, treating his skin as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.
Meanwhile, Neteyam was so still you wondered if he were even breathing. He watched your face, savoring the fact that he was this close to you. You canโt believe you were a little too conscious about it though, because you could feel his gaze like it was a physical touch. On your forehead, your cheeks, your lips.
Finally, you bound it with a gauze softer than it required.
โThank you,โ he said softly, as you were cleaning the supplies. You supposed you were guilty... But in truth, you cannot shake off the anger you have for yourself right now that he was wounded because of your recklessness. You could barely breathe with how tight your chest feels.
โIโm sorry...โ You expected the words to feel like stones in your throat, but you didn't feel the weight you expected. Instead, you felt a burn on your cheeks so embarrassingly hot that you couldn't stay a second longer. You didn't wait for his reaction. You stood up abruptly and bolted out of the tent, the beaded curtains clattering violently in your wake.
Inside the tent, Neteyam remained on the mat, his lips parted in a breath of pure disbelief. It was as if a tornado had just swept through and left him in the eye of the storm. He let out a huff of a laugh, his chest deflating as he leaned back. The anger he had felt on the reef, the exhaustion of the patrol... It was all gone. Just two words. You had given him two words, and he felt as though he were melting into the floorboards.
He closed his eyes, his heart hammering a slow, rhythmic drum against his ribs. He had spent years receiving the sharp end of your anger, guarding you, and watching you from the shadows. And now, as the warmth of your apology enveloped him, you got him deeper on his knees on the sand, ready to crawl for whatever you can give.
Remember that seed that sprouted in Aoโnungโs head weeks ago? It didnโt simply just sit there, it took root, and grew vines. Vines that now reached Tonowari, because Aoโnung had not been anything but a constant buzz in his fatherโs ear, pitching the idea of a union like a trader auctioning a rare pearl.
At first, Tonowari had been hesitant, thinking of your volatile temper and the respect he has for the Sullys. He wanted a good match for you, yes, but the Sullys, no matter how long they had been here, living the ways of his people, are still his prime guests. Neteyam is the firstborn son of Toruk Makto. And you... You had not matured yet, not at all. You loved fooling around and the Sullys are a witness to your behavior.
But then, he started looking.
And he couldnโt believed just how much he missed out on you. And on those who have watched you from afar. One quiet evening, Tonowari had been walking the outer docks, seeking tranquil of the tides when he spotted a figure sitting on the sand far enough that he almost couldnโt recognize who it was. But he knew.
It was you, sitting there with your knees pulled to your chest, staring out at the horizon where the sky met the sea, the spot where your mother had never returned from. You looked small and for the first time in years, you looked like the fourteen-year-old girl who had lost her world. He felt a pinch in his heart.
He had been so blinded with your snappy wit, your laughter, and the temper youโd gotten from your mother, that he didnโt see how lonely you were while he, Aoโnung, and Tsireya all faced a bigger duty than they did before. He thought heโd done his part by making sure you were not burdened with duty and expectations... But you were certainly burdened with something else entirely and none of them had seen that.
Tonowari moved to step forward, fully intending to go to you, and give you comfort. But he stopped when he realized he wasn't the only one watching.
Neteyam was standing in the shadows of a nearby tree. His stance told him he wasnโt going to approach you and he remembered how years ago, when Ronal died, Neteyam tried to hold you and you snapped at him... Blaming him and his family for what happened. Tonowari thinks that Neteyam seemed to know better now, but he was still there, leaning against the tree, his eyes fixed on your back with a look of such profound, aching tenderness that it made Tonowariโs breath catch.
From where he stood, he could see that Neteyam sees past the troublesome or wanton daughter that the village gossiped about. He watched the way you wiped your cheek, and Tonowari saw Neteyamโs hand twitch, his fingers curling into a fist as if he were physically fighting the urge to go to you and pull you into his arms.
The came the day at the training sands. Aoโnung wouldnโt stop whispering in his ears. He had seen it, alright, Neteyam at least. But he wasnโt sure if Neteyam were simply empathizing with you, or if it stemmed from somewhere deeper in him.
He watched you stand at the edge of the training sands, ostensibly there to sharpen the blade of your spear. Both your father and brother watched from the shade of the pavilion as Neteyam led a group of young hunters through spear drills, his blue skin glistening with sweat, the powerful muscles of his back and shoulders rippling with every strike.
They saw the way you stood perfectly still, your eyes traveling shamelessly on the muscles on his broad back, and the strength in his arms. You were ogling him, plain as day, biting your lower lip just slightly when he lunged. But the moment Neteyam sensed your gaze and turned around, wiping sweat from his brow and offering a small, questioning tilt of his head, your face contorted into a mask of pure annoyance.
โWhat are you looking at, forest boy?โ you had barked, loud enough for half the beach to hear. โCorrect your grip! Youโre swinging that spear like a clumsy child!โ
Neteyam had only blinked, a flicker of amusement crossing his face before he looked back to his students. Meanwhile, you have sassily turned your back on him, looking over your shoulder probably to check if he looks at you again, and he did. He looked over his shoulder the same time you did. You snarled and Neteyam quickly turned his back like a child caught not sleeping during siesta.
Aoโnung giggled. โYou see, Father?โ Aoโnung had whispered then.
Oh, Tonowari had seen, alright, and he definitely shouldnโt have, for Eywaโs sake. He wish he had Ronal with him in this moment. He wondered what his wife would have done after seeing her youngest daughter practically ogle a man, and act like she doesn't know whether to kiss him or spear him. And the man? He is the only one who doesn't flinch when she screams.
Several days later, the village was gathered for the communal dinner. The smell of roasted fish filled the air and the fire roared at the center of the circle. You were in the middle of your rowdy group instead of sitting at the dais among your family, being louder than necessary and aughing with your head thrown back.
Aoโnung sat close to Tonowari, leaning in as the firelight danced in his eyes. โWatch,โ he prompted.
And so Tonowari watched, feeling a little ashamed with how invested he is with this. Neteyam was sitting with the warriors, his posture straight, and his face impassive. It was in moments like this that showed how beyond his years he seemed to me, a man who had grown up too fast in the shadow of war. He was listening to the warriors talk around him, but his eyes were fixed across the fire, just... watching. Something Tonowari and Aoโnung are both so aware now.
They both felt stupid having not noticed something so obvious before, especially when Neteyam looks as though he is guarding a treasure he hasn't even claimed yet. He doesn't even look at any of the other girls this way. Not even the ones who actually try to get his attention.
Across the fire, you were in the middle of a story, gesturing wildly, but every few seconds, your gaze would break away from your friends, snapping to where Neteyam is, and for a heartbeat, your rowdiness seemed to vanish. Your laughter dying down unconsciously, your hand dropping to your lap. You realized you were staring and quickly rolled your eyes, tossing your hair back and snapping a rude comment to the boy sitting next to you.ย
But the effect was clear: Neteyamโs attention had literally made you behave. Neteyam looked down at his food, a small smile tugging at his lips.
โI donโt know about you, Father,โ Aoโnung said, his voice a low rumble of conviction. โBut I see a match. And remember what Mother thought of him? Even when she was wary of the Sullys, she favored him.โ
Tonowari leaned back, his massive chest expanding as he took a deep breath. He watched you. His youngest, his wild skimwing, and then he looked at the stoic, unbreakable young man who seemed to be the only one capable of clipping your wings without hurting you.
โNeteyam is a man of honor,โ Tonowari agreed, his voice thoughtful.ย
Aoโnung grinned. โBetroth them. It settles her, it secures an alliance with Toruk Maktoโs bloodline, and most importantly... it gives her someone she can't scare away.โ
Tonowari nodded slowly, his decision solidifying. You, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of what schemes were cooking in your midst. The morning after the communal dinner, you found yourself in the family pod with your sister. Tsireya was the image of Metkayina grace, her hands moving gracefully as she sorted through dried medicinal herbs. She was the good daughter, and sometimes, looking at her felt like staring at a mirror that only showed you what you lacked.
โYou were loud last night,โ Tsireya said softly, not looking up from her work. โEven for you, little sister.โ
โBetter than filling it with the silence of the absent.โ
Tsireya paused, her eyes lifting to yours, shimmering with a pity that made you want to snarl. โIt has been five years, sister... Mother would not want you to live your life like this... She would want you to find peace. Perhaps even... a partner to share it with."
โI have plenty of partners,โ you snapped, standing up and grabbing your crossbow. โAsk Ao'nung. He seems to have a list of them to lecture me about.โ
โThose boys are not partners,โ Tsireya countered, her voice gaining a rare edge. โThey are distractions. You choose men who are easy to break because you are afraid of someone who might actually hold you together.โ
โI don't need holding together!โ you snapped, your voice echoing as you stormed out before she could respond, feeling both irritated and guilty for feeling it.
Tsireya didnโt deserve your anger. You had both lost your mother and she had to take on a role no fifteen-year-old was ever ready for. You stopped on the walkway, looking over your shoulder and debating whether to go back and say sorry... But you were still angry, and you think it wouldnโt be so sincere to force yourself to do it now.
So you headed for the tide pools, needing the cool water to relieve the heat in your blood. But fate had other plans. Neteyam was there, knee-deep in the shallow water, repairing a broken Ilu pen. He was alone, his long braids slightly pulled back, his brow furrowed in concentration. As soon as you saw him, the irritation from your talk with Tsireya found a new target.
โWe have the people for this,โ you called out, stalking toward the water's edge. โOr are you so desperate to be useful that youโve taken up the work of laborers?โ
Neteyam didn't flinch or look up. He simply pulled the fibers taut and knotted it. โThe pen was broken. I have hands. It seemed a simple equation, princessโ
You stepped into the water, the cool waves splashing against your calves, and marched right up to him. You were shorter than him, but your chin tilted high.
โYouโre doing it wrong,โ you lied, reaching out to swat at the rope he was holding. โThe knot needs to be beneath the crossbar, otherwise the tide will fray it. But I suppose a forest dweller wouldn't understand how the sea eats away at things.โ
Finally, Neteyam looked at you, still not angry or intimated. He looked at you with that same calm, steady intensity that always made you feel so exposed... As though you were naked.
โThen show me,โ he said, his voice low. He held out the rope toward you.
You blinked, caught off guard by his lack of resistance. โWhat?โ
โShow me,โ he repeated with challenge in his eyes. โIf Iโm not doing it right, then teach me the right way. I am a fast learner.โ
You stared at him with narrowed eyes and he met you with the usual intensity, making you roll your eyes, grabbing the rope from his hand, your fingers brushing against his skin. The contact sent a jolt through you that you chose to interpret simply as annoyance. You began to tie the knot with aggressive, jerky movements, your breathing heavy.
โYou think you're so patient,โ you hissed, not looking at him. โYou think if you just stand there and take it, I'll eventually stop biting. Youโre wrong.โ
He watched you, his head tilted. He knows this. You are the daughter that took so much from Ronal. He knows you will not soften easily. He expects you to sharpen even more.
โI know whose daughter you are,โ Neteyam said. He had moved closer, so close you could feel the heat radiating off him.
You didnโt know why it made your insides shiver. You gaslighted yourself it couldnโt possibly be excitement. But... He wasn't backing down, at all. And you know he will did and he never will. Most men in the village would have retreated by now, but Neteyam stood his ground like a mountain resisting a gale.
โI don't want you to soften,โ he whispered, his voice for your ears only. โThe sea isn't soft. Itโs hard and dangerous. But it also gives life.โ
You froze, the knot half-finished. You looked up at him, a sharp retort dying on your tongue. His face was inches from yours, his golden eyes searching yours with a terrifying honesty. โYou are a nuisance,โ you managed to whisper, though it lacked its usual sharpness.
Neteyam let out a short, quiet breath that sounded like a laugh. He reached out, his hand hovering near your waist before he seemingly caught himself and pulled back. โAnd you,โ he replied, his gaze dropping to your lips for a fraction of a second before meeting your eyes again, "are not as difficult as you believe you are.โ
You let go of your half-knotted ropes and stepped away, the water splashing around you. โYou begged me to teach you, but you're doing everything but listen. Finish that. Iโll check it when I get back.โ
You turned and whistled for your skimwing, your heart hammering a frantic rhythm against your ribs. You didn't look back, but you didn't have to because you could feel his eyes on your back, steady and unyielding, watching his treasure as it tried to run away.
The ride out into the open sea was supposed to clear your head, but all you could feel was the phantom heat of his skin against yours. How dare he move closer to you?! You groaned and dove deep, pushing your skimwing until your lungs burned, trying to drown out the sound of his voice calling you that stupid word you donโt even know the meaning of. Princess. What was that word?
Heโd call you that for years and you had no one to ask. Your pride wonโt allow you to just go and ask Loโak or Kiri about it... Especially because theyโd almost certainly know who had been calling you that.
For the next two days, you went out of your way to avoid him, which was nearly impossible in a village built on connected walkways. And now, you found yourself back in the woods at the back of the village, your path lit by the bioluminescence of the plants and the moon filtering through the thick canopy. You held Oโnunโsโ or was it Ralu?โ hand, pulling him closer to you. His hand wounded in your curly hair, leaning down so he could kiss you. Your lips curled before you welcomed his kiss, your ears tuning in for any unusual sound around you.
Raluโs hands moved lower to your waist, and you pulled away from the kiss, craning your neck, and just then, you saw a shadow detached itself from the darkness. Your eyes widened a fraction and you felt an urge to push Ralu away as his ragged breathing fanned your neck. You watched Neteyam stand there, a tower of solid muscle and silent menace, with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't even look at the man you were with. He looked only at you, his eyes glowing like two orbs of sun in the dark.
Ralu felt the weight of that gaze before he even saw him and his hands froze on your waist. He looked over, saw the silhouette you were seeing, and his face went pale even in the bioluminescence. He looked at you and you rolled your eyes when you saw how heโs almost ready to bolt, and without a single word of apology to you, without even a backward glance, Ralu scrambled away. He practically tripped over a root in his haste to disappear back into the village.
Weak, you thought. You turned your fury on the dark figure still standing in the clearing. You walked to him, โTell me, warrior, do you take pleasure in this? Or is it just a hobby now?โ
You remembered then what the hunters had been whispering. During combat drills, in which Neteyam is the head of, any man who he had recently seen in your company found themselves at the business end of Neteyamโs fist, hitting them harder and more frequently than anyone else. Now, he didn't need excuses to scare them away anymore; he has weeded them out quite successfully. No man in Awaโatlu wanted to be the next one whose โdefenseโ Neteyam pierces through with an elbow to the ribs.
You walked toward him, your heart hammering a frantic rhythm. You stopped inches from him, your breath hot against his neck, and pressed your palm flat against his broad chest. You felt the protruding, hard muscle of his chest jump beneath your touch.ย
โDo you want me only for yourself, warrior?โ you taunted, your fingers curling slightly into his skin, caressing the heat of him. โYou stop me from having fun... you bar me from every experience. Do you intend to provide my fun instead?โ You rose onto your tiptoes, your lips nearly brushing his jaw, challenging him to break.
But Neteyam was a mountain. He didn't move until you tilted your head to kiss him, and then his hand shot out like a vine, settling on your waist, his grip firm and grounding.
โDo not kiss me with the same lips you just kissed another man with,โ he said. His voice was deep, and vibrating with a possessive rage that made your insides shiver.
You flared instantly, your pride screaming at the slight. You shoved at his chest, trying to wrench yourself away. โAlright! Iโll go find someone else then! Iโll kiss every man in this village if I please! I am an unbounded woman!โ
His other hand caught your opposite arm, pulling you flush against him so quickly the air left your lungs when you landed against the hard wall of his body. โIs that so?โ he asked. There was no humor in his voice, only a dark, palpable anger that felt like a storm breaking.ย
He knows he should feel ashamed with how possessive heโs feeling about you. But it was what he was feeling... And for the first time in his life, he wanted to be selfish. Heโs watched you for years, guarded you from your own recklessness... Heโs not going to let some spineless boy have what youโve been promising him with every look you throw his way.
He leaned down until your noses were a hair breadth away from each other, his eyes locking onto yours with a terrifying honesty. โGo on then,โ he whispered, his grip tightening. โSee if any of them would dare.โ
You opened your mouth to snap back, but your voice failed you. You were trapped between the tree and the man who had effectively cleared your world of everyone but himself.
At the same time back in the village, the atmosphere between Tonowari and Jake Sully was much more formal. Tonowari sought Jake out, and now, a look of grim amusement adorned the face of the legendary war leader as he listened to your fatherโs proposal.
โYou're serious?โ Jake asked, rubbing the back of his neck. โMy son and your daughter? Tonowari, your daughter... She does not take well to my son. Youโre sure youโre not thinking of Tsireya and Loโak instead?โ
Tonowari shook his head, stifling a chuckle. โI have seen it, Jake Sully. Believe me. My daughter... She has a strong personality. But Neteyam sees her, do you know this?โ
Jakeโs gaze looked thoughtful. He knows that. He knows his son. โYes, he does. But your daughter... Wouldnโt she be forced into this?โ
โNo. She sees him, too, Jake Sully. Trust me,โ Tonowari replied.
Jake looked out past the village, into the woods behind the mangroves, where he could just barely see silhouettes of two people, one definitely was his first born. You were stomping back to the village, looking back to Neteyam and seemingly snarling at him, but he saw the sheer amusement in his sonโs eyes. He was enjoying this.
He sighed, a slow smile spreading across his face. โAlright,โ Jake said, holding out his hand to seal the pact. โLetโs see if they survive the announcement.โ
You had only just stepped onto the woven floor, your breath slightly hitching when you saw your father and Jake Sully standing together in a way that felt far too intentional.ย
โGreat. You're both here,โ Tonowari said, his voice booming with a finality that made the hair on your arms stand up.
โWhat is it?โ you asked, shifting your weight. You gave Jake a polite nod but your eyes immediately darted to Neteyam, who had followed you in like a shadow.
As Tonowari laid out the arrangement, all the words hit you like a physical blow. โI I have spoken with Jake Sully,โ Tonowari said, locking eyes with you. โTo secure the future of our leadership and to ensure the blood of our protectors remains strong, you will be joined. Neteyam is the firstborn of Toruk Makto, a warrior of proven honor. Your union will hold our people together against the coming storms.โ
โJoined?โ you repeated. โFather, what are you saying?โ
โI am saying that you are betrothed, daughter,โ Tonowari said, his tone leaving no room for argument. โThe ceremonies will begin with the next high tide.โ
The silence that followed was deafening. You felt as though the floorboards had turned into thin ice, sending shivers up your body, not of anything resembling anger or betrayal, but of surprise. You looked at Jake, who was watching you with a weary, knowing sort of sympathy, and then finally, you let your gaze snap to Neteyam.
โWhat?โ The word escaped your mouth. Again, not from the feeling of betrayal from your father.
You just simply couldnโt believe it. You hadnโt even thought of this as a possibility. Neteyam... Your mate. That is crazy. Jake watched your face. Heโs not stupid to not know your dislike of his family, of the chaos they have brought. Compared to your siblings who have taken to his children well, you were distant and sharp-tongued toward his sons. But right now, he sees no actual protest in your eyes. In fact, your eyes were twinkling, and you were stammering, your lips parting to say something that just wouldnโt come out.
โIt is a match of great benefit. It is settled.โ Tonowari said, testing your waters.
Neteyam cleared his throat, the sound rough and low. He didn't look surprised at all, he looked like a man who had just been given the coordinates to the only destination he ever wanted.
โCan I say no?โ you asked, though the usual sharpness in your voice was wavering, replaced by a breathless tone.
โNo,โ Tonowari answered firmly.
You looked at Neteyam, and he met your gaze with a challenge that made you roll your eyes.
โDo you agree to this, Neteyam?โ Tonowari asked.
โYes,โ Neteyam couldnโt have answered faster. โIf it is the will of the Oloโeyktan... and if it is okay with her.โ
You let out a dramatic, frustrated huff, throwing your head back. โAs if I have a choice,โ you said sharply, trying to hold your reputation tightly. โFine! Do as you wish!โ It was delivered so half-heartedly that you had to turn on your heel to march out before they could see the heat rising to your cheeks.
As you disappeared into the night, Tonowari looked at Jake and let out a short, huffed laugh. โYou see? If she truly hated the idea, my ears would still be ringing from her screams. She is going to the docks to poute, and to wait for him to follow.โ
Jake smiled, watching his son, who was already shifting his weight, eager to give chase. โGo on, son,โ Jake murmured.ย
Outside, your mind was a chaotic storm. Your were wrangling your fingers, and a ticklish, electrifying heat was blooming in your chest. You wanted to scream, but not in rageโyou wanted to scream because the one thing you had been fighting for five years had just been handed to you by decree. When will the mating be? the thought popped into your head, unbidden and traitorous. Also, why are you excited?!
A hand caught your elbow, firm and warm. You were maneuvered around to face him.
โYou okay?โ Neteyam asked, his eyes searching yours.
You quickly wore your mask. โIt is my duty,โ you said sharply. โTo the clan. To my father. I do not have the luxury of whim.โ
You were acting as if you were forced into it, when the fact was clear as day. It took you like a few seconds to agree. His eyes went dark, a predatory heat settling in them. He didn't care about the politics Tonowari was talking about, he only cared that the barrier heโd been punching through for years will finally be gone. You are his.
The communal dinner the next night was a blur. When Tonowari announced the union, the village erupted. Tsireya squeezed your hand, her eyes misty, while Aoโnung leaned over with a smug grin. โThis is a long time coming, sister.โ
As you and Neteyam stood on the dais, you do not feel any weight on you. In fact, this is the lightest you've ever felt... You could practically float, but you wonโt admit that, not even to yourself. Neteyam stood like the dutiful warrior he is, stone-faced but you knew him well by now. There was no denying the smug light in his eyes. He leaned toward you, his breath hot against your ear.
โYou are bounded,โ he whispered, the words a low, possessive rumble.
โNot yet mated,โ you hissed back, keeping a fake, sharp smile plastered on your face for the crowd.
In one smooth motion, he wrapped a heavy arm around your waist, hauling you flush against the heat of his side. The contact making your knees weak. โDo not let me catch you,โ he murmured, his voice dropping into a dark, morbid promise, โor this clan will mourn a brother.โ
Your eyes widened, snapping to his face. You expected a joke, but his expression was deadly serious. You never imagined him to be this morbid... He was always the upright and no-fun Sully brother to you. Now, you could feel the back of your nape warming from how blown his pupils were.
Before you could retort, a chorus of hoots and whistles broke out from Loโak and the other young hunters, demanding a kiss to seal the betrothal and since you were already looking up at him in shock, Neteyam didn't hesitate. He tilted his head and leaned down, his lips meeting yours in a chaste, firm kiss. It was brief, but it electrified your entire body more than every empty kiss youโd ever shared in the mangroves combined.ย
You reached down and pinched his side as hard as you could, but he didn't even wince, he just tightened his grip on your waist and gave the crowd a huge smile that showed his pearly whites.ย
The fortnight leading up to your mating were a blur of sensory overload. Everyone was on you. Tsireya and Kiri were busy collecting whatever bright seaweed and shells and pearls they could find, and Tuk was begging for the honor to braid your hair because apparently, she has a particular vision for it, said sheโll braid only the front and put an iridescent seashell she had found in the center. She swore it will make you look like a princess.
โWhat is that word?โ you asked her, thinking this was the perfect opportunity. Tuk is only ten, she wouldnโt piece two and two together. โPrincess, I mean.โ
She giggled. โIt means a beautiful girl in beautiful dresses. The daughter of a King, my Dad told me,โ she said.
โWhat is a King?โ you asked.
โA leader, I think. Like my Dad, back in the forest. And like your Dad here, I think,โ she said, and she did look thoughtful. โMy Dad said my Mom is also a princess, you know? My grandfather was Oloโeyktan. Dad used to tell us a story about a warrior who met a princess and fell deeply in love with her.โ
You smiled softly, putting a hand over her small head before your nimble fingers continued weaving luminous sea-grass and pearls into your ceremonial shawl. Sheโs adorable and very talkative besides. โAlright... Iโll trust your vision. Make me a beautiful princess on the day of my mating,โ you said.
She squealed and jumped on the balls of her feet, hugging your neck. โOh, I will not let you down, sister! My fingers are made especially for braiding. I braid my family's hair! All of them!โ
โEven Neteyamโs?โ you blurted out. You canโt imagine his large sitting down in front of his little sister, patiently waiting for her to finish braiding all the strands of his hair.
She grinned. โYes! He's the most behaved, actually. He doesnโt complain at all,โ she said, smiling to her beads.
You pushed your lips forward. Now, that you could imagine. You canโt imagine him losing his cool. You remembered getting irritated with Loโak several times when you were young... Youโve seen how Neteyam looks out for him, how Neteyam takes the blame for his transgressions, and how in turn, he would rebuke Neteyam and call him the perfect and dutiful son, as though they were insults meant to slight. And you saw how they did hurt Neteyam, for some reason.
Of course, Loโak had grown past that now.
But as you think of this now, you cannot help but think of your own behavior. How your older siblings had done nothing but look out for you, and how in turn, you showed them the lengths of your ungratefulness. You thought you were useless for not having the same duty they had to carry after your mother died, but you didnโt see how hard they worked to not tip the scale on your side, to not burden you with anything.
You are ungrateful. You wallowed in your pain, in your hatred, and in your grief, but you were not the only one who lost a mother. Your head snapped to the beaded curtains when it clanked, seeing Tsireya with a woven basket of whatever sheโs collected. She was humming softly, and she smiled at the sight of you. Hot tears pricked at your eyes and you put your materials down to hold her hand.
She was surprised, obviously, but she quickly put the basket down to let you pull her into a hug. You broke into a sob, hugging her tightly, saying Iโm sorry repeatedly, like a little kid. Tuk watched you two with pursed lips, not knowing what to do, but she thought she needed to go and join the hug, so she did, her small head cradled on your head.
โSorry, what for, sister? You have nothing to say sorry for,โ Tsireya said softly.
โThere are a lot, sister, believe me. I was so ungrateful to you and Aoโnung... To Father. I thought the world should look at my grief, at how angry I was... That I have forgotten to see the three of you...โ you said.
She looked at you with soulful eyes, smiling softly. โWe all grieve differently... And I am thankful to whatever measure you took to ensure you would still be here. Mother would be happy to know you are in my arms right now, crying as you would always do when we were kids...โ
You sobbed even harder, not even noticing that the curtain had once again clanked to signal a new arrival. It was only when Aoโnungโs voice boomed that you two looked up.
โWhatโs going on?โ he asked, his hand immediately on your shoulder to pull you back and check your face. His face crumpled at the your tear-stained face, and then his head reared back. โDoes this match bother you so much, sister? Do you not want it? I will talk to Father, we can always stop thisโ Ow.โ
He stopped talking when you jumped in his arms, throwing your arms around his shoulders to sob. โNo,โ you sobbed. โIt does not bother me and I do want it!โ you said.
He hugged you back, his arms tight around you to pull you as close as possible. โThen why are you crying?โ he asked pointedly.
โI am just very sorry... For everything,โ you said. โI am ungrateful. I am so mean to you and Tsireya and Father... I think only of myself...โ you sobbed.
โErr... And I am handsome and hot..?โ he uttered, his voice laced with humor.
โAoโnung!โ Tsireyaโs voice boomed with an unusual fire.
โWhat? I thought weโre listing facts here!โ he said, laughing and wiping your tears as you giggled at what he said. โCome on... I mean. You are mean, but only a fool wouldnโt understand. We lost Mother, and you were practically her tail. Losing her, to you, meant losing half of you. And we understand, you know? Besides, itโs not like nothing's new. Youโve always had that mean girl in you.โ
You laughed at what he said again, but your tears were still falling. Tsireya smiled softly, riding hug the two of you, pulling Tuk into the hug because the kid was determined to belong. You sobbed and renewed your hold to include Tuk. Eventually, you all calmed down and Aoโnung had to leave for the training grounds.
The skies were beginning to be a battleground between purple and orange by the time Neteyam returned from his long-range patrol. You were now huddled with a sleeping Tuk, while Tsireya continued your work on your shawl, both of you laughing as you reminisced moments when you were children. But as the beaded curtains clattered, your laughter quiet down.
Neteyam stood there, his eyes immediately finding yours, and you saw the exact moment he registered your face. Your eyes were red-rimmed and swollen from the afternoonโs emotional purging.
He didn't say anything, but his jaw tightened, offering a polite nod to Tsireya while a small, tired smile formed on his face at the sight of Tuk huddled next to you, but his gaze were heavy on you.
โWill you walk with me?โ he asked softly.ย
You glanced at Tsireya and she teasingly smiled at you, making you roll your eyes. Neteyam had subtly been courting you in the past days, and to be honest, the only thing stopping him from going all out was your preference. He wanted to savour the courtship days, and he thinks it was moving too fast, but he also wouldnโt complain, especially because itโs leading to your mating.
You stood up, followed him out onto the beach. For a while, there was only the sound of the crashing waves.
โYour eyes,โ he finally spoke, his voice barely louder than the waves. He stopped walking and turned to face you. โYou have been crying. A lot.โ
โI have,โ you admitted, lifting your chin. โIt was... a family matter. We were speaking of Mother.โ
Neteyamโs expression softened, but still, a look of genuine, gut-wrenching worry crossed his features. โIs that all it was?โ he stepped closer. โY/N, be honest with me. If this is because of the mating... if you feel the weight of my father and yours pressing you into a life you do not want... tell me now.โ He looked down at his hands for a second, then back to you. โI can speak to your father. I will take the blame. I do not want you to look at me and see only a cage.โ
The thought of him calling off the mating, the thought of losing the very thing that had secretly kept your heart beating for five years, hit you like a physical strike. You didn't even think before your nose flared.
โNo!โ You hissed, your fangs almost baring as you stepped into his space.ย
Neteyam blinked. โI am trying to give you a choiceโโ
โAre you?โ you barked. โOr are you just saying that because you actually do not want to go through with this? Youโve been forced into this duty, and now youโre looking for an exit!โ You narrowed your eyes. โIs it because of some little forest girl youโve left behind back home? Some quiet, dutiful Omatikaya girl who doesn't hiss when you look at her?โ
Neteyam stood there, his mouth slightly agape, looking utterly dumbfounded. He could barely keep up with how fast youโve turned the conversation a whole 360 degrees, and youโve thrown in a silly assumption there, too. He tried to speak twice before the words actually came out. โWhat? A girl back home?โ He let out a breathless, confused sound that was almost a laugh. โNo, of course not. Where would you even get such a thing? I have spent my life training to be a warrior, I did not have time for that. I didn't leave anyone behind because there was never anyone else.โ
He took a step forward, closing the distance until you had to look up at him. โI want to go through with this. I want to be your mate.โ
Your face softened, but then you forced a scowl. โThen donโt ask me that question again!" you hissed, though your voice didnโt hold its usual bite.
He stared at you, his heart hammering so hard he was sure you could hear it. He wanted to reach out, to pull you against him and quiet the frantic energy in your body, but he stayed still. He was trying to piece together your outburst. The little forest girl? A part of him wanted to laugh. Could it be possible that you were jealous?
He didn't dare say it out loud. He knew you well enough to know that if he teased you now, you might actually beat him up to a pulp.
โI won't ask again,โ he promised, his voice low and steady. โIf you are sure, then I am sure. Three days, princess.โ
And three days later, you found yourself at the Cove, wading deep into the water to reach the Spirit Tree, mesmerized by its particular glow tonight. The village elders and your families swim in the surface, watching you two dip further into the waters.
Neteyam reached out and you looked at him with a glowing smile, giving him your hand, his fingers lacing through yours with a grip that promised he would never let you drift away. You faced each other by the time you reached the tree, but its glow rivaled the one in Neteyamโs eyes. You smiled at him, reaching for your kuru, your movements a little shaky, but Neteyam held his halfway, waiting with an agonizing, respectful patience. It was you who closed the distance, guiding your queue to meet his.
The moment the bond snapped into place, your back arched as a physical surge of electricity jolted through your spine. Your pupils dilated until the teal of your eyes was nearly swallowed by black and for a moment, your eyes were marred by streaks of white as you felt a large ball of warmth spread through you.
It was an explosion of color and feeling.
You felt him. There was a devotion so deep it felt like the ocean itself, and an attraction that provided you warmth in the chill of the water. Some visions began to flow. In your mindโs eye, you saw yourself through his perspective. You saw a version of yourself from years ago, riding your ilu through the crest of a wave, laughing with a carefree joy youโve never known since. You were beautiful, radiant, and in that memory, you felt the exact moment Neteyamโs heart had been captured.
But as the bond deepened, you felt as though the waters had flowed into uncharted territories and the golden glow yielded to grayness. You felt his crushing grief for you when your mother died. You felt the weight of his guilt for being who he is, for being part of the reason your world had shattered. Your eyes snapped open underwater, seeing his features crumpling in pain as he absorbed the sheer magnitude of your own feelings.
His heart was beautiful. And you know that yours was ugly.
His end of the bond was flooded with what you had carried. Anger, resentment, and the bitter hatred. It was heavy, toxic, and you felt him taking it all, letting your poison flow into him without a single flinch of rejection.
You let out a breath, forgetting that you were underwater until the air bubbled in your face. Unable to bear the sight of his suffering, you dislodged your kuru. The connection snapped, and you saw a flicker of pure, exhausted relief cross Neteyamโs face before he masked it with his usual warrior stoicism.
He could barely look at you but he never let go of your hand, and shame embraced you like thorn vines. As you two swam back to the surface, the peopleโs voices boomed in celebration before they began to whistle for their mounts. You didn't call for your skimwing. Instead, as Neteyam climbed onto his, you slipped into the seat behind him.
He turned his head, his eyes wide with a silent question. You didn't give him the fire he expected. You looked at him like a child who was caught breaking something precious. โIโm riding with you,โ you murmured, wrapping your arms around his thick, muscular waist and pressing your cheek against his broad back.
Neteyamโs posture softened instantly. โOh,โ he breathed, his lips pulling into a small, private smile.
As he led the procession back, his large, warm hand reached back to cover yours where they were clasped over his abdomen. You stared at the back of his head, your heart aching with a new kind of pain. Shame. He had seen the darkest corners of your soul and his first instinct was still to never let go of your hand. Perhaps he was used to ungratefulness; he had faced it from Lo'ak for years anyway. But you realized then that you didn't want to be another burden. You wanted to be his peace.
Later at the village, the celebration of your mating was a riot of colors and music. The drums were louder now and the dancing more frantic. You and Neteyam were seated on the high dais, the center of every gaze. As tradition dictated, you dipped your fingers into a bowl of rich, spiced fish sauce to feed him.
Some drops of it dripped on your fingers and before you could pull away, Neteyamโs hand caught your wrist, bringing your hand to his mouth, his tongue darting out to lick the sauce from your skin. He never broke eye contact, his eyes dark and molten, reflecting a hunger that had nothing to do with food.
It felt like someone had accidentally made a spark in a forest filled of dry leaves. You felt your breath hitch, your earlier shame melting into a fierce, desperate need. You leaned in, your movements no longer a performance for your audience. You reached up, twirling a finger into one of his braids, anchoring him to you so he couldn't retreat just in case he decides to tease you.
You leaned close, your lips brushing the corner of his mouth as you licked a stray bit of sauce away. โI want you...โ you whispered, the words trembling against his skin. โDo you want me?โ
He let out a huffed sound, a mix of a laugh and a growl. โIโve always wanted you,โ he rasped, his hand moving to your arm to pull you closer. โSince the day I saw you on the docks. I have wanted nothing else.โ
You know that now... You know. You pressed a hard, demanding kiss to his lips, tasting the salt and the spice and the promise of the night to come. โShow me,โ you challenged, your voice dropping to a seductive tone as you smirked.
You stood up, your beautiful shawl flowing behind you as flawlessly as your curled hair, all of which are extremely captivating for Neteyam. You pulled his hand up, looking back at him with sultry eyes before dragging him away. You donโt even care about the hooting young men and the laughing crowd knowing just what you two will do next.
You dragged him to the eastern side of the village where your new pod is, smelling of fresh weave. The air between you and Neteyam was thick with a tension that made the drums at the festival sound nothing compared to the thrum of your heartbeat behind your ears. You stood in the center of the room, the embers of the fire in the hanging firepots casting a soft, ethereal glow over his dark blue skin.
You watched him as he began to shed his warrior gear. His hands, usually so steady and precise, moved with a slight tremble as he unbuckled the Omatikaya cummerbund he had recently commissioned. He had refused to replace it with a Metkayina chest guard and honestly, you respected his unwavering loyaty.
You reached for the ties of your own top, practically breathless as you watched his muscles ripple with every movement. You let the ceremonial pearls clatter softly as it fell to the floor. Neteyamโs breath hitched, his eyes focused on you with a hunger that made your skin prickle. You are so excited youโre literally a live wire. You walked toward him, and he met you halfway, his large hands reaching out to claim you.
He leaned down, and when his lips met yours, you felt like both of you melted into each other.
He kissed you like he was trying to memorize the shape of your mouth, his hand firm at your nape, tilting your head to gain better access. He was clumsy at first, and you could tell he doesnโt usually do this... or didnโt do it at all, but you didn't mind. He was so cute, because he was just going by instinct, so you guided him, your tongue dancing with his, showing him what you had learned from years of being the rebellious daughter. When he realized how skillfully you were kissing him, a low, guttural groan vibrated through his chest, a sound of both frustration and desperation.
He lifted you effortlessly, your legs wrapping around his waist as he carried you to the soft furs on the floor. His kisses descended, tracing the line of your jaw, the hollow of your throat, and lower to your chest. You let out a loud moan when his mouth enveloped your pebbled tip, while his hand fondled the other, rolling and pinching your nipple. You shivered at how good it felt, squeezing his large upper arm as you melt into the furs.
While he was busy literally feasting on you, you managed to bring your trembling hands behind him, your fingers wrapping around his tail and caressing it. โOw!โ your back arched when, in shock, his teeth clamped down around the flesh of your breast.
โFuck, sorry...โ he mumbled, his tongue popping out to lick around the flesh and you mewled, your hand gripping his tail.
Your fingers persevered to untie his loincloth despite the fact that youโre literally bordering on delirious with what heโs doing to you. He helped you shed his loincloth, and the weight of his arousal against your thigh made your own breath hitch. Your hand snaked down, your fingers brushing against the heat of him, and his hips buckled.
In the heat of the moment, you reached for your kuru, the shimmering white fibers seeking his. Neteyam stopped at the sight of it, his eyes looking at yout queue as if it were a predator. He let out a ragged breath and you saw the exact moment he was reminded of what your kuru had brought him. He didn't want the shared pain of your past right now; he didn't want the ghosts of your mother or his guilt to intrude. He wanted you and the reality of this moment.
You understood. You let your kuru fall back, pulling him down for a kiss that tasted of surrender. He ran his fingers through the strands of your soft hair, his hands caging your head as he kisses you, hard and punishing, for what seemed like eternity. You loved kissing him, and it might just be your new addiction.
He kissed his way down your body again, and when he moved between your legs, his mouth finding the sensitive skin of your inner thighs, you arched your back, your fingers tangling in his braids. The first time his tongue flicked against you, a loud, unbridled moan tore from your throat, echoing off the woven walls of the pod. You didn't even care who heard you.
His fingers joined his mouth, determined to watch you come undone with every kiss and suck. You grabbed a handful of his braids, not knowing whether to push him away to relieve you from the bizarre stimulation heโs making you feel, or harder on you to indulge yourself with the feeling.
โNeteyam!โ You shouted, pushing his head away, but he wonโt budge, his large hands pushing your legs further away.
It was too much, but you find that you wanted it, too. You fisted on the soft furs, moaning louder than you did earlier, your back arching as you felt a knot inside you break and explode. Your foot tried to push him away again when you felt a warm liquid gush out of you, but his mouth only sucked and licked, making sure no drop was wasted.
Your limbs fell on your sides weakly, your eyes a little unfocused until you saw him rise, his large frame covering your view of the hanging firepot. He hovered over you, his golden eyes wide with a mixture of reverence and nerves. He kissed your jaw.
โWas that good?โ
You gave a lazy grin, but also, you remembered that he was good. How did that happen? Your features turned a little sharp with awareness, your eyes narrowing. โWho?โ
His face previously hazy with lust and desire snapped to attention, โWhat?โ
โYou are good. It was good,โ you said. โWhoโs the woman?โ
His forehead creased and a weakened breath of laughter escaped him. โNo one,โ he said, his lips grazing your cheek. โNo one. I do not touch women who are not mine. And I do not let them touch me,โ he said, emphasizing the last words.
You pushed your lips forward, catching that stray. โWell...โ you pushed your lips forward. โFor what itโs worth, Iโm a virgin, too, you know? But I know how to kiss. See, it helped us earlier. Your teeth were bumping against mineโโ
His forehead fell against yours as he shook with laughter. You groaned.
โIโm telling the truth! No one has touched me where youโd touched me! You donโt believe me?โ you said, your voice rising in slight.
He was pressing a kiss against your neck but his head quickly lifted up. โNo, no. I do believe you,โ he said, his eyes widening a little in his conviction. โI believe you.โ he repeated, his eyes softening, lowering down to your parted lips. โAnd it doesnโt matter, I think. I just need to know names, if so.โ
โNames?โ you echoed.
โNames of the men,โ he said, his eyes narrowing.
You squeezed his shoulder. โNo one,โ you replied. โI mean, beyond the kisses...โ
He pressed his lips to yours, his tongue sliding in when you parted your lips, exploring with a tentative curiosity that made your toes curl into the soft mats. As his hands wandered down your body, grazing the curves of your hips before he lifted his head up again, his eyes caressing your features, admiring the intricate tattoos on your face.
โYou are so beautiful,โ he murmured. He can barely breathe watching you from afar, and now, you were under him. His mate. His wife now. He has all the time in the world. With you.
โThen stop looking and start doing something,โ you teased, your voice so womanly it made him shiver.
He chuckled, positioning himself properly between your thighs. His cock felt heavy against your pussy. Youโve felt him earlier, felt the weight of him. He was thick and long, and despite your fear, you were more excited for when he finally enters you.
โTell me if it hurts,โ his deep voice grated.
โI want you inside me,โ you whispered, spreading your legs. โNow.โ
He bit his lip, fisting his cock and pointing it at your pussy and your fingers balled in anticipation. Its wide head nudged you with a slow, agonizing precision, his wide eyes watching your face. You gasped, your back arching as the initial stretch of his girth filled you. Your breathing was jagged, your hand clamped on his shoulder as you clenched around him unconsciously.
He patted your thigh, wincing. โBaby, youโre squeezing me...โ
You groaned and tried to relax as he pushes more length into you. Just when you thought itโd be over soon, you made the mistake of looking down and seeing that heโs only halfway in. โThis canโt be serious.โ Your head fell back on the soft furs.
โWhy?โ His hand caressed your hip, and when he moved, seemingly to dislodge himself from you, you tightened your legs around him and pushed your hips up.
In that single move, the remaining length of him disappeared in you, making you quiver as if youโd reached the same high he's given you with his mouth earlier. You are incredibly sensitive.
โOh, Great Mother,โ you moaned loud, the sound ripping from your throat. โYou are so big...โ
He kissed your jaw softly. โIโm sorry...โ He then began to move in shallow thrusts, his lips peppering your face with kisses. Each slide of his shaft sent jolts of pleasure through your core, and as the friction built, loud sounds begun to escape your throat. Moaning and wailing in pleasure. You weren't shy. You had never been shy.
โYes! Ah, right there! Oh, Neteyam, so good!โ you screamed, your voice carrying to whoever knows where.
Neteyamโs face slightly crumpled, a little embarrassed, but a grin tugged at his lips as he picked up the pace, his thrusts becoming steadier, deeper. You didn't hold back. Every time he thrusts hard, you let out a loud, unabashed shriek of pleasure.
โNeteyamโโ you gasped, your voice breaking as he drove into you. โGreat Mother. Neteyam... please.โ You pressed a palm on his lower abdomen as he continuously hammered into you.
He didnโt slow down. If anything, your pleasured screams only fueled the predatory fire in his eyes. He leaned down, his large hands caging your head in place. His mouth muffled your sobs as be kissed you, and your eyes rolled back to your head, feeling delirious about everything.
โWhat does my princess want?โ he rasped against your lips, his voice thick and dark.
โI donโt know...โ you sobbed. โSo good...โ
He kissed you again before he rose to a kneeling position between your parted thighs, grabbing one of your legs and hiking it up his shoulder, before slamming into you with a series of forceful thrusts that made your screams sound jagged. Scandalous wet sounds filled the air as he hammered into you. You were a mess of sweat and saliva, your breasts bouncing with every thrust.
You were so loud, and so lost in your pleasure, that you didnโt even notice the pause in the rhythmic pulsing of festival drums in the distance. It was only when Neteyam slowed down that you noticed, you looked at him through a hazy vision and saw his head tilting to the direction of the villageโs communal area. His eyes snapped at you and you chuckled, still panting.
โI think they heard you,โ he said, lowering his body to kiss you.
โIt will serve the clan to know that the newly mated woman is being mounted... hard,โ your teeth tugged at his lower lip. โHappy wife, happy life, you know?โ
He groaned, his eyes closing for a moment before it opened again to meet yours. The joy in them made you feel like someone offered you a blanket during a storm. โI will make you happy... Always.โ
You smiled. โI will make you happy, too, Neteyam... I promise.โ
A smile broke through his facade and it made tears prick in your eyes for some reason. โYou being mine is enough. I need only to remember that to be happy,โ he said.
โI am yours,โ you replied quickly. โIn all the ways you could think of.โ
He kissed you, losing himself in the heat of you. He pushed deeper, the sound of your bodies meeting creating a wet, squelching noise. You clung to his shoulders, your nails digging into his skin as he hit a spot that made your vision blur. With a deep push, he shuddered, his cock pulsing inside you as he spilled his seed. You followed him seconds later, your internal muscles clamping tight around him in a series of violent spasms.
He hugged you, as though youโd slip away if he didnโt. Your hand moved up to caress his braids, kissing his jaw. โI am here with you, Neteyam...โ
The next day, you woke up to the sight of morning sun filtering through the woven walls and beaded curtains of your marui, casting a warm light over everything. You didnโt need the weight of the heavy arm draped over your waist to remind you where you are. Neteyam had been awake for an hour. He had spent the time simply watching the way your chest rose and fell, noticing how the bioluminescent freckles on your skin seemed to dim in the daylight, and memorizing the intricate tattoos on your face. Heโd admired the blooming purples and reds of the marks heโd left behind on your neck and chest, and wondered if youโd complain about it later.
When your teal eyes finally fluttered open, the instant flash of joy in them made his own heart skip. Without a word, you rolled over witha lazy grin spreading across your face as you draped an arm over his chest to pull him to you for a lingering morning kiss. It felt so natural, if only his heart wonโt stop kicking violently against his chest. It was as if you had been waking up in his arms for years instead of just one night.
โHungry?โ he murmured, his voice still gravelly with sleep.
โYes,โ you yawned and stretched your body a little, your face snuggling in the crook of his neck. Your throat felt raw and your voice came out hoarse, evidence of your screaming last night.
You bit your lip, closing your eyes at how comfortable it felt. He chuckled, his eyes sparkling even if you were not looking. You are a mated woman now... The memory of the night rushed back in your mind in a heated wace. The way he had looked at you like a predator let out of its cage. The way he had held you so devoid of the politeness heโd shown in the past years... The way he mounted you.
Oh, Great Mother. You felt so giddy, you couldnโt help but shiver in his arms.
โWhy?โ he asked.
โI was just remembering last night,โ you said shamelessly.
He softly kissed your foreahead. โWhy shiver? Are you getting shy?โ he asked softly.
Your eyes widened. โNo,โ you lifted yourself up, the soft fabric of the blanket falling off your shoulder and revealing your naked form to him. โWhat should I be shy about?โ
He looked at you with hazy eyes, as if youโd used some booze on him and his eyes were just pupils blown wide now as they caressed your form. โFor one, you were so loud last night...โ
You raised a brow. โEh. Iโm not abashed... Itโs normal to be loud when youโre feeling good,โ you smirked.
Besides, does he know just how many girls and women in this clan wished theyโd give them attention? Your eyes narrowed, thinking of all those village women who used to sigh when he walks past. You hoped theyโd heard just how good you were getting it from him last night.
โAre you bothered?โ
โNo,โ he said, his voice dropping into that deep, possessive register.
You smirked, grabbing your top to wear it again. He sat up, his muscles flexing from all his movements. His large hands hovered over your shoulder, surprisingly gentle as he helped you tie the fastenings and adjust the pearls over your chest. As the blanket slipped away from his lap, your eyes caught the sight of him. Already hard and erected.
Without thinking, your hand darted down to touch it, but he was faster, catching your wrist. โNo. Breakfast first.โ
Your nose crunched in a pout. โI just want to touch it. It looks... lonely.โ
โMaybe later...โ he said, his voice strained as he reached for your loincloth to help you dress.
โBut it's hard now,โ you pouted, looking at him through your lashes.
Neteyam let out a long, shaky breath, looking away. โIt will pass. Itโs always like that,โ he said.
โAlways like that?โ you asked.
โWhen youโre around,โ he admitted, his jaw tight.
Your eyes widened, a triumphant smile tugging at your lips. โReally? Even when I was being mean to you?โ
โYes. Sometimes, even when you weren't around... Iโd think of you,โ he confessed, his ears twitching in a rare show of vulnerability.
โWhat? But wouldn't that be painful?โ you asked, glancing at his crotch, which he has now hidden beneath the fabric.
โI relieve myself,โ he said bluntly, watching you tilt your head in confusion. He then made a quick up-and-down motion with his hand, his eyes locking onto yours. โAnd I think of you while I do it.โ
You felt a surge of heat so intense you thought you might actually turn purple. The idea of the perfect and dutiful firstborn son of Toruk Makto, alone where no one could see him, losing his mind over thoughts of you, was the most intoxicating thing you'd ever heard. โWhat do you think of? Tell me. I think we can... make it happen now.โ
Neteyam leaned in, his shadow towering over you as he whispered in your ear, his voice a dark, detailed rasp. He described a vision of you arched over a forest branch, the way he wanted to feel your hair against his skin while he took you from behind, and the way he imagined your face would look when youโre feeling good. Heโs seen it last night, and it beat all the fantasies he had.
By the time he finished, you were breathless and burning.
โWe are definitely doing that tonight,โ you whispered, leaning toward him to kiss the side of his lips.
Days later after you were more properly settled in your pod, Jake and Neytiri hosted a dinner, inviting your father and your siblings. Now, you knew you were never shy... But also, these are Neteyamโs parents. And theyโve been witnesses to how volatile and difficult to deal with you could be compared to your siblings.
You were never welcoming. You were aloof. And now, you are mated to their most prized son. Because of this, the thought of sitting in the same table as Neytiri filled your blood with cold dread. You sat with your spine perfectly straight at the dinner table, your hands folded neatly in your lap, a sharp contrast to the wild, snarling huntress they usually saw on the docks.
Next to you, Neteyam looked like the picture of the perfect warrior, but there was a glint in his eye that made you uneasy. He knew exactly why you were acting so stiff.
โYou look beautiful tonight, daughter,โ Neytiri said, her golden eyes scanning you with a terrifyingly intensity.
โThank you, Neytiri,โ you replied, your voice soft. โIt is an honor to be at your table.โ
Neteyam let out a short, soft huff that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. He leaned closer to you, ostensibly to reach for a bowl of fruit, but his shoulder lingered against yours.
โShe is very practiced at the proper daughter look,โ Neteyam murmured for only you to hear. He turned his head to look at you, a smirk playing on his lips as you glared at him.
Tonowari finally cleared his throat, shifting his gaze between you and Neteyam, his expression a mix of fatherly concern and the stiff formality of an Oloโeyktan. โAh... so,โ your father started, his voice a bit forced. โHow have you two been?โ
You nodded. โWeโre having so much fun,โ you blurted out without thinking.
Oh, that they know about. Itโs not like the marks on your neck or the red nail marks on Neteyamโs shoulders werenโt announcement enough. Neteyam who was sipping water nearly choked. A violent cough erupted from him as he tried to regain his composure, his ears blooming indigo, twitching.
โDo you have everything you need for the household? Nets? Storage?โ Jake Sully intervened.
โWe have everything we need, Dad,โ Neteyam managed to rasp out, finally finding his voice.
You leaned closer to whisper. โRight. My husband is a very... efficient provider. He doesn't leave anything unfinished, does he?โ You snickered.
He raised a brow. โWhispering now, huh? Itโs hard to believe this is the same woman who was screaming my name so loud in the woods just hours ago,โ he whispered back.
Neytiri watched the two of you from across the table, her golden eyes shining. โIt is great to see the two of you approaching your marriage life so smoothly,โ Neytiri said, her voice smooth. She looked at Jake. โReminds me of our first nights together. Do you remember, Jake?โ
Jake chuckled. He knew exactly what Neytiri meant. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at Tonowari who looked like he wanted to dive into the ocean to avoid this conversation.
โCan we talk about literally anything else?โ Loโak groaned, picking up a piece of fruit and tossing it at Neteyam. โI don't need to hear about my parentsโ first nights together or why Y/Nโs throat sounds like sheโs wounded her throat from screaming.โ
โLoโak!โ Tsireya hissed, though she was shaking with silent laughter.
โWhat?โ Tuk asked, her large eyes moving between everyone. โWhy was she screaming? Was there a moonwraith in the new pod? I can go kill it for you, sister!โ
The table erupted. Aoโnung, who had been trying to remain stoic and dignified, finally doubled over with a booming laugh. Your father let out a heavy, defeated sigh, rubbing his temples, while Jake just shook his head, a grin finally breaking through his facade.
โNo moonwraiths, Tuk,โ Neteyam whispered to his little sister while you laughed beside him.
In the weeks following your mating, the village began to feel less like a place of grief you moved through with a routine, and more like a playground for the two of you. You found yourself exploring the woods behind the village with much curiosity than you did before, keeping in mind that this was the kind of place your husband grew up in.
Youโve always wondered the way he moved with such a predatory yet quiet grace, able to sneak up on people without making any sound, unless he meant for them to hear him, but as you walk through the forest, you realized that it was because the trees seemed to have eyes everywhere. You couldnโt even walk here without your foot stepping on a dry leaf that makes a crunchy crack, announcing your presence.
Neteyam had told you that it was one of their trainings back in the forest. To walk in the woods silent as a viperwolf, and youโve seen in it in the way he moves through the brush. โYour people believes in the tranquility of the ocean,โ he mumbled, standing behind you as he helped you adjust your grip on his longbow. โBut the forest, it is a living thing. It listens and it watches. There is no current to fight, you only move with it.โ
He pressed his chest against your back, his large hands covering yours on the bowstring. He taught you how to breathe into the shot, his heartbeat a steady thrum against your shoulder blades. When you finally released, the arrow thudding perfectly into a distant fruit, your eyes widened and you smiled triumphantly.
You had obsessed over archery for weeks. It is different from your peopleโs crossbow, which you were really good at. Different compared to a spear, more so. You thought you were simply a bad shot at this thing, but now, you hit the target and you couldnโt believe it! You turned in his arms with a laugh, rewarded by the pride shining in his golden eyes. He leaned forward to kiss you hard, and you melted in his arms.
โThat one was good,โ he grinned.
You pursed your lips. โNow, I understand why Loโak always calls you the perfect son...โ you pressed a hand against his chest. โYou excel in everything. This was easy for you, a crossbow is easy. A spear is easy. Riding your ikran is easy. Riding a skimwing is easy...โ you tiptoed to kiss his lips. โRiding me... so hard, though.โ You snickered.
He laughed, a rich and deep sound that warmed your chest as his arm suddenly pulled you to him. โYou said you were sore...โ
You bit your lip, widening your eyes at him. โI am.โ
โThen why are you tempting me?โ he asked, raising a brow.
You laughed. โMaybe I want more of that thing where Iโm lying on my stomach, and youโre so close on my back,โ you moaned in his ears. โThat was so good.โ
He groaned, deep and long, pulling you to him. โStrip. Letโs do it now, if you want itโโ
โNeteyam and Y/N! Yuhoo!โ A familiar, high-pitched voice cut through the trees.
You jumped away from him, nearly toppling over. Neteyamโs strong arm wrapped around you like a vine, helping you find your footing as Tuk came crashing through the brush, her large eyes bright with excitement.
โOh, great! There you two are,โ she heaved, skidding to a halt. She paused, looking at the two of you, you with your hair a mess and Neteyam looking like he was ready to wrestle a palulukan. โWhy are you purple again, sister? The forest isnโt hot. In fact, itโs so cold here.โ She twirled around.
You chuckled. โOh, well... I was purple from laughing,โ you chirped, smoothing down your hair.
Neteyam cleared his throat, his ears still twitching violently. โYes, she was laughing so hard.โ
Tuk narrowed her eyes, looking between the two of you. โYou guys are weird,โ she concluded.
โWait, why are you here, Tuk?โ Neteyam asked.
She pouted. โLoโak sent me. He has a question for you, he needs you to go see him,โ she said. โHurry up, you two!โ You watched her disappear, then turned to Neteyam who was already shaking his head.
โI'm going to kill Lo'ak,โ Neteyam muttered, though he was already smiling as he followed you. โI'm definitely going to kill him.โ
But the peace was never a stagnant thing.
It started with the scouts. Warriors returning, speaking of a metal village rising from the waves near the territory of the neighboring clan. Theyโve luckily intercepted a group of hunters from that clan who were sent to deliver a message to Toruk Makto about the sky peopleโs activities. Jake personally went there with Tonowari, Neteyam, Aoโnung, and Loโak to see it for themselves.
When he came back, he told the council about the massive, artificial island of steel that is turning the crystal-clear waters into a murky, toxic sludge. The news grew grimmer by the hour: the neighboring clans had tried to resist, but the demons had met them with violence, leaving the waters beyond the reef littered with the bodies of those who dared to protect their home.
Inside the council marui, the air was suffocating. Tonowari sat with his head bowed, his hands fisted so hard his knuckles were white. Beside him, Jake Sully paced, his jaw set in a grim line that you recognized from Neteyamโs own face during charged encounters.
โThey are expanding,โ Jake rasped. โIf they finish that platform, theyโll have a permanent base for their tulkun hunts. The neighbors are already dying.โ
Your arm around Neteyamโs waist tightened and he gripped your arm. โNeteyam...โ you murmured, an uncharacteristic fear coiling in your gut.
He pulled you close, his cheek nuzzled in your temple. โItโll be alright.โ
The tension snapped two days later.
A hunting party returned... Not with a haul of fish, but the broken bodies of two warriors. The wails of their mothers reminded you of your own grief but you stayed and prayed over them with Tsireya and the elder healers, carrying their grief for them. Days later, patrolling hunters came back with news that made you rush to the sea, riding your skimwing in a rush, with Neteyam hurriedly following behind you.
You fell over at the sight of your motherโs spirit sister, Roโa, drifting aimlessly in the waters, her flank torn open by a massive harpoon. She didn't survive the night. You swam to her, hugging her body tightly as you hugged your mother years before. Tsireya cried silently beside you, her face anguished, a contrast to your angered features.
Roโa was the last piece you have of you mother... And to see her brutally murdered seemed to have brought a shift, even to your father. His face contorted in a grief so sharp it looked like a physical wound and you couldnโt help embrace his unmoving body.
โSend word to our neighbors! We will not wait for the metal to reach our shores.โ
As the village fell into a frenzy of preparation for days, you dove into the waters before the sun even rose to get a potent herb. It was poison, you would no longer mince your words. You want no one alive. When you broke the surface bringing a handful of it, you saw Neteyam standing on the shore and you felt a jolt of surprise.
You made sure to not take too long. You have not been gone for more than ten minutes!
โWhere were you?โ he asked, his hands immediately touching your upper arms to pull you into a hug, uncaring that you're wet and cold.
โI wasnโt gone long,โ you said.
โI woke up with you gone, you donโt know how much that is a stuff for nightmares for me,โ he replied, hugging you tighter. โI saw your weapons though. I knew you wouldnโt go anywhere crazy without them. But now, after seeing that you were indeed in the waters, I didnโt like the idea of it. They could be anywhere, baby...โ
You sighed. โI just... foraged something.โ You lifted the herbs and saw the confusion in his eyes. โItโs poison.โ you whispered darkly.
His eyes widened a little.
You tilted your head. โItโs to ensure maximum damage... If the blades donโt kill them, this will do the job.โ
His eyes darkened with every word your spoke. He didnโt even flinch and recoil, nor lecture you on the code of a warrior or the sanctity of a clean kill. Instead, he reached out, his thumb grazing your jaw.
โMake it strong,โ he whispered, his voice vibrating with a dark resonance that made the fine hairs on your neck stand up. He took the herbs from your hand, his fingers lingering against yours, grounding you even as the storm raged in your chest. โCome. The hunters are gathering at the weapon racks. Your father is calling for the final blessing.โ
You followed Neteyam to the central deck, where Tonowari stood like a pillar, his spear held high among the warriors whose own spears they had sharpened for days.
โYou are not going,โ Tonowari quietly said when he was done talking to his warriors, his eyes landing on the lethal kit you were preparing.
โFather, I cannot not go. I need to be there. They killed my mother, they killed her sister. My home is being choked by their filth. You tell me to stay, Father, and you might as well tell the tide to stop rising.โ
Tsireya stepped up beside you, her jaw set in a way that mimicked your own. You had a hunch heโd told her the same thing. Your father looked at the two of you, both fierce images of the woman who was and is his strength.
Your father let out a long, shuddering breath, the weight of the world bowing his shoulders for a fleeting second before he hardened again. โFine, but be... careful. I cannot lose any of you.โ
You choked a sob and hugged him. You are scared, but you also cannot imagine yourself not fighting out there while eveyone risks their lives.
Inside your marui, the weight of the impending battle had shrunk to just the two of you. The morning sun flickering against the woven walls as you sat between Neteyamโs legs, your fingers dipped in the thick pigment of his war paint.
He was silent, his broad chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm that grounded your frantic heart. You traced the line of his nose dowm to his chin with the paint, your touch lingering longer than necessary.
โYou're shaking,โ he murmured, his large hand coming up to steady your wrist. He leaned into your touch, his golden eyes searching yours.
โI am not,โ you lied, your voice a mere breath. You dipped your fingers back into the bowl, drawing a sharp, jagged line across his cheekbone. โI am just... impatient.โ
Neteyam caught your hand, pressing a firm kiss to your palm, his gaze intense. โLook at me. I will be in the sky with my mother. I will see everything. If you are in trouble, I will find you. Do you hear me? I will always find you.โ
You stared at him and nodded. โNeteyam... When we did the tsaheylu... I know youโve seen my ugly heartโโ
โDo not speak of it that way!โ he cut you off.
โAlright, my ugly emotions. Dark and bloody, full of hatred,โ you said.
He tilted his head. โI also saw me. You liked me when I first got here,โ he said, smiling. โYou find me so handsome.โ
You groaned. โIโve always thought so...โ you pushed your lips forward. โI was just in-denial for such a long time.โ
โItโs all that matters to me that night, you know? To know that I have at least stirred your heart. I was thinking, I can definitely build on that. I will make you love me as I love you. I will make you so happy as you make extremely happy,โ he said, angling his head to kiss you.
Your face crunched as you felt a pinch in your heart. โYou need higher standards,โ you said in a trembling voice. โI was so rude. All the time. I was mean and I didnโt think of your feelingsโโ
He hushed you, wrapping an arm around you, some of his face paint transferring on your face. โI understand. I understand all of it,โ he said in a quiet, devoted voice.
You know that. Youโve seen it in his heart, but still, you couldn't help but weep. โBut I canโt understand, โTeyam, why I had treated you so badly when you didnโt deserve any of my anger. I donโt want you to forgive me. I donโt even deserve this love you have for me. I cannot understand it,โ your tears fell.
Everything seemed to have came up on you and it all culminated to this. โYou do not need to understand it. I love you. I love you very much,โ he said, his large hands cupping your jaw so he could look in your eyes. โAnd my forgiveness is mine to give, only that there is nothing to forgive. Do you understand? I love you, and I love you in any form you show me. You cannot dictate my heart.โ
He smiled at you and you cried even harder. You donโt know why you couldnโt stop crying. There is a golden ball of warmth threatening to burst inside your heart and you couldnโt hold it back. You pressed your forehead against his, uncaring that his paint will transfer to you.
โI love you, Neteyam. I love you so much...โ you mumbled, kissing him even though you wanted to see more of the surprise on his face. You squeezed his bicep, your heart aching with the force of your love for him.
When you two stopped kissing to breathe, you saw his eyes sparkling with tears, his strong arms maneuvered you so that heโd cradle your upper body like a baby and you laughed.
โI canโt believe how freeing that feels. I love you, Neteyam. I love you, I love you, I love you,โ you said, obsessed with how good it feels to say that.
He lowered his head and kissed you. โI love you so much. More. I love you more, I love you more, I love you more,โ he said, pressing a kiss to your lips nearly with every word.
โWeโll talk again tonight,โ you mumbed, caressing his jaw. โAnd then weโll do more. Iโll let you do anything you want with me, so make sure youโll be careful up thereโโ
โHey, love birdsโโ
โLoโak!โ Neteyam growled so deeply you felt his body vibrated with it, making you throw your head back with laughter.
Later, with all the warriors assembled, the war cries of your people echoed across the wave as the shadow of Torukโs wings covered almost the entire village as he flew past, leading the vanguard. You saw Neteyamโs ikran along with Neytiriโs follow the beast like predatory birds. With a sharp whistle, you urged your mount into a high-speed plane, riding among the warriors of your clan, holding your spear tightly as war crimes erupted in your throat as your fleet reached the destination.
You saw a scout vessel banking hard, its mounted gunner spraying the water with bullets to aim at your fleet. Your father signalled to disperse and you dove into the water the same time everyone did, swimming on the other side, where you know you can find a weakness. As the vesselโs hull loomed, you broke the water and made your skimwing leap in the air, shooting with your crossbow with a strained scream.
It punched through the reinforced glass of the cockpit and you saw the pilot slumped instantly, before you landed back on the water. The vessel veered wildly, crashing into a large rock and erupting into an orange flame. You smiled, diving deep into the cool pressure of the water. Beneath the surface, your eyes fixed on the mechanical silhouettes of the submersibles moving in the depths, hunting your brothers and sisters.
You propelled your mount toward a subโs rear rotor and with a practiced strike, you jammed your spear into it, rendering it to a stop, before you strike to puncture the glass. You left it after ensuring that the pressure of the deep would do the rest for the pilot. You did that to more submersibles, and was pursued by some, too, using what youโve learned from all the times you played underwater.
Breaking the surface for air, the sight that welcomed you was filled of fire and ash. Your gaze instinctively snapped upward, and your heart jumped at your throat when you saw a missile pursuing Neteyam, who dove his ikran into a vertical corkscrew, the missile desperately following him. At the last second, he banked hard, luring the missile directly into the path of a pursuing fighter jet. The jet erupted in a beautiful display of orange and skittered to another jet, bringing it down as well.
A huge smile broke on your face as Neteyam leveled out, hearing his war cry echoing to reach you. The artificial island seemed to have tilted to the side, its steel skeleton groaning as if people were working to dismantle it from below, as it burned from above. It was reduced to a vision of dancing fire.
By the time the sun began to dip toward the horizon, the metal village was nothing but a graveyard of sinking iron. The ocean, though scarred, had claimed its prize. The journey back was silent as you rode beside your father, whose face was a mask of grim satisfaction. As the familiar woven walkways of the village came into view, the village erupted in cheers for the returning warriors, you looked to the sky.
You saw Neteyamโs ikran flying toward the forest, making you vault off your ikran to go there and meet him. The bioluminescence of the forest was just beginning to wake but you paid it no attention, focused only on Neteyamโs majestic form as he descended his beast. You ate up the steps between you and threw yourself at him, your arms locking around his neck with a force that nearly sent both of you back into the brush.
He caught you, his large hands anchoring you against his chest as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, breathing in the scent of salt from the ocean before peppering kisses along your jaw and neck, his grip tightening until you were molded against him.
โYou okay? Wounded anywhere?โ he asked breathlessly, his large hand touching you everywhere.
โI saw you,โ you rasped, ignoring his questions. โIn the air. You are so hot,โ you pressed a kissed to his lips. โYou? Are you wounded anywhere?โ
You checked his arms as his face melted into your neck, he shook his head but you still made sure by checking thoroughly. โI wished I saw you in the waters, baby...โ he whispered. โBut I know you were a nightmare for them.โ
You pulled back just enough to see his face, grinning through the smearing war paint. โI know we havenโt weeded out all of them yet... But Iโm glad they are gone for now,โ you sighed, looking back at the village when you heard the drums. โThey are starting the celebrations.โ
You were about to turn around and go back, but Neteyamโs grip on your waist tightened, his thumb tracing the curve of your hip with a deliberate, slow pressure that made your breath hitch. โYou seemed to have forgotten something...โ he mumured, his voice dropping into that low, gravelly register that always made your heart skip.
Your brows furrowed. โWhat?โ
His golden eyes burned on you with a focused intensity that made the surrounding forest feel like it was fading away. โYour promise.โ
You blinked. What promiseโ Oh! โOh... Right,โ you cleared your throat. โWeโll talk, yes...โ
His head tilted, raising a brow. โThat all?โ
You bit your lip and laughed. โAlright, I give up. I remember! Iโll... Weโll... do it,โ you mumbled, your cheeks burning as if this was the first time when youโd literally fucked each other every day in the past moons.
โAnd?โ he probed.
You huffed. โAnd you can do what you want with me.โ
He smiled, squeezing your waist. โRight.โ he nodded once, leaning forward to kiss you.
โLetโs not attend the celebration... Thereโs somewhere I want to go,โ you said, holding his hand and dragging him back to the village. โCall for your mount.โ
Tonight, youโre planning to renew your mating. The night of your mating never left your mind. The tension, the ugliness of you unresolved anger, and the way he had taken the weight of your hate during the tsaheylu. You wanted to give him back the love he deserved, pure and unmarred.
He called for his skimwing and you both rode it to the cove. He looked at you when you held his hand, slipping off the skimwing and into the water. โCome,โ you told him softly. He slipped off the skimwing and wrapped his arms aroujd you. You smiled and kissed him. โI want to do it again, my love. I want you to see me now. Just me.โ
His gaze caressed your face lovingly and you felt your heart burst with warming emotions. โI love you so much,โ he mumbled. โI love you.โ
You smiled, your eyes twinkling. โI love you more, Neteyam.โ
You kissed the side of his mouth before you dove into the water, with him following you until you both reached the spirit tree. You reached for your kuru behind you, bringing it between you. Youโre now the one waiting with quiet yet desperate patience, but he didn't make you wait long, he brought his kuru to yours in an instant. As your neural braids connected, the world shifted.
This time, there was no wall of resentment for him to climb. Instead, Neteyam was flooded with the sheer, overwhelming force of your love. He felt the way your heart skipped when he walked into a room, the heat of your attraction, and the deep loyalty you held for him. On your end, you felt how his love grew even fiercer, a golden sun that warmed every corner of your being. But then, the connection pulsed with something else... His anticipation for later.
You think he didn't mean to, but his desires began to leak through the bond, messing with your senses. Without him even moving a finger, you felt the ghost of his hands on your waist, the phantom pressure of his length moving inside you in hard, forceful movements, and the feel of his kisses on your body. You shivered in the water, your eyes blowing wide.
He smirked, watching you with a predatory, adoring look. Your eyes narrowed, signing to him, gesturing to the spirit tree. โI want us to meet my mother first. I want to show her my mate.โ you signed.
He looked at you, nodding and gently breaking the connection so you could both connect to the spirit tree. You held his hand and closed your eyes, immediately finding yourself back in the village, seeing your motherโs form standing on the dock. She looked as she always did. Fierce, eternal, and serene. She held no memory of your teenage rage or the years you spent mourning her. To her, you were simply the lovely daughter who got so much from her.
She turned as if she sensed you, her smile brightening, but it faltered into genuine shock when she saw the man standing beside you. โNeteyam?โ she asked, her eyes moving to your entwined hands.
โMother,โ you greeted softly.
Neteyam touched his forehead. โOel ngati kameie, Tsahik.โ
โDaughter...โ she tilted her head in question, a soft smile touching her lips.
โHe is my mate, Mother...โ you said, squeezing her hand.
Ronal chuckled, looking between the two of you. โAnd you agreed, young man?โ
Neteyam glanced at you, smiling. โIt is a gift to have her in my life, Tsahik. I have loved her since I was young.โ
You turned to Neteyam, smiling, when you heard the crack in his voice. Ronal sighed dreamily, a knowing look crossing her face. โOh, that I know. Iโve seen it.โ
โSeen what, mother?โ you asked, surprised.
Ronal stared at you, at how unknowing you are. Even then, she knew it would be a problem between you two. Sheโs always observed how Neteyam always had his eyes on you, how he seemed so aware of you and your presence. She initially thought it was simply a boy being curious, but she didnโt know how sheโd known.
You two stayed with your mother for what seemed like hours. But in reality, it lasted only or even less than five minutes. You disconnected from the tree, squeezing Neteyamโs hand and blowing hair out of your nose. He wrapped an arm around you, and swam back to the surface. The water broke with a sudden, violent splash as you both surfaced, gasping. Neteyam gripped your waist, his fingers digging into your skin as he swam to a nearby flattened ground. He hauled you up on it, heightening the frantic beat of your heart.
He hauled himself up, and you moved back, giving him space but he grabbed your ankle, stopping you. The cold air gave you chills but it was immediately replaced by the heat of his body fitting itself between your legs, and pressing against you. You pressed a palm against his chest when he lowered his head to kiss you, you parted your lips to welcome it, feeling his tongue expertly plunge into your mouth.
His hand found your breast and squeezed, deepening his kiss and wrapping a muscled arm around you. By the time he left your lips, you were gasping for air. His gaze caressed your features, โDid you feel it through the bond?โ he rasped, his voice a jagged edge of desire.
โI felt everything,โ you breathed, your hands sliding up his chest to grip the back of his neck. โI felt how much you want me.โ
He let out a low, predatory growl, his golden eyes darkening. He leaned in, his lips brushing against your ear, his breath hot. โYou made a promise, baby. You told me I could do whatever I want with you.โ
โI did,โ you whimpered, arching your back as the hand squeezing your breast slide down to the junction of your thighs.
โI intend to hold you to every word.โ
He didn't waste another second. His fingers tore at the simple wraps of your top and loincloths, quickly ridding you of them. He stripped himself with a frantic urgency, his heavy, cock springing free, already glistening with a thick bead of pre-cum just from kissing you and feeling you up. He looked massive, a vein pulsing along the length of his shaft, the head swollen and dark.
โI need to be inside you,โ he growled, kissing you hard.
He gripped one of your thighs, hoisting it high and draping it over his broad shoulders while he fold the other to spread you wider. He didn't ease in like he usually does, instead, he aligned the broad head of his cock and lunged forward in one powerful, unrestrained thrust.
You let out a sharp, strangled scream that echoed through the cove, your head falling back against the mossy ground. He filled you completely, stretching your walls to their absolute limit. The sensation was an explosion of pressure and heat, a blunt force that seemed to reach your very core.
โBaby, you're so tight,โ he groaned, his voice vibrating through your chest. โSo wet for me.โ
Your hand hold onto his biceps, squeezing as you clenched around his girth. โNeteyam...โ
He kissed you hard, murmuring praises. โYou feel so good, baby... So warm and tight. Is it good?โ
You nodded, kissing him. He began to move, and the pace was immediately punishing. There was no tenderness here, only the raw, starving need of a man who spent the entire day fried by adrenaline on the battlefield, holding onto the promise youโve given him. Every thrust produced a loud, wet sound, your juices being churned into a frothy lather. The sound was so scandalous and yet it seemed to arouse him even more.
โOh, babe,โ you choked out, your fingers clawing at his shoulders, leaving red marks in his skin. โNeteyam, please, more...โ
He licked the side of your neck, slamming his hips forward again. The force of the impact sent a jolt of electricity through your spine. He began to hammer into you, his cock sliding in and out with a violent friction, every glide of his pelvis against you making your clit scream with pleasure, a delicious ache that made your toes curl. Your pussy gripped him with desperate spasms, milking him as he drove himself deeper and deeper.
His head lowered to kiss your breast, his warm mouth catching a pebbled tip and sucking hard. Your back arched as you moaned in pleasure, not knowing what to focus on. His mouth sucking on your breast, or his cock forcefully sliding in and out of you. Youโve been mated for moons, and Neteyam still doesnโt know what to with everything youโre offering, and yet he always seems to be so extremely thorough.
Heโs wanted this for years... And to think that you are his now is driving him mad.
He shifted his weight, his hands sliding under your ass to lift you higher, changing the angle so he could bury himself even further, that you could see him bulging in your lower abdomen. You felt your orgasm building, making you tremble in his arms.
โIโm close,โ you wailed, your voice breaking. โNeteyam, I'mโโ
โNot yet,โ he grunted, abruptly stopping.
You whined, weakly kicking your foot but he had lowered your hips down on the ground, pulling out of you. โNeteyam...โ you whined, your face reflecting yoir agitation despite the pleasure in it.
You missed him inside you, but the absence didnโt last long, he grabbed your hips and flipped you over with a sudden, authoritative motion. You landed on your stomach, your face pressed into the soft moss. Your upper body rose by instinct, by Neteyam dropped his weight onto your back, caging you in his massive arms. He pinned your wrists beside your head, his chest crushing your shoulder blades. He positioned himself behind you, the tip of his cock probing at your wet entrance, teasing the opening before he surged forward.
He entered you from behind with a guttural roar, the angle allowing him to penetrate deeper than before. You moaned, your mouth perpetually gaped to make sounds of pleasure as he fold one of your legs, his large hand seeking your clit from under the two of you. You gasped and jolted, moving away from his hand but his hand chased you, caressing your sensitive nub as he teasingly moved inside you.
โLook at you,โ he whispered, his voice a low rumble in your ear. โPinned under me. Just where you belong.โ
He licked your jaw, angling his head so he could kiss you as his thrusts began to gain pace, a relentless, driving rhythm. Each thrust was a heavy blow, pushing your breasts into the moss. The wet sound was louder now, a messy noise of friction and fluid. You could feel the heat of him, the way his cock stretched and molded into you, claiming every inch of you.
โYou're mine,โ he gasped, his grip on your wrists tightening.
You nodded. โYes, yes, yes. I am. Iโm yours, Neteyam...โ
The admission seemed to break the last of his restraint. Neteyam's movements became frenzied, his hips hammering into you. The friction was intense, the heat bordering on pain, but it was the only thing that mattered. You felt the walls of your pussy clenching around him, triggering his own release.
He let out a long, shaking moan, his body stiffening. He drove himself in one last time, burying his cock as deep as it could possibly go, and stayed there. You felt the hot, thick jet of his seed erupting inside you, pulse after pulse of scorching liquid filling you.
At the same moment, your own climax ripped through you, a violent shudder that left you sobbing. You felt the warmth of his cum leaking out around the sides of his shaft, mixing with your own fluids to create a slippery mess between your thighs. Neteyam collapsed on top of you, his heavy breathing making you shiver as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, his skin slick with sweat.
โFuck,โ he cursed under his jagged breaths. Heโs practically seeing stars but he was already maneuvering your body to face him, slowly pulling out of you so he could roll you on your back.
You mewled at his absence, spreading your legs again once you're lying on your back. He licked his lips wet as he watched you spread your legs, knowing what you want. His cock pressed against the slick and swollen lips of your pussy, and then he eased himself in, feeling every involuntary clenches your pussy is making around his girth. He lowered his head down to kiss you.
โI love you,โ he whispered, his voice returning to that soft, adoring tone as he caressed your slick inner thigh. โDid I hurt you?โ he asked, his hand moving up to softly caressed your breast, his thumb rubbing its tender tip.
You shook your head, smiling lazily, your eyes still hazy from your mind-blowing climax. โNo,โ you said firmly. โI loved everything you did to me. I love you, Neteyam...โ you cupped his jaw, kissing him hard.
โSure?โ he asked, his hips unconsciously moving between your legs and burying himself deeper in you.
โIโm very sure,โ you grinned. โBut how was it? Did you feel good?โ your palm caressed his sweaty chest.
โGood? Baby, I was seeing stars,โ he chuckled, his gaze caressing yoir features for a long time, before he pressed his forehead against yours. โI love you so much it hurts."
You smiled. โI love you more, my love...โ your hand slide up to his shoulder to grip his nape. โThe night is long... And the promise isnโt over yet. You can still very much do what you want.โ
youโre totally fueling my Mycroft (and Max Irons) infatuation!!
So I was wondering if you could write something along the lines of Mycroft getting jealous, but of course being him he tries to cover the feeling.
Alsoโฆ IF you feel like including smut Iโm no one to oppose ๐ซฃ
Thank you in advance !!
hi! im so glad you requested this because i have been meaning to write some jealous mycroft recently! once again adding james and reader being annoying together because i adore them. the idea i have for "reader" is that she met mycroft at oxford and sort of enjoys riling him up. i think she herself has a few sherlockian traits in the sense that she cant seem to stay out of trouble, and mycroft worries himself sick over it. i would love to delve more into their relationship if thats something you guys would like to see. just let me know <3
no cw except for drinking! not proofread sorry loves :p
"Tell me, what exactly is the nature of your relationship with Sherlockโs dear brother?" James leaned against the bar beside her in the dimly lit pub, nodding towards the Holmes brothers, who seemed to be quarrelling over something on the other side of the room.
"I am unsure," she sighed, "Currently, I am the only person at the Oxford Journal that believes his brother to be an innocent man. So perhaps he has taken to following me around to ensure my opinion does not change. If you ever figure it out, my dear James, do not hesitate to inform me."
James laughed, "Oblivious, the both of ye," he finished the rest of his drink and set the empty glass back on the bar, to which it was swiftly whisked away.
"Whatever do you mean?" she demanded of her friend, not at all understanding his teasing. She glanced at Mycroft, who seemed to have sensed her gaze and caught her eye, giving her a small smile before returning back to lecturing his brother.
"Oh, Miss," James launched into an exaggeratedly posh accent, and bowed before her, "You must be careful! Oh, miss, allow me to hold your parasol. Miss, allow me to stare longingly at you from across the room."
She barked a laugh, "You think that of everyone, James!" she pushed him playfully away with the hand he had been pressing a dramatic kiss to. "You are just a rake. It clouds your judgement." Despite her denial, she glanced over at Mycroft again, finding that he had indeed been watching her. He cleared his throat and looked away as if he had been caught, suddenly enthralled by the beams on the ceiling.
James scoffed, "Tell you what," he called the bartender over and ordered another round. "We will run an experiment-"
"Oh James-" she rolled her eyes.
"Ah, ah," he pressed a finger to her lips to shush her, "We run an experiment," he continued, his hand moving back to his side and then to the new glasses of bourbon on the bar, handing her one, "I do a charming performance of flirtation upon you, and we watch for his reaction. If my hypothesis is correct, our Mr. Holmes will come to intervene and tell me off. If you are correct, he will turn a blind eye."
She thought about it for a moment, until she was firmly convicted in her own estimation, "And what are the stakes?" she questioned, "The next round?"
James downed his drink and nodded, "Very well!" he replied, "But you must seem at least slightly receptive to my attention, so he does not think I am accosting you and have me beheaded. None of that freezing up nonsense you usually do."
"I do not-"
James pushed himself closer to her, his smile turning almost provocative. "Let me just," he pushed a stray hair behind her ear, "There you are, lovely."
"Oh, you're really going all in, aren't you, James?" she laughed, her cheeks heating up.
"You blush so pretty, darling," he cooed, reaching up to hold her chin between his pointer finger and his thumb. He grinned, and when she next heard his voice, his lips did not move. "Checkmate," he sing-songed through his teeth. She made a mental note to ask when he learned ventriloquism.
At his declaration of victory, she turned her head, seeing Mycroft get out of his seat, hearing the click of his heels on the ground as he got closer. His did not look happy, that is for certain. His ears were pink, his brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed angrily.
"Mycroft!" James took his hand back, putting it in the air as greeting. "Thirsty? Next round is on our dear friend here," he clapped her on the shoulder.
"A lady has no business paying for a drinks, James," Mycroft retorted, a hand on his hip in aggravation. "And no, I simply came to enquire as to your conversation. It must be riveting to keep you two up here instead of sitting down with Sherlock and myself."
"I was just telling her how pretty she blushes. Which you already know, since you had been reading my lips,โ James replied simply, "Though, I must admit, Mycroft, you are giving her some fierce competition." He reached out to pinch Mycroft's flushed cheek, but his hand was slapped away irritably.
"Sherlock is..." she could see Mycroft formulating an excuse, "In one of his moods. Do go cheer him up, James. I will handle drinks."
"Ah," James held his hands up and stepped away from the bar, "Very well. I see when I am not wanted." He turned to her, grinning at the expression on her face as he added, "A bourbon, please, lovey."
She only gawked, watching James leave and attempt to sneak up on Sherlock from behind (which of course did not work).
Mycroft was silent for a moment, fidgeting with his tie and swallowing, "Was he bothering you?" he asked.
She looked at him and laughed, "No, not at all." This did not seem to lift Mycroft's spirits, in fact it seemed to dampen them considerably. She smiled, and stepped closer to him under the guise of straightening his tie. "You know, you needn't worry," she whispered, her hand lingering on his chest as she added, "James may be charming, but he will never be my dear Mr. Holmes."
She stepped back again, and Mycroft's mouth twitched upwards and he chuckled softly as she ordered James his bourbon.
"Here, allow me," he pulled a few coins from his pocket, but she pushed his hand away.
"No can do, Mycroft," she insisted, "James and I had a bet. I must pay up, upon my honor."
"A bet? Whatever for?" Mycroft raised a brow.
"On whether or not you would interrupt his faux flirtation," she answered honestly. "To be frank, I had not imagined it would get you so... heated."
"He..." Mycroft huffed, "He tricked me."
"We tricked you," she corrected, picking up the bourbon and heading towards the table, stopping beside him to add, "I assure you it took just as much effort on my end not to kick him in the shin."
this is an entirely self-indulgent smut-filled atrocity that i can only pray to god never gets linked back to me after i saw mycroft tell that guy to "turn around" with that gentle tone of voice and now im losing my mind hes all i can think about. anywho please like or comment if you enjoy it makes my whole day,
cw: dom/sub undertones, ys!mycroft and his bratty wife that bullies him, mycroft being a soft dom because that goddamn scene in the finale has made itself a home in my brain like a parasitical worm, cunnilingus (fem receiving), PinV, mustache mentions because apparently thats a thing im ok with, young sherlock mycroft in all his max irons glory, not proofread we die like silas, mdni go do your homework please
"My dear husband," she smiled warmly as she waltzed into the room, "Here you are yet again, overworking yourself."
"And here you are distracting me," he tried to sound annoyed but he could not push down the smile that graced his handsome face. "As you so often do."
She settled herself atop his desk, skillfully untying her dressing gown and discarding it on the mahogany. "I would not have to stoop to such lows if you would not neglect me," she countered swiftly.
"Neglect you?" Mycroft let out a small laugh, standing in front of where she was perched on his desk and leering over her, "Would you call the lovely morning I gave you neglect?"
"Given the fact that it ended, and I have spent nearly an entire day without your touch, I would argue yes very much so- oh-"
She was interrupted by his lips on her neck, his mustache scraping against the soft skin. "You would argue about anything," he murmured in between kisses.
"Perhaps," she exhaled contentedly, leaning her head back to allow him more access. "But it is late, we should get to bed, sir. We can quarrel there."
"Perhaps," he mimicked, "Or perhaps you will stay here and do as you are told for once, yes?"
"Hmmโฆ" she pondered for a moment, "Perh-"
He kissed her, his hands twisting around her waist and pulling her to his chest, "Have I ever told you how peculiarly difficult you are?" he grumbled against her mouth as he pushed her soft chemise up her legs.
"You have mentioned it, yes," she gasped softly as he pushed the fabric up over her hips and spread her thighs open. "But when you say so in these circumstances it leads me to believe you quite enjoy it."
"Is that so?" he tugged her to the edge of the desk and pushed his thigh between hers. "What leads you to that conclusion?"
"Perhaps it is just conjecture dear, but you seem rather eager," she was quick enough with her hands to palm the arousal through his trousers, but she was quickly grabbed by the wrist and forced away.
"Behave yourself, won't you?" he implored with his usual warning tone.
She giggled, pulling at his tie until it unraveled and did the same with his waistcoat, discarding it onto his chair. "And where is the fun in that Mr. Holmes?"
"You always do this," he observed, "But you fall apart so easily. It is as if you enjoy being tamed." He pulled her closer, so her cunt was pressed tight against his thigh as he rocked her hips slightly. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she bit down on her lip slightly. "See?" he gloated quietly down at her, pulling her lip out from under her teeth. "Just as I predicted, dearest."
She only pushed herself up on her hands and kissed him again, his hand cupping her face while the other journeyed up to her breast. She moaned into his mouth, eliciting a pleased sound from his working lips as they ventured down her neck. She was once again able to get four buttons of his shirt undone before he pulled her hand away, placing a gentle kiss to her palm before setting it back on the desk. He pushed her chemise down just enough to cover her
"Stay," he commanded gently. She whined, but did as she was bid. He smiled, "Very good."
She sighed petulantly as he pulled away, pulling out the drawer of his desk and taking the keys from them. He quickly made his way to the oak door and locked it, checking the handle to be certain before returning to her. "There we are," he put the keys back in their rightful place and gathered his many papers into one neat stack, tucking them away in a drawer.
"Could you go any slower, darling?" she grumbled.
"Should you like me to?" he smiled.
"No!"
He chuckled and dusted off the desk before taking her dressing gown from behind her and folding it.
"What are you doing?" she demanded impatiently.
"Ensuring your comfort, flower," he manhandled her till she was laying back longways on the newly cleared desk, her hips propped up on her folded nightwear.
"Oh," she flushed as she pushed herself up on her forearms, "Well, I suppose that is reasonable."
"We are of one mind then," Mycroft leaned in beside her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before resuming his efforts on her dรฉcolletage, trailing his tongue up her neck before returning to her mouth hungrily.
She whimpered into him, her back arching off the desk as his hand trailed down her stomach and to her cunt, pressing his palm against it over the dampening fabric of her chemise.
"Mmph, love you," she mumbled, her hand gripping softly onto the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Oh, how I love you, my darling," he stroked her hair, kissing her forehead as his hand caressed the inside of her thigh. "My beautiful, lovely wife."
He kissed down her collar until his lips met her clothed nipple, running his tongue over the fabric before doing the same to her other breast. He pulled away and stood at his full height once again before rounding the desk and settling on his knees between her legs. He pulled her so her hips were nearly hanging off of the wood and worked the chemise up above her navel. For a moment he marveled at her glistening before him, placing his thumb on the swollen bud.
She whimpered something filthy, bucking her hips up towards him while simultaneously closing her thighs on instinct. Her attempt was futile, as it only prompted him to take them over his shoulders and lean in, replacing his thumb with his mouth.
"Gods above, My," her cheeks tinted pink, "You're perfect."
He smiled against her clit, and teased at her hole with his fingers. His mustache brushed against the hair on her pelvis as he flicked his tongue over her. He gave the bud a soft kiss before sucking it into his mouth, pushing two fingers inside her cunt and lapping eagerly at the arousal that flowed there.
She writhed on the desk, her thighs closing around his head. His free hand snaked up her stomach until it found her breasts, pinching her nipples softly. He only stopped when her whimpers became so frequent that he knew she was getting dangerously near coating his tongue. This would be perfectly fine had he not planned on having her fall apart on his cock.
He stood, leaning over her to kiss her, letting her taste herself on his tongue. His chin was slick with her essence and his mouth quirked into a grin at the sight of her flushed and panting under him.
"There you are," he teased, pressing his clothed cock against her soaked cunt. "Rather eager for me, aren't you, dear?" He echoed her phrase from mere minutes prior.
She could not muster up the energy to do anything besides nod up at him, batting her lashes and hoping that he would have mercy upon her.
"Up you get, dearest," he instructed, smiling as she stared at him in response. "Come now," he helped her up, her feet hitting the ground as she stood on shaking legs. "There, there. That's a good girl."
She whined at the praise, a slight furrow in her brow as she looked up at him.
"Ah, no whinging now, dear," he scolded lightly before twirling his finger in the air, "Turn around," he said, his voice was gentle but held promise of consequence should it not be obeyed.
Thinking better of defying him, she did as she was told, and finally he came up behind her and removed her crumpled chemise, letting it fall to the floor. "Much better," he smiled, cupping her breasts in his hands and squeezing lightly. "Lay over the desk now, spread your legs. Let me see."
Even as he gave the order, he pushed her down onto it, bending her over and propping her hips up on her dressing gown, presenting her nicely for him.
She only heard the sound of him unbuttoning his trousers, before she felt his length pressed against her cunt.
"Please," she whimpered, purposefully sounding as pitiful as possible in the hopes that he would hurry up.
"I know, dearest," he said soothingly, running his hand over her spine as he teased the blunt head of his cock against her cunt . "Deep breath, sweetheart."
"Mycroft!" she gasped as he pushed inside her finally, moaning into her ear as he wrapped an arm around her waist, hoisting her up high enough he could get rub his fingers over her clit once again. "Oh- please-"
"What? What is it?" his other hand gripped her jaw as he muttered into her hair. "Words please, darling."
"Just-" she whimpered, her eyes teary and her mouth slack, "Please- more, pleaseโฆ"
He thrust into her gently, pistoning his hips as slow as he could muster "Like this, darling."
"More," she begged, "More, please. Harder. Please. I'll be good, I promise-"
"So polite now," he beamed, dropping her jaw and heeding her request, "I knew you had it in you. That's a good girl."
The praise made her sob, her hands trembling around the edges of the mahogany grain as he gripped her hips hard, fucking into her the way he knew she wanted .
"You love it so much when I praise you," he panted down at her, "I wonder as to why you insist on my forcing your submission as opposed to giving it willingly. It is not sound reasoning, darling."
If she was not being fucked stupid, she would have rolled her eyes. Yet as it was, she barely registered his observations over her own moans and the sound of their skin meeting.
He simply laughed to himself as he pushed her hair out of her face, where it had fallen into her open mouth. "You are such a beautiful mess, Mrs. Holmes."
He kissed the junction of her shoulder and her neck, grunting softly against her skin with each thrust. It did not take long for her whining to become incessant, and he smiled against her shoulder.
"You are near, yes? My sweet wife?" he cooed down at her, her glassy eyes barely blinking up at him where her face rested on the desk. She sincerely hoped she had nodded, because she was unsure her brain was functioning well enough to send signals to her muscles.
"Good girl," he praised her, petting her hair, "Go on then, show me, dearest."
With only a few more passes of his fingers, she squealed and convulsed on his desk, moaning his name much louder than she would have hoped to. Still, she could not bring herself to mind when she could hear him whimper against the side of her head, filling her only seconds after her own release.
They stayed like that for what seemed like minutes, until he finally gathered her up and settled back into his chair, wrapping her up in her dressing gown.
"Now, what was all that about?" he teased, touching the tip of her nose with his finger
She made an indignant noise. "Me?" she retorted, "That, sir, was completely your doing!"
"Oh, you certainly started it," he beamed, kissing her temple, "Marching in my office and perching atop my desk."
"Is a woman not allowed to visit her husband? Besides it is nearly ten in the evening!"
"Oh yes, you can certainly visit," Mycroft replied, "But you came to seduce me, there is no doubt on that front."
"To get you into bed," she countered, her fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt, "It was a noble cause."
"I am sure," he took her hand from his chest and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, "You never answered my question."
"What question?"
"Why must you challenge me when you truly wish for me to win?" he combed through her hair with his fingers.
So Iโve just finished Young Sherlock (which is 100% my new hyperfixation) and I really, really need some x reader fics that revolve around these three. Sherlock, Moriarty, Mycroftโฆ Iโll take all of them to be honest
During a brutal RDA raid on Pandoraโs eastern seas, a human medicโtrained as both nurse and soldierโfinally seizes the chance she has planned for in silence. Haunted by years of complicity, she flees the chaos with only her medical kit and her guilt, diving into the ocean with no clear destinationโonly instinct.
What she finds is a dying Naโvi warrior bleeding out on a rock, abandoned by circumstance but not by fate.
As gunfire echoes and the sea runs red, she makes a choice that will brand her a traitor to her own kind: she saves him.
When his family returns, weapons drawn and grief-stricken, her presence ignites tension, fear, and furyโbut her work speaks louder than her species. In the midst of explosions and impossible decisions, the wounded warrior refuses to let her go, binding their fates together.
notes: guys i've been dreaming about this idea for days and i couldn't find a fic like my imagination หโ ห so i wrote this during the hours of midnight in a literal daze, i rlly hope its ok. I want to continue but i genuinely don't know how i would finish the story - idk i guess i'll see how it plays out in my dreams HAHAH
(เน > แด < เน) แกฃ๐ญฉ
๐ เฝผโผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฒ*เฉโฉโงโห
The water feels wrong.
Neteyam notices it before the painโbefore the weight in his chest, before the way his limbs suddenly refuse to answer him with the same sharp precision they always have. The ocean closes over his head as he dives, powerful stroke after powerful stroke, chasing the silhouettes of his siblings toward safety.
The reef blurs past him, light bending and warping through salt and motion. He kicks harder, muscles burning, lungs screamingโbut thenโ
His strength falters.
Itโs subtle at first. A drag. Like the sea has hooked its fingers into him and decided he should stay.
Neteyam frowns, confusion flickering through him. He adjusts his stroke, tries to correct, but his body lags behind his intent. The water presses heavier against his side, each movement suddenly costing more than it should.
He reaches the rock outcropping on instinct alone.
His hand scrapes stone, fingers slipping before finding purpose. He hauls himself halfway out of the water, breath stutteringโsharp, shallow, wrong. The sounds of the battle crash around him now, no longer distant: engines, shouting, the crack of gunfire echoing across the open sea.
He looks down.
Red.
Not the soft glow of reef light or the shimmer of bioluminescence clinging to coral. Something darker, blooming outward in lazy clouds beneath the surface, curling around his thigh and drifting away with the current.
His ears flatten.
He presses a hand to his side and feels warmth.
Too much warmth.
โOh,โ he breathes, barely audible over the crash of waves. Not fearโrealization. โNoโฆโ
His knees buckle.
Loโak is there instantly.
Neteyam barely registers the impact as his brother grabs him, shouting his name, eyes wide and wild. The world tilts as Loโak pulls him upright, panic bleeding through every sharp movement.
โIโm shot,โ Neteyam manages, the words tearing out of him like they cost something vital.
Loโakโs face crumples.
โNoโno, noโโ he says, voice cracking as he swings Neteyam onto his back. โStay with me. Stay awake. Iโve got you.โ
They plunge back into the water.
Neteyam clings loosely to his brotherโs shoulders as they move, each second stretching thin. The pressure of the sea is unbearable now, his vision dimming at the edges, sounds muffled as if heโs sinking deeper than he is.
By the time Loโak reaches the rock outcropping again, Neteyam is barely conscious.
Loโak drags him up, hands shaking as he presses hard against the wound, blood slicking his fingers no matter how hard he tries to stop it.
โIโll get Dad,โ Loโak says desperately, voice breaking. โIโll get Mom. Justโjust stay here, okay?โ
Neteyam doesnโt answer.
Loโak hesitates only a second longer before diving away, fear driving him faster than exhaustion ever could. Tukโs small form follows, her cries swallowed by the sea.
The rock grows quiet.
Neteyam lies half-submerged, chest rising faintly, blood continuing to leak from beneath his ribs and slide into the water.
๐ เฝผโผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฒ*เฉโฉโงโห
You have been waiting for this moment longer than you care to admit.
Not thisโnot the RDA shooting against a few boys โbut the distraction. The fracture. The second where the RDAโs attention splinters just enough for someone small, quiet, and expendable to disappear.
You move through the flooded wreckage like a ghost.
The raid has fractured the ocean into chaosโnoise above, silence belowโbut beneath it all, the water speaks. It always has. Youโve learned to listen to it the same way you listen to a pulse or a breath.
Your waterproof pack is tight against your back, weight familiar and reassuring. Inside: compressed rations, emergency meds, suture kit, antiseptic foam, sealant patches, two spare breathing masks. You packed light on purpose. Everything else waits for youโhidden deep in the mountains, far from sea lanes and patrols. Your avatar body. Your exit.
You slip from the sinking structure without hesitation. The mask seals with a soft hiss as you dive, breath evening out as the sea closes around you.
The water is cold as it envelops you, pressure squeezing your ribs as you kick downward, mask sealing with a soft hiss as it engages. Youโve done this beforeโescaped patrols, sunk into shadows, stayed unseen.
For years, youโve walked the edge of this warโpatching wounds, issuing orders, following protocols that kept your hands busy and your conscience quiet. You stayed detached because you had to. Because speaking up meant disappearing in a way no one would ever question.
You tell yourself to focus.
Then you see it.
Blood drifts past your visor in slow, terrible ribbons.
Thin at first. Then thicker. Dark, unmistakable.
Your chest tightens.
This was supposed to be clean.
You were supposed to disappear.
You slow instinctively, adjusting your course, following the trail without thinking. You donโt tell yourself why. You donโt justify it. You just move.
The blood leads you to a rock formation breaking the surface.
Thereโsomeone lies sprawled across it, massive body barely moving, skin marked with streaks of red that the sea keeps trying to claim. No one else is there. No weapons. No guards.
Just a Naโvi male, young, badly wounded.
You hover at a distance, heart pounding.
This is not your fight.
Surfacing here means riskโcameras, patrols, witnesses. Everything youโve planned could unravel in seconds.
But youโve watched too many bodies sink quietly into water like this.
You surface.
The air hits your lungs as you pull yourself onto the rock, movements careful, deliberate. You stay low, scanning the horizon once before crawling closer.
The Naโvi male stirs faintly.
His eyes flutter open, unfocused, catching on your shape. A human. Small. Close. His fingers twitch weakly against the stone, confusion and pain etched into every shallow breath.
You lift your hands slowly.
โItโs okay,โ you say softly, even though you know he wonโt understand the words. โIโm a medic.โ
You kneel beside him, hands already working, pack open, supplies laid out with practiced efficiency. The wound is severeโbut not beyond saving. Not yet.
As you press gauze to his side, his breath hitches.
He watches you dimly, vision slipping, but something in your touch steadies him. Your hands are sure. Your movements confident.
For the first time in years, you stop waiting for someone else to do something.
You choose.
And you donโt stop.
๐ เฝผโผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฒ*เฉโฉโงโห
Your hands donโt shake.
Not now.
They used to, years ago, when you were still just a nurse moving through bombed-out clinics and half-lit tents, learning how to keep your voice calm while the world came apart around you. They trained that out of you eventuallyโfirst through repetition, then through necessity, then through war.
You push fear down where it belongs and let instinct take over.
โOkay,โ you murmur, more for yourself than him. โLetโs see what weโre working with.โ
You start at his shoulders, palms firm and efficient as you sweep down his torso, checking fast for additional wounds. Entry wounds hide. Exit wounds kill. Youโve learned never to assume thereโs only one.
Your fingers slide over smooth, warm skin, then around his back, careful but thorough. Blood slicks your gloves, saltwater diluting it just enough to mask how much heโs lost.
โOne,โ you breathe quietly. โJust one.โ
Relief flickers through you, sharp and fleeting. You donโt let yourself linger on it.
You press gauze to his side again, harder this time, and his breath stutters in response. His chest rises shallowly beneath your handโtoo shallow, but present. Still fighting.
โThatโs it,โ you say softly. โStay with me.โ
He doesnโt answer.
But his eyes donโt leave you.
Theyโre glassy, unfocused at the edges, but locked on your face with a quiet intensity that makes your throat tighten. Youโve seen this look beforeโpatients anchoring themselves to a single sensation because everything else hurts too much to hold.
You keep talking.
It doesnโt matter that he canโt understand the words. Tone has always mattered more than language.
โYouโre doing really well,โ you tell him, voice low and steady as you cut away the damaged edge of his armor. The material is intricateโlayered, etched with patterns youโve seen on warriors before but never this close. โThis is beautiful craftsmanship,โ you add, deliberately conversational. โSomeone put a lot of care into this.โ
His ears twitch faintly.
Good. Heโs still responding.
You peel the armor back just enough to expose the wound properly. Itโs uglyโragged at the edges, still oozingโbut clean enough to work with. You irrigate quickly, antiseptic hissing softly as it hits raw tissue.
His jaw tightens.
โI know,โ you murmur immediately. โI know it hurts. Youโre okay. Breathe with me.โ
You exaggerate your own breathing, slow and deliberate, letting him follow the rise and fall of your shoulders. His chest mirrors it, unevenly, but enough.
Shock is the bigger threat now.
You keep him talkingโasking gentle, meaningless questions he canโt answer, filling the space so he doesnโt slip too far inward. You tell him about nothing. About the sea. About how the light looks different under water. About how his armor caught the sun when you first saw him.
Your hands move with ruthless efficiency.
Packing the wound. Sealing it. Needle out. Thread through.
You stitch fast but careful, fingers sure despite the blood and the risk and the pounding of your heart. Every second feels stolen. Every sound from the distance makes your spine go tight with the fear of being seenโof being labeled what you already know you are choosing to be.
A traitor.
Like Jake Sully.
The thought flashes through you, cold and sharp, but you donโt let it slow you down.
Youโve lived too long doing nothing.
Neteyam barely registers the pain anymore.
Itโs distant, like thunder heard from deep underwater. His body feels heavy, unresponsive, but the pressure on his side lessens slowly, gradually, in a way that tells him something important is happening.
He focuses on you.
On your voiceโsoft, steady, grounding. On the warmth of your hands as they move over him, purposeful and kind. On the way your fingers trail along his skin as you work, not hesitant, not afraid of him.
He doesnโt know who you are.
Only that you are here.
His breathing stays faint but constant, each inhale an effort, each exhale shallow. His eyes never leave your face, even when they sting, even when the edges of the world blur.
When you near the end, his fingers twitch.
They lift weakly, drifting until they brush your arm.
Just barely.
You still.
You look down at his hand where it rests against you, blue fingers trembling with exhaustion. A tear slips free from the corner of his eye, tracking slowly along the curve of his ear.
Without thinking, you reach up.
Your thumb is gentle as it wipes the tear away.
โItโs okay,โ you whisper. โIโve got you.โ
He tries to smile.
Itโs small. Crooked. Barely thereโbut itโs everything he has left to give. Gratitude floods his chest, heavy and warm, even as his body fails him. He wants to thank you. To speak. To offer somethingโanything.
Instead, he holds your gaze.
Eywa, he thinks dimly. Thank you.
Thank you for sending her.
And then his eyes flutter, his grip loosening, breath still thereโstill fightingโas the world finally, mercifully, slows.
๐ เฝผโผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฒ*เฉโฉโงโห
You donโt hear them.
Not the rush of wings overhead. Not the heavy, rhythmic flapping as skimwings circle low, nor the frantic splashes as bodies break the surface and scramble onto the rock.
Your entire world has narrowed to the rise and fall of his chest.
To the faint warmth still present beneath your palm. To the steadyโmiraculousโfact that he is breathing.
Youโre adjusting the final dressing, fingers already moving to secure it when the shadow falls over you. Then another. Then several.
A sharp intake of breath cuts through the air.
You look up.
They are thereโsuddenly, impossibly close.
Naโvi warriors crowd the rock, wet and wild-eyed, weapons half-raised on instinct alone. Their grief is raw, barely contained, and when their eyes land on youโ
A human.
Small. Unarmed. Kneeling beside their son.
Neytiri moves first.
A sound tears from her throat, sharp and broken, and she lunges forward with lethal speed, blade flashing in her hand. Her face is contorted with fury and terror, grief so sharp it borders on violence.
โGet away from him!โ
You freeze.
Not because you donโt understand herโbut because you do.
You know enough Naโvi to catch the edge of it. The command. The motherโs scream beneath the words. Youโve studied the language in secret for years now, late at night, hunched over stolen files and recordings, telling yourself it was only practical. That if you were going to disappear into Pandora one day, you couldnโt afford to be ignorant.
You had thought knowing the language might help you stay invisible.
It doesnโt help now.
Before Neytiri can reach you, a voice cuts through the chaos.
โWaitโ!โ
Loโak.
He stares at the scene in front of him, eyes darting wildly. His gaze drops to Neteyamโs chest.
Neytiri falters mid-step, eyes snapping down to her son. She drops to her knees beside him, hands shaking as she presses her ear to his chest, one hand cradling his face.
A sob rips free from her, unrestrained and devastating.
โOh, my son,โ she whispers, voice breaking completely. โMy sonโฆโ
You understand that too.
Enough that your throat tightens painfully as she clutches him, forehead pressed to his, trembling with the aftershock of a grief she had already begun to accept. Her hands roam him desperately, checking for wounds, for warmth, for proof that he is still here.
Jake is there tooโimmediately, solid and steady despite the way his jaw tightens as he takes everything in. He helps turn Neteyam carefully, eyes narrowing as he inspects the wound.
Itโs clean.
Stitched.
Packed properly.
Jake looks up at you.
Really looks at you.
Recognition hits you like a blow.
You know him.
Everyone does.
Jake Sully. The name whispered through RDA halls like a warning. The human who crossed a line that couldnโt be uncrossed. The example they used when they wanted to scare you straight.
This is what happens when you forget your place.
You meet his gaze without flinching.
โIโm a medic,โ you say, voice hoarse but steady. โHe had a single entry wound. No exit. Blood loss was bad, but I caught it in time.โ
Jake studies you, eyes sharp, guarded. You can see the calculation happeningโthreat assessment, intent, risk.
โYou RDA?โ he asks quietly. English, clipped.
โYes.โ
Neytiri stiffens at the word.
You swallow. โNot for much longer.โ
Jakeโs brow furrows.
โIโve been waiting for a chance to leave,โ you continue, the words spilling out now that theyโve started. โI couldnโt keep pretending anymore. Iโโ Your voice catches. โI couldnโt keep watching.โ
Silence stretches.
Then Jake nods once.
โThank you,โ he says simply. โWeโll take it from here.โ
Thatโs your cue.
You shift back, slowly rising to your feet, suddenly very aware of how small you are among them. You hesitate, eyes drifting back to the Naโvi warrior still lying between his parentsโstill alive because you chose not to look away.
You kneel again.
Just for a moment.
You reach out, resting your hand gently on his shoulder. His skin is warm beneath your fingers.
โYouโre going to be okay,โ you whisperโinstinctively, softlyโusing the few Naโvi words you trust yourself not to break. Not enough to draw attention. Just enough to mean something.
You start to pull your hand away.
You donโt get far.
His fingers close around yours.
Weakโbut deliberate.
The grip isnโt strong, but itโs enough. Enough to stop you. Enough to tell you that somewhere beneath the haze and pain and exhaustion, he knows.
Loโak notices.
So does Jake.
You look down at him, breath catching as his hand tightens just a fraction more, like youโre the only solid thing left in the world.
You squeeze backโjust once.
Then, gently, you try to pull away again.
He doesnโt let go.
And for the first time since you dove into the water, fear gives way to something else entirely.
Connection.
๐ เฝผโผ๐ ๐ผ๐ฒ*เฉโฉโงโห
His fingers donโt loosen.
They tighten.
The pressure is shockingโsharp enough that it steals the air from your lungs for a split second. You glance down instinctively, disbelief flickering through you. He has been shot. He has lost blood. You stitched him together with shaking hands and hope.
And yet he holds you like thisโlike letting go would cost him something vital.
The others notice.
Loโakโs eyes widen first. Neytiri stills completely, her gaze snapping from your hand to her sonโs face. Even Jake hesitates, registering the way Neteyamโs grip curls around your wrist, knuckles pale, stubbornly alive.
Another explosion tears through the air.
Closer this time.
The rock shudders beneath your feet, spray erupting around its base. Gunfire cracks in jagged bursts, echoing off the water.
Jake straightens instantly.
โWe need to move,โ he barks, voice cutting clean through the chaos. Commanding. Absolute. The kind of voice that doesnโt askโit directs. You see it then, fully: not just a father, but a leader forged in war.
โNow!โ
The family springs into motion.
Jake crouches beside Neteyam, already positioning himself to lift him. โIโve got him,โ he says, decisive. โWe fly.โ
But when Jake reaches for his son, Neteyam doesnโt respond the way they expect.
He doesnโt release you.
Jake pauses, eyes narrowing. He follows the line of Neteyamโs arm. Sees the way his sonโs fingers are wrapped around your wristโnot frantic, not confused.
Intentional.
Jake looks at you.
Then at the sky, where tracer fire lights up the clouds.
A decision is made in a heartbeat.
โShe comes,โ Jake says.
Neytiri whirls on him. โJakeโโ
Another blast detonates somewhere too close for comfort, the shockwave rattling your bones. Neytiri flinches, eyes snapping back toward the horizon, calculating the danger with a warriorโs instinct.
She looks at Neteyam again.
At the steady rise and fall of his chest.
At the way his hand still clings to you.
Her jaw tightens.
โFine,โ she snaps. โMove.โ
They lift Neteyam carefully, Jake shifting him onto his back with practiced ease. Youโre pulled along with them, swept into motion before you can even process whatโs happening.
Only thenโonly when youโre moving, when the decision is no longer theoreticalโdoes Neteyamโs grip finally loosen.
His fingers slip from your wrist.
You feel the absence immediately.
His eyes are closed now. His breathing is stronger than beforeโstill weak, but steady enough that relief floods through you in a dizzying rush. You donโt know if heโs conscious, but something in your chest tells you he is.
That he chose this.
Gratitude wells up unexpectedly, fierce and aching. Toward him. Toward fate. Toward the impossible mercy of timing.
You mount behind Neytiri, hands gripping tight as the skimwing launches into the air. The force of it punches a breath from your lungs.
And thenโ
You are flying.
The world opens beneath you in a way no sim, no cockpit, no briefing ever prepared you for. The eastern sea stretches endlessly below, a living mosaic of color and light. Coral reefs bloom beneath the surface like constellationsโturquoise, gold, burning pinkโthreaded together by currents that glow faintly in the fading light.
You gasp, unable to stop it.
The wind roars past your ears, warm and salt-heavy. You glimpse the others flying aheadโJake steady and sure despite the weight on his back, Loโak flanking him protectively, the family moving as one.
Ahead, the water shifts.
Structures rise organically from the shallowsโwoven marui homes nestled within the roots of colossal mangrove-like trees. Their trunks arch outward and upward, forming a living cradle above the waterline, shielded from the open ocean by a natural, ring-shaped seawall of coral and stone.
Itโs not built against the sea.
Itโs built with it.
Your breath catches.
Thisโthisโis what they were destroying.
As Neytiri guides the skimwing lower, banking toward the village, something settles inside you. Not peace. Not yet.
But certainty.
You didnโt just save a life.
You crossed a line you could never uncross.
And as Pandora rises to meet you, glowing and alive beneath the sinking sun, you knowโwithout doubtโthat you are not going back.
hi honey!! just wondering if you ever plan to finish the vi x reader series?
hi babes!! i definitely plan on finish it!! at least the season 1. ever since i started it i lost motivation a couple of times, and then i edited the whole thing thinking about continuing, but i got accepted into my exchange year programไธi literally have no time now to focus in delivering a full on chapter of almost 10k words, with all the details i have written down i want to add & finish the series. but as soon as its over i will re watch the tv show and you will get the rest of the chapters. i'm terribly sorry its taking me this long ๐ฅบ๐
โ๏ธใ คwhat i think should have happened in s5ใ ค1527wโโ cautionใ คone curse wordใ คusual st loreใ คno proofreadใ คโก ใ คstranger things conformity gate theory,ใ คand. the twist we deserved ! .ใ คโธโธใ คclick to other works .
And so it was over. With the last touches of his fingers against the keys of the typewriter his sister had given him, Michael finished the story he had been working on for the past months. A quiet โThe Endโ in a half-filled piece of paper, and he felt his heart shrink in his chest. Tight, as tight as a last minute hug before saying goodbye, and his hands loomed over the letters like it physically hurt him not being able to continue. But the story was over, and there was nothing he could do about it.
After all those months, sitting in his childhood room, typing and typingโฆ
He breathed, and closed eyes, keeping the air deep inside. The tension in his throat built up for a couple of seconds, until he forced a rushed inhale into his lungs, almost choking. Choking into air, suffocating, and struggling with the words he could not stop repeating in his mind: itโs over, itโs over, itโs over.
And yet, he still could see the last words he had typed into the paper, dark over white, and they were unsettling. He had his old notebook, the one he used to write down everything he had wanted to mention in his novel, always near in case he forgot any plot pointโbut he had the feeling something was missing. He read the words again, placing them into his mouth and dissecting every bit like he could find what he couldnโt see, and then he realised: there was nothing missing. There was nothing missing because everything was wrong.
Frowning, he stood up. That was definitely not possible. He had worked too hard, the awaited product of his effort could not be just wrong in the end. It felt wrong, but it could not be like that.
After all those months, sitting in his childhood room, typing and typingโฆ
He refused. Mike took the last page off the bailer, a little bit too harshly, and stacked it with their siblings in the pile he had been building up, completing the final draft. He turned it, cover facing him, and the sentence he had scribbled so long ago as a provisional title attacked him like a slap in the face. Such violence in words of that childish sincerity, โFriends donโt lieโ.
The grief that bubbled in his throat made him realize how the last trace of the โeโ was shaken up, trembling as his hand had trembled when he had written it for the first time, and he closed his eyes when they wandered into the following lineโa line that was supposed to appear in the first pages, as a dedication.
โBecause the right friendships wonโt say anything but the truth, and the worst monsters will relish in deceiving you. Find the friends that wonโt lie to you and donโt ever let them goโ.
And those were the words he had been able to come up with. Words that stung and cut open a wound that felt still too raw. So he had to change it.
He had to, because the mere thought of having a book that showed a part of him that was still so unhealed was unbearable. The book was not even that close to a reflection that worked with that title, anyways. It had been even silly, to think that the spirit of a story like the one he had wanted to tell could come close to the real significance of that sentence. And still, he felt like he owed it to his friends.
After all those months, sitting in his childhood room, typing and typingโฆ
From the beginning, he had written that story for him, for his own sanity. But as the days went by, he had found the strength to share it because of his friends. The ones that had been there since before all the events that shaped his childhood, through every single campaign and after their graduation. Will, with his bashful demeanour; Lucas, with his gummy smile; Dustin, with his crescent moon-like eyes; and Max, and that burning wit of hers.
All of them had looked at him from that frame on the wall, just near the window, and he had occasionally looked back at them when he thought he was losing perspective. When he realised the story he had meant to write was turning different from the one on the paper in front of him, and that all he wanted to do was to crash the typewriter against the floor and run to his basement.
But he sat in his childhood room, typing and typingโฆ
He had prohibited himself to go to the basement, anyways. It had been years now, since the last campaignโthe day he and his friends had said goodbye to his past and instead had looked at the future with a hope they hadnโt allowed themselves to feel for months. The basement was a place for games and a childhood he couldnโt return to anymore, so he promised himself he didnโt need to go downstairs.
He had stayed in Hawkins, though. While everyone had tried their luck in other cities, with other lives, he had stayed in his childhood house, sat in his childhood room, typing and typing.
Typing until his hands got cramps, typing until he couldnโt feel his fingertips anymore.
And now that it was over, he should feel relievedโinstead he knew in his gut something was wrong.
The story was good. Michael had always been the best storyteller of the party, he had no doubt of what he had wanted to tell, or how he had written it. That was not the problem. He could read every word a thousand times, a million times, and memorize every paper until he had it tattooed in his brain, and he would still feel the way his ribcage slowly closed over his lungs, air faltering.
Over the months he had been enclosed, typing and typing and typing, the thuds of the keys had been his only company. A partner in his journey, a friend. The piercing clack-clack-clack had echoed in his room and in his ears and in his head, and it hadnโt stopped until that morning of November. Now there was some sort of crackling around him, an empty space between Michael and the rest of the world.
He could feel the soft curve of the pile between his hands, but not the birds chirping anymore.
There, in his childhood room, where he had been typing and typingโฆ
There was static, the sort of electricity in the air that made you shiver before the coldless air around you, that made the hair in your nape go up in anticipation of something badโhe could feel the wrongness of it all, but he couldnโt pinpoint the why. Why the sudden creepy environment, why everything seemed normal and horrifyingly incorrect at the same time.
His mind was blurry, like someone had tried to rearrange the past to change the future, like heโd had his memories altered in order to preserve something greater, like he wasnโt really in control of himself anymore, or maybe he had felt what was it like to feel in control for the first time in a long while. The heavy weight of his tongue inside his mouth, the neverending throbbing in his templesโฆย
Michael stopped breathing, for a second, and closed his eyes.
It was okay, he was okay.
He had gotten dizzy, probably. He had to get a grip.
What had he been doing, anyway? That could alter him that much?
Just sitting there, after all those months, in his childhood room, typing and typing and typing and thenโ
Everything fell apart.
In a haze of ash and flames, he opened his eyes. He had been thrown into the asphalt, rough under his hands, and hell had opened in front of himโthe floor had split into a crimson scar, and death was coming for him. Death dressed in a faceless head, thick skin, and sharp, bony arms. The creature emerged from the ground and ran towards him, dreadfully blossoming his features into lines and lines of drooling teeth.
He only had time to rushedly stand up, not fully understanding what was going on.
He heard the roar, and his hands were shaking when he tried to protect himself from the imminent attack. He was not able to look, or run, or scream...
He knew what happened next, he had been there before.
The creature came running, he held his breath and closed his eyes andโ
A screeching sound cut through the air as he realised he was not dead. Not dead then, not dead now, but the demogorgon was still there, suspended in front of him, its greedy, deathly hand drawn back, ready to deliver the final blow. Freezed, paralyzed, every bit of its body trembling in agony.
On the other side of the chaos, another body trembled as well.
Chest forcefully going up and down, eyes unfocused but looking at him, and hand held up in tension.
Will Byers had just stopped a fucking demogorgon with his mind.
In a second, in a thought, he had saved his life.
โช โโโโ โโ๐ก๐ข๐ช ๐ง๐๐๐๐ถ๐ก๐ โโ โซใ คโถใ คhellooooo tumblr! i was not planning on coming back at all BUT stranger things !!! what happened with stranger things and the international psychosis over the confromity gate... that's the whole reason i'm here. anyway, i wrote this and i hope u enjoyed heh โโโโ โโ โโโโ โโ โโโโโโ โโ โโโโ โโ โโโโโโ โโ โโโโ โโ โโโโโโ โโ โโโโ โโโโ โโ โโโโ โโ โโโโ๐๐ถ๐๐&๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข๐ !
production of maars ! do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works.ใ ค
