home is where the heart is — n. sully x fem!reader
you and your lover have always been inseparable, so it is no surprise that neteyam brings you along with him and his family to awa'atlu. you miss the forest dearly, and after a frustrating day amongst the metkayina villagers—you and neteyam get into a rare argument. it doesn't take you long to realize that home would always be where neteyam was.
content: hurt to comfort, a bit of angst but it's okay cus neteyam's always there to save the day <3
arugments between you and neteyam came far and few between and were about as rare as catching lightning in a bottle. he was reasonable and impossibly soft when it came to you, and you both would always resolve your disagreements before they'd even get the chance to go too far.
the two of you have been together for a long time, so it was only natural for you to follow him and his family to awa'atlu. it was hard leaving behind your own loved ones, your friends, and your home of so many years—but neteyam had comforted and supported you through all of it, and that was all you needed.
unfortunately, neteyam was your anchor in this new world you found yourself struggling to fit into. you haven't seen him since he kissed you goodbye this morning at sunrise to go on a day-long hunt with the other men of the village, and it's well past eclipse when he finally does return.
his instincts are on high alert the moment he enters his family's marui and sees his hammock empty. everyone else is sleeping peacefully and blissfully unaware, but the spot where you were supposed to be was void of your usual presence.
he's ducking out of the marui moments later in a panic, tail thrashing behind him frantically and heartbeat racing. why weren't you in bed this late at night? his feet hit the sand as he takes off running, searching all the areas nearby for you—and when neteyam does find you, it's off near the shore curled up against a large rock, knees pulled to your chest
"yawne!" he calls out, and your head whips around at the sound. you wipe the last remnants of your tears and shift to face him. neteyam reaches you quickly and kneels beside you on the ground out of breath, eyes searching your face wildly with concern and confusion
"what are you doing out here, my love? why aren't you sleeping? i thought—"
the words come out soft, wobbly and sad in a way that has his heart sinking, and he stills beside you. he seems to be thinking about what to say before carefully speaking up
"i... i know, sweet girl, but—but we can't. you understand this, yes? did something happen while i was gone?" he questions gently, but when neteyam reaches out to hold your face, you move away from his touch
his expression twitches as if you've physically struck him, but you avoid his gaze
"it's your fault i'm even here." you finally whisper.
his face is overcome with devastation in an instant as your words strike him square in a chest, painful in a way that has his breath catching. he shakes his head as if he doesn't want your words to be true before finally finding the strength so speak
"neteyam... i love you more than words can ever say, but i want to be alone right now." you murmur, and he nods feverishly
"go lay in the hammock. i will—i will set up another hammock for myself, but i cannot leave you outside alone this late at night. come back, okay? we'll talk about this more tomorrow morning." he pleads in a dejected voice so unlike him, and something in your chest cracks open at the sound
you finally tilt your head towards him, and neteyam can see the dried tears that run down the slope of your cheeks. you nod wordlessly, and you both walk back to the marui in silence.
neteyam stays true to his words, setting up another hammock right beside your own and laying there instead. when he wishes you goodnight queitly, you don't respond, curling in on yourself and trying to fight back the burn behind your eyes. you know you've hurt him when you watch neteyam shift and turn his back towards you.
today had been awful—you were struggling just as much as the rest of the sully family, but you normally had neteyam by your side to guide you through it all. breakfast had consisted of one of the elders snapping at you in front of many others because you'd picked the wrong fruits out. midday, one of the villagers assigned to teach you the basics of weaving had made a comment about the children being more useful then you, and dinner was just stressful—not anything like the peaceful meals you were used to back in the forest.
you wished for neteyam more times than you can count in all those moments. but, with him being been gone the entirety of the day, you had come to the chilling realization that you simply wouldn't survive without him here.
what were you doing? the thought hits you suddenly as you sit up in the hammock an hour later, unable to fall asleep. you look towards neteyam, sleeping alone with the muscles of his back tensed, and your heart lurches suddenly.
you're out of your hammock in an instant, crawling into his and winding your entire body around his. you press a tender kiss onto the seam of his lips, and he stirs slowly
"i'm sorry, i'm so sorry, none of it's your fault, 'teyam. i just had a bad day." you whisper as his lashes flutter open, and you watch his expression soften the moment the weight of your words settles in
"...if you are upset, talk to me. i swear i will always listen, because i'm always here for you." he murmurs, pressing a kiss onto your lips as you finally allow yourself to smile
neteyam doesn't hesitate to shift until your body is positioned on top of his, and he adjusts himself so you're comfortable, face pressed against his chest like you usually slept with his hand settled against the slope of your spine
"i love you so much, yawne. you know this, right?" he whispers
"i know. and... i know that home was never in the forest... it's with you. where ever you may be." you reply, and a small sound of surprise catches in his throat as he clutches you tighter, burying his face into your hair—it was a rare moment of vulnerability from neteyam, but he still manages to let out a breathless laugh
"then we'll be okay, because we'll always have each other."
