i finished one of us about a week ago and still cant stop thinking about it it's easily the best fanfiction ive ever come across heres a little drawing inspired by this story and tysm for creating this masterpiece🥹🫶
stop omg I literally am going to cry 🥹 this is so beautiful and you are unbelievably talented. thank you so much! you perfected this in every way and I am in complete awe. 🤍🤍
Be Mine - Neteyam x Metkayina ! reader (fake dating)
summary: the one, where neteyam pretends to court the reader to avoid all of the nagging from his parents and a group of admirers. of course, it doesn’t take long for her to fall for him too
warnings: none really, pure fluff, fake dating trope, jealousy, loak x tsireya canon, events take place five years after the battle between the metkayina and the sky people, so aged up characters
wc: >12k
a/n: now that i finished writing this, i realized that i wrote an avatar version of bridgerton, lol </3 if you enjoy this, i love getting compliments and reblogs
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Everybody knew about Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk'itan, ever since his family first stepped into your village. His blue skin, golden eyes, and the strange tail, were easily the talk of almost every conversation among your peers. Yet, despite the obvious physical differences, there was always something about him that fascinated you, lured you in.
Many things changed after the Battle at the Three Brothers. With the help of your soul sisters and brothers Tulkuns, and joined by the great Toruk Makto, your Olo’yektan had an upper hand and a decisive victory over the sky people. It was a victory to be passed down in stories to your future generations and to be celebrated gloriously among the clan. This year was marking its fifth anniversary, with a big celebration that would last the whole night.
Since that battle, Neteyam has truly transformed into a man, earning approving and respectful looks from all around him. His forest upbringing never held Neteyam back from growing into his place among the Metkayina: his once slim shoulders broadened, matching the most skillful divers, height increased, and his muscles started showing without even flexing. In addition to his looks, his physical appearance never betrayed his personality. It seemed like Neteyam had the purest, kindest heart amongst all, always rushing to help the villagers with their chores, big and small; whether it meant fixing up a canoe, carrying baskets of food, or sometimes even babysitting, that is if he had time. His father was reluctant to stop the training with his sons, just in case of another attack from the sky people, so Neteyam rarely had any time for himself.
Guys wanted to be his friends, while the girls were fawning over him, hoping to become his mate. It was no secret that now, being of an age to pick the one for himself, parents’ sudden attention and admiring looks were following him everywhere. But Neteyam didn’t rush to choose.
Unlike his brother, Lo'ak seemed to have his life all figured out, especially when it came to matters of the heart. Falling for Tsireya, Lo’ak had many expectations to live up to, if he wanted to be with her. After all, she was the daughter of the chief, and a tsakarem, the future Tsahik of Metkayina. And while at first, Tsireya’s parents were hesitant of the bond she was forming with the forest boy, Lo’ak’s family spoke for himself. His father had played a significant role in the victory at the Three Brothers, providing guidance and knowledge that helped secure their win. Lo'ak also worked hard on himself to earn her parents’ approval. So the day, when Lo’ak finally returned home with Tsireya's necklace around his neck, a symbol of acceptance, was the day when Neteyam felt the weight on his shoulders double in size.
You were no different from the other girls adoring Neteyam, as you had also developed a crush on him during your teenage years. It was unavoidable, really. Before you grew out of your friendship with Tsireya, the two of you used to be quite close. So when the Sully’s first moved to Awa'atlu, and Tsireya was assigned to guide the kids, you were often hanging around them too.
But it was easy for you to accept that you were never going to be an equal match for Neteyam. He had many admirers who were stronger than you, more skilled, more talented, and had respected families. Everything came into the play, and you were losing at every aspect. So, you have successfully suppressed this silly crush for years, before you could finally push it to the very far back of your mind and forget about it. Instead, you occupied yourself with your learning.
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Despite not being friends anymore, Tsireya and you have always maintained a polite demeanor towards each other. Now it did feel a little strange to be paired with her for the gathering of pxorna’ fruits, but you had to follow through. As per tradition, the entire clan was divided into groups to prepare for the upcoming celebration, and you were assigned to work together. Even though climbing tall trees wasn't exactly your strong suit as a water Na'vi, protesting wasn't an option: after all, the sweetest fruits were always at the very top. So, to make the task easier, you and Tsireya took turns climbing the trees and picking the fruits, then one would lower the bag for the other to catch and store into the big woven baskets provided. This method ensured that the bag wouldn't become too heavy for you to carry back down.
Ready to lower another batch of fruits, you call out to Tsireya to catch it. But instead of a response, all you can hear is her laughter. Surely enough, when you look down, you find her engrossed in a conversation with Lo’ak, completely ignoring you. You try to catch her attention one more time, before huffing under your breath, and deciding to climb down by yourself. You clutch the bag tightly against your chest, but as you get closer to the ground, some of the fruits start slipping out of your grip. Your hand reaches out instinctively to catch at least one, when you suddenly begin to lose your balance. You can almost imagine the damage to your back muscles, once you will hit the ground, when a pair of hands help you down on the ground.
“I got you,” you hear an accompanying voice.
“Thank you,” you blink in surprise, as you find Neteyam Sully to be your savior.
“You spilled some but they should be good,” he grins at you, as he crouches down and starts gathering the fruits from the ground.
Quietly, you empty your bag into the basket, throwing a glance at the other basket. It’s almost empty. You sigh out of frustration. There was still a lot of work to do, but Tsireya now seems to be completely distracted. At this rate, you’ll never finish.
“Lo’ak, that’s enough,” Neteyam grabs his brother by the shoulder, interrupting his chat with Tsireya. An amused smile creeps up on your face.
“Come on, bro, let’s stay,” Lo’ak gestures to the trees around him, “At least, there is work to do here. You know the area where Ronal sent us for fruit is dead.”
“I don’t care, if we have to gather fruits from the dead trees,” Neteyam tries to pull him but Lo’ak stands his ground, “Lo’ak, you know that whatever Ronal decides is not up to discussion.”
“Bro, we spent an hour climbing those trees for nothing,” Lo’ak points to the empty baskets they brought, “If we stay here, we can help out the girls and gather for ourselves too. No one has to know.”
“Neteyam, please,” Tsireya pleads.
“Ah, what the hell?” Neteyam shakes his head before breaking into a toothy grin, “But these baskets are gonna have to be full, Lo’ak.”
“Sure.”
You roll your eyes at how easily Neteyam agrees to the empty promise. You weren’t close with Lo’ak but even you knew how often he got into trouble for not keeping his word. It doesn’t take long to confirm your suspicion: while you and Neteyam are occupied with the task on hand, Lo’ak and Tsireya disappear from underneath the trees.
“Great,” you huffed, emptying yet another full bag into the basket.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help,” Neteyam says with a gentle tone.
You watch him empty out his bag into your basket too, instead of his.
“You don’t have to do that,” you feel guilty. Does he always work harder to overcompensate for Lo’ak’s behavior?
“I don’t mind.”
He takes it so light-heartedly, you wonder if it’s a daily occurrence. You stare off into the direction where Tsireya and Lo’ak had previously disappeared.
“Don’t you find it annoying?” you ask him curiously. Surely, even he must have his limits.
“They mean well, give them a break,” Neteyam chuckles, nudging your shoulder.
“You know if you keep covering for him all the time, he will never learn his lesson,” you shake your head, “Lo’ak will be the only adult who doesn’t know how to take care of simple chores.”
“He’s not that hopeless,” he laughs, finding your reaction amusing, “He’s just a kid in love.”
You don’t disagree with him, instead falling quiet. There was no place for you to talk about his brother’s behavior, you weren’t close.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be discussing your family matters like this.”
“No need to apologize, Y/N,” his gaze softens, “Besides, wouldn’t you prefer a forest Na’vi climbing the trees, instead of Tsireya? I promise I am much better at it.”
“Of course you are,” you return his smile.
The two of you get back to work, with mostly Neteyam picking the fruits, and you filling up the baskets. Despite your initial annoyance with Tsireya for leaving you, you seem to enjoy working with Neteyam way more. He’s quick and attentive, and you are grateful for him overtaking the climbing part, because you were always a little clumsy when it came to physical activities.
Soon enough, the baskets are nearly full, so you decide to regain your strength and take a break. Neteyam peels fruits for the both of you, and you sit under the trees, enjoying the shade.
“Hey, did you make that bag?” he suddenly points at the pocket attached to your belt. It was a small woven bag that you had on you all the time, in case you found beads or rocks you could put to use.
“I did.”
“It looks great,” Neteyam smiles, “I’m not surprised though. You always had golden hands.”
“That is not true,” you disagree.
“Are you joking?” his smile grows wider, “Y/N, you make the most beautiful items. I see people approaching you everyday for help. Do you know anybody else in the village who is as skilled at weaving as you?”
“Well…no,” you shake your head.
“Believe me, you really have a talent for it.”
It wasn’t just weaving that he was referring to. You were pretty handy when it came to making jewelry, also clothes, and headpieces. When you first indulged yourself in weaving, eager to learn to make beautiful pieces for yourself, you never expected that it would turn into a hobby. Your expertise soon expanded to other things too, like making resin weapons, toys, you even took up pottery. Eventually, people noticed and started approaching you with small tasks here and there, and you were glad to help out. But your clan didn’t have a name for your occupation, so you never considered yourself to fit into one.
“Remember the ceremonial belt you helped me make? It still holds up incredibly,” Neteyam reminds you with a toothy grin.
Of course you remember. It was exactly four years ago, when one night, Neteyam came to your marui, ears pressed flat against his skull in embarrassment. He had to explain the reason for his late visit in front of your parents, saying that he had only the night to make his ceremonial belt. It took you by surprise, because Neteyam wasn’t known for slacking off. He just didn’t think that it would be so difficult to make a damned belt. Scolded by his parents for not starting out sooner, he was then too embarrassed to ask them for help, so there he was instead, asking for yours. Having a soft spot for Neteyam, your parents allowed you to help him, despite the late hour. You two barely caught any sleep that night, working on the belt, making sure that it looked special, different from the other guys’. Neteyam watched your movements attentively, eager to learn, so sometimes you would pass the belt back to him to practice.
“I see you still wearing it sometimes,” you smile.
“You really helped me out back then, I was going to get skinned if I didn’t have a belt by the time for my ceremony,” he pauses, “I still owe you for that.”
“Nonsense, no one owes me anything. Neither do you,” you shake your head, “I like helping.”
“You can’t possibly help everyone with nothing in return.”
“I mean, people bring me food here and there,” you chuckle.
“No gifts?” he quirks his eyebrow.
“Not so much. I can make my own gifts,” you shrug, “But Mateä brings me seashells sometimes.”
“Seashells? Do you like those?”
“Oh, they make necklaces and cover ups look so lovely. Of course, they’re a little tricky to work with but it’s worth it,” you explain, “And Mateä always makes sure to bring the most beautiful shells he can find… Sometimes, he even lets me have the ones he picked for himself.”
You knew Mateä ever since you were kids. He was only a year older than you, but he was very mature for his age, way more than anyone you knew. Mateä was also one of the most skilled swimmers in your clan, which allowed him to swim outside of the perimeters and discover great depths. So whenever he had a small task for you, like fixing up his spear, or making an armor for his ilu, in return he would bring you the most unique-looking, colorful shells he could find.
“Why would Mateä pick shells for himself?” Neteyam squints.
"He probably just likes them," you shrug, "But there were times when he asked me to make a shell necklace for him, but then he would insist that I keep it for myself because he knew how much I liked it."
“So he makes you make your own gifts?” Neteyam snorts.
“Hey, that’s rude,” you give him a playful slap on the arm, “It doesn’t matter. I have many beautiful things thanks to him.”
“I’m only kidding… I just think that he might like you, that’s all.”
“Maybe.”
You don’t deny his accusation, partly because there is some truth to it. Mateä’s and your fathers were close friends, so they were quite happy with the possibility of you and him bonding some day. And while growing up there was no pressure on either side, the two of you had always felt that something might happen. You were never opposed to the idea anyway. Mateä was a good match for you: he was admired for his strength and swimming, and he was very respectful towards you. And even when you had your little crush on Neteyam, you still knew that Mateä was a more likely option. More recently though, you suspected that Mateä was eyeing you too. He just never made a move… not a direct one anyway.
“Is he taking you as his date to the celebration tonight?” Neteyam interrupts your thoughts.
“Are we supposed to bring dates?” you ask, teasing. Sure, some brought dates to celebrations to make their bonds known but it wasn’t a requirement.
“Exactly! My father wants me to bring a date, like this isn’t a celebration of a battle.” he emphasizes the last word with his thick accent, clearly annoyed.
“Why does he want you to bring a date?” you cock your head.
“Because I lied,” he blurts out, a guilty expression covering his face.
“Lied?”
“That I am courting someone,” he cringes, “Even though that someone doesn’t exist.”
“Why would you lie about courting someone nonexistent when you have dozens of girls ready to be swept away by you?” you stifle a laugh, “Especially Zìsmì.”
“Please don’t mention her,” Neteyam rolls his eyes, “I don’t mean to sound rude but Zìsmì is very persistent. I sometimes have to turn directions to avoid running into her.”
“That’s kind of mean,” you decide to tease him, saying that with a stern tone, like you mean it. Neteyam shifts uncomfortably.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s rude of me to talk about her that way,” he begins to apologize but stops at the sound of your laughter.
“I’m only joking, Neteyam,” you tilt your head back, “Don’t worry, everyone knows how pushy Zìsmì can get. If the two of you were ever to become mates, she would dominate you completely.”
“Thank you!” he agrees eagerly, “Please tell that to my parents. They have been so persistent that I reciprocate her attention. I mean… just because she is a good hunter and has respected parents, doesn’t mean I click with her.”
“Is that why you lied?”
“Yeah… I just didn’t think it through. I only said it to get them off my back for a while,” he explains, his voice low, “But when I told them that I wanted to keep it a secret for a bit longer, they got too excited. So sometimes, they kick me out of the house to go on my secret dates.”
“Secret dates?”
“I kind of told them that the girl I’m courting hasn’t told her parents yet, that’s why we have to hide.”
“For a lie you didn’t think through, you sure had many details to add,” you’re amused by the clear regret on his face, “So they want to meet her tonight?”
“To confirm that I am not lying. After all, it’s been going for over a month now,” he sighs.
“A month?”
“I know, I’m going to get skinned,” Neteyam hides his face in his palms.
“Skinned by whom? Dad or Zismi?” Lo’ak’s voice interrupts your conversation.
Hand in hand, Tsireya and Lo’ak emerge from the trees and sit in front of you. She throws a concerned look at Neteyam.
“Dad, of course” Neteyam breathes out, still not lifting his head, “I can deal with Zìsmì later.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Lo’ak smirks, “By the way, you owe me, bro. Zismi was going to invite you as her date tonight.”
“What?” Neteyam looks up at his brother, “How do you know?”
“Oh, she asked me in the morning. She was looking for you, and then told me that she wanted to invite you.”
“What did you say?”
“I told her that she shouldn’t because you already had a date,” he shrugs.
“Lo’ak,” Tsireya groans, disappointed, “Now your brother will have to apologize to her, once she catches on the lie.”
“I am so dead,” Neteyam grunts, “If I could only have a little more time to think about it, I’m sure I can figure it out. But it’s like she’s conspiring with my parents against me.”
“Maybe you just need to finally turn her down,” you suggest, earning a chuckle from Lo’ak, “What?”
“Neteyam and rejecting someone don't go in the same sentence. He would rather run and sneak around the village, than tell someone that they annoy him.”
“I just don’t find that type of conversation pleasant. Or necessary,” Neteyam objects.
“They are necessary if the person doesn’t get the hint,” Tsireya adds, “Remember when Nauru -”
“Please don’t remind me of Nauru,” Neteyam interrupts her with a pleading voice.
“What did Nauru do?” you ask, now curious.
“Oh, you don’t know?” a grin stretches on Lo’ak’s lips, “It was insane.”
“It’s not funny, Lo’ak,” Tsireya shushes him, turning to you, “At first, it was kind of sweet. Nauru would leave gifts for Neteyam by his marui. But there was this one time she left him flowers, and, of course, she didn’t know that some of those were poisonous. Neteyam almost lost a finger because of her. She would also follow him everywhere, even show up to his hunts, almost earning an arrow in her head by another hunter. It was getting out of hand, and Neteyam had to reject her directly and ask her to give up.”
“Enough about Nauru,” Neteyam groans, “What am I going to do now? Even if I do turn down Zismi, I’d still have mom and dad to deal with.”
“You’re right,” Lo’ak agrees, empathizing with his brother, “I’m sure you’ll like someone eventually, but we both know how impatient our parents can get.”
The four of you fall silent for a moment, contemplating a solution to Neteyam's situation. But somewhere deep down in your heart, you feel a little relieved that he didn’t have his eye set on anyone yet. You are also partially grateful to your parents for not pressuring you in the same way. It must be hard having the Toruk Makto for your father.
“I know what to do to win more time, Neteyam!” Tsireya excitedly interrupts your thought process, “Remember the time Ao’nung asked Sìlälaw to play along, as if he was courting her?”
“That was pretend?” you ask. Surely, you missed out on a lot of things by not being friends with Tsireya anymore.
“Of course,” she says, like it’s obvious, “Before finding his mate, Ao’nung was getting scolded everyday by our mom and dad. So, he asked Sìlälaw to help him out, pretend like he was following her around, and she just didn’t like him back.”
“I don’t have time for that,” Neteyam shakes his head.
“No, hear her out, bro,” Lo’ak holds up his palm, “It worked once, right? Mom and dad stopped bothering you, when you lied about courting someone. Just show up this once, with anyone, and that’s it.”
“And afterwards?”
“Just lie,” Lo’ak exclaims, “Say that it didn’t work out or something, who cares.”
“And when it doesn't ‘work out’,” Tsireya chimes in, “You can win some more time by being ‘heartbroken’ and ‘not ready’ to pursue another girl yet.”
“It seems so excessive,” you comment, considering the plan, “Isn’t it easier to tell the truth?”
“The truth doesn’t work,” Neteyam lets out a painful chuckle, then turns to his brother, “Where would I even find someone to agree?”
“Now that’s tough,” Lo’ak hums, “Half of the girls are swooning over you, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“What about Y/N?” Tsireya points at you.
“What about me?” you raise your eyebrows, confused.
“You don’t care for Neteyam like that,” she starts explaining, “And, you’ve had Mateä running after you for years now, but he still hasn’t even asked you out yet. Maybe if he sees you with Neteyam for one night, it’ll make him jealous and finally give him the push he needs.”
Neteyam snorts, like it’s an unlikely possibility.
“Mateä is never going to act out of jealousy, he’s not like that,” you object, “What if he stops speaking to me afterwards?”
“Then we will send Neteyam to talk to him. Neteyam will tell him that he’s heartbroken over you, and that you rejected him for Mateä,” Lo’ak chimes in, “He will dig for some information, nudge Mateä to confess to you. It’s so easy, like it was written in the stars.”
You can’t really find a flaw in Lo’ak’s suggestion. Maybe receiving a confirmation about your feelings is just the thing Mateä’s waiting for.
“Still, I’m not crazy. Do you even know how much pressure it would be to face all those girls?”
“Right, I shouldn’t be putting Y/N into such a position,” Neteyam supports your point.
“Y/N doesn’t have to face them at all. You can turn down those girls easily because you’ll have a perfect excuse. They would be too embarrassed to approach Y/N.”
“I guess,” Neteyam hums, “What do you think, Y/N? I mean, no pressure, but I would owe you for the rest of my life.”
“I don’t know,” you shrug your shoulders. It just feels icky.
“Come on, Y/N, for the sake of our past friendship,” Tsireya pleads with you.
“Okay… it’s just for one night, right?” you agree. It wasn’t.
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You feel like your heart is about to leap out of your chest, when Neteyam takes your hand in his. You take in a deep breath, heading towards the celebration with him. Lo’ak and Tsireya walk ahead of you.
It feels odd to be wearing Neteyam’s necklace instead of your own. That was the courtesy of Tsireya, who was convinced that once anyone saw you two exchange your necklaces, they would be convinced that the courting was serious.
“I’m scared,” you admit through your teeth.
“Thank you again,” Neteyam whispers, squeezing your hand.
“Come on, guys,” Lo’ak turns to the two of you with an excited smile, “Act natural, okay?”
You nod your head but you’re not sure how you’re going to survive through the night. The closer you get to the celebration, the more people start noticing you. Hushed voices and gasps is all that catches your attention, even though Neteyam walks right beside you. Why does everyone look so surprised? You almost feel offended by the looks you get. Were Neteyam and you really that incompatible?
The four of you take a seat around a small fire, pairs of eyes watching your every moment. You can’t help but sense Neteyam’s nervousness traveling down his body.
“You alright?” you whisper.
“Not really,” he admits, “Have you seen my parents yet?”
As you scan the crowd of Na'vi dancing and singing, your eyes land on Neytiri talking to someone. Jake stands beside her but his attention seems to be elsewhere, as he occasionally looks around him. Both of them are wearing celebratory clothing that is slightly more elaborate than any of yours. After all, it was a testament to their importance in the victorious battle.
“It looks like your father is looking for you.”
“Shit,” Neteyam lets out, nervously. You can’t help but laugh at his reaction.
“Keep it up,” Tsireya says, “The more relaxed you seem, the more believable this will look.”
She gestures at the two of you, and as you look down, you notice how close you and Neteyam are pressed to each other. It’s like you’re trying to hide from the attention you’re getting.
It’s not long before you catch Mateä watching you from afar. Your heart beats faster, when his eyes travel to your hand still intertwined with Neteyam’s. He gulps down, and you wonder if he feels jealous.
“Mateä’s looking,” Neteyam points out, “You want to take it up by a notch?”
“What do you mean?” you turn your face to him, confused.
There is a hint of playfulness in Neteyam’s eyes before he slowly leans in, his mouth close to your ear. You shudder under his breath.
“Pretend I said something funny, and laugh,” he whispers.
“I can’t pretend to laugh,” you whisper back, annoyed, “Can’t you just tell me something funny?”
Neteyam pulls back slightly to look at you. There is an amused smile resting on his face.
“We’re really bad at this, aren’t we?”
“You think?” you quirk your eyebrow at him, earning a small laugh from him.
“Okay, this can work too,” he says. You can’t help but smile at him.
But when you check for Mateä again, he’s nowhere to be found. Your smile drops. What if you hurt him? As if sensing your sudden change in mood, Neteyam gently squeezes your hand.
"Are you alright?" he asks, “Is Mateä still looking?”
“No, I think he walked away,” you mumble, standing up, “I’m going to get us something to drink, okay?”
“Alright,” Neteyam mumbles back, watching you leave.
“Are you crazy?” Lo’ak slaps Neteyam on the arm, “Go with her, or they’re gonna eat her up alive.”
Following Lo’ak’s gaze, Neteyam sees Zìsmì with her friends. He quickly gets to his feet to follow you but you have already disappeared in the crowd.
“Y/N,” Zìsmì’s voice catches your attention.
Sighing, you turn around to face her. She has a coy smile on her lips, as she takes you in from head to toe. You wait for her to talk.
“The necklace, did you make that yourself?” Zismi points to your neck, pretending as if she didn’t recognize it right away.
“It looks a lot like Neteyam’s necklace,” one of her friends says, before you could even open your mouth.
“That’s a little weird,” Zismi comments.
“You have a good eye, it is Neteyam’s necklace,” you gather as much confidence as you can, watching their expressions change, “He gave it to me.”
“Why would he give you his necklace?” Zismi scoffs.
“Because I wanted to see it on her,” you suddenly hear Neteyam’s voice, as he appears next to you, “Everything Y/N touches, basically turns into a lucky charm.”
The girls stare at Neteyam, their eyes widened. Again, you feel a little offended. Why is everyone so surprised that he likes you? Before you can react, Neteyam gently pulls you by your hand.
“We have to go, girls,” he throws with his most polite smile.
Feeling their stares like daggers in your back, Neteyam moves closer to you and wraps his arm around your waist protectively, leading you away from the prying eyes.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he cranes his neck to whisper.
“It’s alright, I’m not scared of Zismi,” you turn to look at him, “Unlike you.”
“Very funny,” Neteyam rolls his eyes.
His arm is still firmly wrapped around your waist, as the two of you continue walking. The warmth of his body against yours feels almost comforting, despite the curious glances you receive. Neteyam seems to notice it too, as he tightens his grip on you, pulling you a little closer to him.
"Just ignore them," there is a hint of annoyance in his voice. You wonder if it’s bothering him more than you.
As you get closer to the big fire, you hear a loud cheer erupt from the crowd. Instinctively, you want to find out what’s happening. A chuckle of disbelief escapes from your mouth, when you see Neytiri and Jake dancing around the fire, to the fast rhythm of the drums. While Neytiri’s movements are gracious and fluid, Jake’s are… Well, Jake is trying his best. She throws her head back in laughter, when he makes an awkward movement, but no one else dares to laugh at the Toruk Makto, except for his mate. Suddenly, he sweeps Neytiri up into his arms and twirls her around the fire. The Na’vi cheer them on and on, clapping their hands in amusement.
You join in on the clapping, caught up in their infectious joy. When you turn to look at Neteyam, however, you notice that he's cringing.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“They are acting like little kids,” Neteyam huffs.
“I think it’s sweet,” you nudge him with a smile, “Loosen up, Neteyam.”
“How can I?” he rolls his eyes at you.
“If your father can relax for one night, so can you,” you push him into the circle, with a loud shout, “Dance, Neteyam!”
Neteyam stands frozen for a moment, clearly embarrassed by your sudden action. His ears lower, and he tries to step out of the circle, but Lo’ak nudges him back in. The music picks up and the crowd cheers louder, but Neteyam stands still, clearly irritated by your behavior.
You can’t watch him anymore, so you jump to his rescue, and take his hands in yours. He tries to resist at first, but it doesn’t take much convincing on your part to get him to loosen up. As you embarrass yourself with the silly movements and faces you make, you finally coax a smile out of him. You don’t care about the others watching you, you only focus on getting him to dance with you. Soon enough, Neteyam’s confidence grows, and he starts to move more freely to the rhythm with you. You hold onto his hands, feeling the warmth of his touch, and beam with adoration as you watch him give in.
Other couples start joining in, and the circle becomes more crowded. People start pressing closer, pushing you and Neteyam towards each other, with barely any space left. His hands instinctively find your waist, yours rest on his biceps, holding him in place. You’re not sure whether it’s the heat of the fire, or it’s just him, but you feel warmer and warmer, every time his eyes meet yours.
“You okay?” you smile, noticing drops of sweat rolling down his face, “It’s too hot here.”
Before he can answer, you lead him out of the crowd. You catch a look from your parents’ from afar, and can only roll your eyes at them. You know they were going to question you about tonight but you don’t want to think about it for now. At least they don’t seem to be mad?
Distracted, you turn around, nearly colliding with Neteyam's parents. They look a little lightheaded, and you suspect they've had a drink made from the pxorna' fruits you gathered earlier. Quickly, you bow low and bring your fingers to your forehead in greeting. Neteyam shifts uncomfortably beside you.
“Son… and Y/N,” Jake looks between the two of you with an approving smile.
“Y/N, are you the one Neteyam was hiding from us?” Neytiri asks curiously.
“Mom,” Neteyam tenses up, “Let’s not make her uncomfortable, please.”
Neteyam looks so stressed, you wonder how his parents believed his lies in the first place. Maybe they were blinded by the excitement?
“We’re just glad that it’s been her this whole time,” Jake says, smiling at you, “You’re very talented, Y/N.”
“Thank you,” you reply, shying away from the compliment.
“We were worried that Neteyam was lying just to avoid us,” Neytiri explains.
Neteyam and you chuckle nervously, hoping that this isn’t her smart way of cracking you.
“Are your parents aware?” she asks, scanning the crowd. You quickly draw her attention back to you.
“They are now… I am sorry that Neteyam had to keep this a secret from you, that was my wish,” you lie, “It is just that my mother likes rushing into many things, and I still needed some time to get to know Neteyam.”
You weren’t completely off; your mother did have a tendency to rush into things. If she had known that you were open to dating Mateä, she would have already told him by now.
“No need to apologize,” Jake chimes in, “If anything, I feel bad for forcing your hand.”
“You should feel bad,” Neteyam grunts but you can sense that he’s holding back from saying more.
“It’s alright, I’m happy to be here tonight with Nete,” you pat Neteyam on the back.
Dropping a nickname seems to be just enough to convince them. You notice the satisfied smiles settle on their faces.
“Ma’Jake, let’s leave them alone. After all, it’s their first outing as mates,” Neytiri murmurs, pulling Jake by his hand.
“We’re not mated yet,” Neteyam cringes, but she only finds it amusing.
“It is only a matter of time, you are your father’s son after all.”
As the two of them walk away, laughing, Neteyam takes a deep breath to calm himself down. You can sense how embarrassed he feels, knowing what you heard. But you didn’t mind it all, he has no reason to be this upset.
“Are you okay?” you nudge him but Neteyam refuses to look at you, “Hey, don’t be like that.”
“I just...I didn’t think it would be this hard,” he admits, looking down.
“What would be hard? Pretending to be in love with me?” you tease, craning your neck to see his face.
“No,” he doesn’t even crack a smile, “I’m sorry for getting you into this mess.”
“You don’t have to apologize, I am enjoying this,” you take his hand in yours, finally getting him to look at you, “Besides, we’re almost done, right?”
“Right,” he nods.
“Now, come on, pretend that I said something funny and laugh,” you playfully repeat his words. Neteyam's lips twitch into a smile before he breaks into a genuine chuckle, causing your heart to skip a beat. You love the sound of his laughter.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
“You two look so good together, I am not ready for this to be over yet,” Tsireya beams, as she plops down in front of Neteyam and you. Lo’ak follows her suit.
“Maybe you should keep it up for a little longer, bro. The way you were dancing - “ Lo’ak starts to imitate Neteyam’s dancing but Neteyam slaps him.
“Stop that, skxawng.”
“Just ignore him, Neteyam, you were great out there,” Tsireya says softly.
“Seriously, being less tense suits you,” you agree, noticing Neteyam hiding a shy smile.
“I got to admit, it wasn’t bad at all,” Lo’ak straightens up, “I just haven’t seen you dance since Naye.”
“Let it go, Lo’ak,” Neteyam grunts.
“Who’s Naye?”
“Neteyam’s first crush from back home,” Lo’ak snickers, enjoying how far he can push his brother, “Neteyam was so in love with her, he couldn't even talk to her. So this one time, during a celebration, he decided to express his feelings by dancing for her.”
“Well, what did she say?” your ears perk up in anticipation.
“She just pretended like it wasn’t happening and walked away,” Lo’ak breaks into laughter.
“That’s not funny,” Tsireya covers Lo’ak’s mouth with her hand, “It’s alright, Neteyam, we all had our share of silly teenage crushes.”
She unintentionally throws you a knowing look, for support, but Lo’ak immediately catches on.
“Who did Y/N have a crush on?” he asks.
You stiffen, feeling their gazes intensifying on you.
“It doesn’t matter now,” you try to switch the topic but Lo’ak doesn’t seem to give up.
“It shouldn’t matter then, if you say it,” he pushes, “It can’t be that bad.”
You let out a sigh, knowing that you won't be able to get out of this.
“I used to have a crush on Neteyam,” you admit as laughter erupts.
You shoot daggers at Lo’ak, who is now rolling in the sand, while Tsireya tries to cover up her laughter. You turn to Neteyam, who looks at you with a shy smile on his face.
“Before you say anything, I feel like I should clear this,” you hold up your hand, “It was just a fleeting crush before I got to know you. And it disappeared. So please don’t feel uncomfortable.”
“So you’re saying your crush disappeared right after you got to know him?” Lo’ak asks, another wave of laughter hitting him. Shit. That’s not how you wanted it to sound.
Neteyam only rolls his eyes at his brother, while Tsireya tries her best to keep a straight face.
“I’m sorry, we just sneaked some of the pxorna’ juice,” she explains.
“I can tell,” you grit through your teeth. You have now truly understood the embarrassment Neteyam felt a moment ago.
“Y/N, please don’t take this to heart,” Tsireya rests her palm on your thigh, “Who cares what happened five years ago? We know you’re interested in Mateä now anyway.”
“Yeah,” Neteyam clears his throat, agreeing, “It was a silly crush, right? It’s all in the past now.”
You nod, but you can't shake off the feeling of unease. You couldn’t help but wonder if Neteyam was relieved that he didn't have to reject one more girl, or if he was secretly disappointed that you were interested in Mateä instead of him.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
When Neteyam asked you to keep up the fake courting till the hunting festivities to make his heartbreak more believable, you agreed. The festivities were supposed to begin only in a few weeks, to mark the beginning of the hunting season, so you thought it wasn’t a big deal. You could wait. Besides, it seemed like things were looking up for the two of you.
Neteyam was finally getting some time for himself. His father had started to ease up on him, cutting short his training. Knowing that Neteyam was supposedly courting you, Jake wanted to give his son a chance to focus on that.
The past few months had been so tough on Neteyam both physically and mentally, that all he wanted to do was rest and recharge. So he would often use that free time to drop by your marui and ask to take naps on your floor, while you were working on whatever project you had. Since your parents were mostly out, letting you work in peace, Neteyam’s quiet snoring was no burden. And if anyone was visiting you to ask for help with their items, they would only throw an amused look at sleeping Neteyam and leave you two alone, helping you keep up your fake image without much effort. Sometimes, you would catch yourself watching him too, admiring the peaceful expression on his face, as he slept. Of course, this didn’t escape your parents’ attention, as they were peppering you with questions about Neteyam’s intentions almost every night. But you mostly ignored their inquiries, focused on the simple pleasure of being able to help Neteyam.
Slowly, the girls who used to fawn over Neteyam not too long ago also started to lose their interest. Especially with Zismi's parents informing Neytiri that they were considering another match for their daughter. Neteyam felt relieved by the idea that he didn’t have to reject anyone anymore.
On the other hand, you started noticing more efforts from Mateä. Even though you feared that he wouldn’t act out of jealousy, Mateä seemed to be persistent in seeing you more often than he usually did. Whenever you went for a swim, he was right there with you, trying his best to make you laugh. Whenever you would carry a heavy basket, Mateä sprung to your side to help. Not to mention the beautiful seashells he started to bring you without particular reason. It seemed like any day now, Mateä was going to confess his feelings for you. Neteyam didn’t seem particularly pleased whenever he witnessed your interactions, but you only assumed it was an act.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
As you rounded the corner to your marui, you suddenly spotted Neteyam pacing around it. You hesitated to approach him as you could hear him mumbling something under his breath. It was almost like he was practicing some sort of speech. Instead, you carefully lowered yourself into the water and swam closer to your home, hiding just underneath. You were close enough to hear him and avoid being seen. You weren’t going to eavesdrop for long, you just wanted to find out what he’s doing before revealing yourself.
Neteyam suddenly stopped talking, and for a second, you thought that he had spotted you. That is until, Mateä came into your view, stopping by the entrance to your marui. You watch quietly, as the two of them exchange a brief greeting.
“Is Y/N here?” Mateä gestures to the marui, but Neteyam shakes his head, “Oh, I guess I thought she’d be here with you.”
“Why would she be with me?” Neteyam asks, with a slight annoyance in his voice.
“Aren’t you courting her?” Mateä asks, confused, “Or are those just rumors?”
“No, it’s true,” Neteyam seems to get his act back together. For a second, you were worried he would accidentally reveal something, “But Y/N is not tied to me every minute of the day, so…”
“So it is true that you’re not mated yet,” Mateä mumbles under his breath.
“Did you have something to pass to her?” Neteyam asks impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest. What is he doing?
“Actually, I'd prefer to give it to her myself," Mateä matches his tone, clearly not liking the possessiveness Neteyam radiates.
“If it’s another thing you want her to make for you, she’s been busy lately,” Neteyam scoffs.
“It’s not a task, I brought her a gift.”
“Let me guess, more seashells?” Neteyam rolls his eyes. What is wrong with him?
“That’s right, I know how much she likes those,” Mateä steps forward.
Seemingly unfazed, Neteyam takes a step forward as well. You shift, thinking of interrupting them before things start to escalate. But Mateä doesn’t seem to be in the mood for an argument. Instead, he brushes past Neteyam towards your marui.
"I'll leave them on her table. Tell her I brought them for her when she comes back," Mateä says over his shoulder. "Actually, don’t bother. She'll know they're from me anyway."
Neteyam watches in annoyance as Mateä disappears into your marui. You can almost hear him exhale loudly, trying to calm himself down. Maybe Neteyam’s just having a hard day today, you think. Perhaps something to do with his father? When Mateä comes back out, he leaves without a word.
Quietly, you swim to the back of your marui, and get out of the water. You pause before rounding the corner, and approaching Neteyam. Upon seeing you, he forces a small smile.
“Neteyam,” you greet him.
“Hey, Y/N,” he scratches the back of his head, nervous.
“Are you here for another nap?” you tease him, proceeding into your marui.
“Actually… no,” he follows you in.
You hum, waiting for him to elaborate, as you start taking out some of the supplies you gathered from your bag. It’s then that your eye catches the beautiful green shells laid out on your table. Neteyam stands awkwardly by the wall, watching your reaction.
“Who brought those?” you turn to ask him.
“Mateä,” Neteyam answers, “I forgot to mention. He was here earlier to see you.”
“Too bad I missed him,” you say, testing his reaction, “But it’s weird that he hasn’t asked me out yet. What do you think? You’re a guy.”
Neteyam has to physically restrain himself from cringing at your words. It takes him a second to regain his calmness, before putting on that fake voice he uses around his father.
“It is weird. He should have asked you out a long time ago.”
“Maybe he just doesn’t like me enough,” you turn your attention back to the shells.
“Nonsense. He’s just a coward,” you hear him scoff.
Surprised, you look at Neteyam again, studying his face. There is a mix of frustration and shame on his face. It's hard to tell if he's getting possessive over you, or if there's something else that's bothering him.
"Is everything okay?" you ask softly, trying to gauge his reaction, “You seem to have a problem with Mateä.”
"Everything's fine. Just... he always seems to hang around you lately," he says, his voice trailing off.
“Well, wasn’t that kind of the point?” you gesture between the two of you, referring to the fake courting.
“I guess,” Neteyam hums, you wait for him to continue, “I just don’t like that he acts like a coward.”
“Maybe if you stop scaring him away…” you mumble under your breath, but he’s quick to catch it.
“You don’t want someone who is so easily intimidated anyway.”
You don’t respond, confused by his behavior. Quietly, you start painting the pot you left unfinished last night. Neteyam falls silent too, watching you. He can’t understand what you see in Mateä. It just doesn't make sense to him. Neteyam also can’t understand why Mateä hasn’t made a move yet. Does he want you to choose him over Neteyam first? Or was he giving you other options, so you don’t have any regrets afterwards?
“You said you wanted something?” you interrupt his thoughts.
“Um, right,” he clears his throat, “It’s kind of awkward.”
You put down the pot and turn to face him, suspecting that it is going to be something good.
“What is it?”
“Well… apparently we’re not convincing enough,” he looks down at his feet, awkwardly, “People think that it’s just a rumor, that I’m courting you.”
“A rumor?” you frown, “But we’re hanging out all the time.”
Is he referring to Mateä’s words? Surely, if there was a rumor like that, Tsireya would have mentioned it to you a long time ago. She was keeping you updated.
“No one ever sees us together outdoors, not after the celebration,” his voice gets a little higher, “I was just thinking that we could take it up by a notch?”
“Well, what did you have in mind?” you tilt your head, curious. Neteyam’s eyes widen at your quick agreement.
“I take you on a date?”
“A date?” you smile, “Alright.”
A toothy grin spreads across Neteyam’s face at your response, causing your cheeks to flush with heat. You can't help but wonder if the two of you were getting too involved in this, and whether it was going to get in your way. But you can't deny the excitement you feel at the prospect of a date with Neteyam. Even if it’s a pretend one.
“What should I wear?”
“Anything pretty, and don’t worry about ruining it. I won’t take you into the water,” he says confidently, like he has everything planned out already.
“Okay,” you agree, reaching for one of the shell-necklaces you made for yourself. You raise your hand to show it to him, “How about this?”
“Hmm,” Neteyam pretends to think about it, as he leans against the wall.
You watch him with an amused smile stretching your lips. You rarely get to see a playful side of Neteyam but you love it when he acts like this.
“I think I have to see it on, to decide,” he finally says his verdict, before cracking a smile.
You roll your eyes but comply anyway, walking up to him and shoving the necklace into his hands. As you turn around and move your hair out of the way, Neteyam carefully begins to tie the necklace around your neck. You can feel his hands shake slightly, as he takes his time. When he’s done, and you turn to face him, Neteyam is standing too close to you.
“Do you like it?” you meet his eyes, unable to put a distance between you.
“I do,” he breathes out.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
“Hey, Y/N, just dropping by for that pot. If it’s ready,” Tsireya walks into your marui, catching you off guard.
You had just put on a delicate pearly top you’ve made for yourself a while ago, and were trying to see if the ties in the back were in place. Tsireya gasps at the sight of you, bringing her hands to her mouth.
“Did you make that?!” she beams at you, “You look beautiful, Y/N, it suits you so much!”
“You think? Not too much?” you quirk your eyebrow, pushing her for the truth.
“Not at all,” she answers with a knowing look, “Are you going to see Mateä?”
“No, not Mateä,” you shake your head. Tsireya looks at you confused, and you suddenly feel awkward having to explain yourself, “Neteyam wanted us to have a fake date somewhere public.”
“Oh,” that’s all she says.
It’s easy to see when something is bothering her. After all, you have been friends for a long time, you knew Tsireya like the back of your hand.
“Just say it,” you urge her to speak.
“I just think that you shouldn’t drag this out for so long.”
“But Neteyam kind of needs me to keep playing into it,” you explain yet she doesn’t seem convinced, “Besides, Mateä has been showing more interest recently, so it works for both of us.”
“It doesn’t work for you and Mateä,” Tsireya disagrees, “You need to drop this, and Neteyam has to speak to Mateä before it’s too late.”
You don’t answer, considering her words. Tsireya is right, perhaps you should wrap this thing up. It was only supposed to be for one night, right?
“Unless… you like him?” Tsireya looks at you, suspiciously.
“Who?” your voice hitches.
“Seems like you’re starting to like Neteyam again,” Tsireya lets out with a sigh. She hated keeping things from you, but she also couldn’t lie.
Your cheeks flush with embarrassment. Deep down, you suspect that she might be right. Neteyam was quickly starting to work his way back into your heart.
“I am just helping him out, Tsireya. There’s nothing between us,” you lie.
“I just think that this is not worth it… you and Mateä can have something really great.”
“The pot is ready, right over there,” you point to your table.
Tsireya throws an apologetic look at you, and picks up the pot, thanking you. She senses that you don’t want to talk about Neteyam anymore, and decides to give you time to think.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
“Neteyam?” you frown, as he keeps gawking at you, without a word.
It has been a few moments since he saw you walking out of your marui, and he still hasn't said anything. You begin to feel anxious about your appearance. Is it too revealing? Are the pearls too much? You just wanted to look like you were going on a date.
"You look like a beautiful syulang," he finally breathes out, admiring your look.
“You mean it?” you take a step closer to him.
“I do, you look very pretty,” he confirms, but takes a step back. You notice that he keeps his hands behind his back, as if he's trying to hide something.
"Thank you," you reply, "What do you have back there?"
“Uh, I brought this for you,” he says, bringing forward something wrapped in a large green leaf.
You can't see what's inside, but you assume it's fragile, given how carefully he held it. As you take it from him and begin to unwrap, Neteyam observes your every move with anticipation.
"You really didn't have to bring me anything, Neteyam," you say, meeting his gaze for a moment, “It's not like a real date anyway.”
"I wanted to," he responds shyly.
As the wrapping comes undone, you see a handful of small, delicate yellow flowers. They're unlike anything you've ever seen before, petals shaped in a unique swirl in the ends. As you bring them closer to examine, you gawk back at Neteyam.
"Let me show you something," he smiles.
Without waiting for your permission, Neteyam takes your hand in his, opening your palm and holding it above the flowers, throwing a shade. The yellow flowers begin to glow with a soft, natural luminescence.
“How come I’ve never seen these!” you beam, earning a satisfied grin from him, “This is very special, thank you.”
“I’m not a very good diver, so I can’t get you those shells you like,” he confesses, “But I saw these glowing at the top of the mountain when I was flying last night, so I went back for them this morning because I thought you might like them.”
“I don’t need you to bring me shells, Neteyam, these are very special,” you carefully pull him in for a hug with your free hand, trying not to squish the flowers. As Neteyam wraps his arms around your waist, bringing you closer, you close your eyes in comfort.
You were already thinking of ways to preserve the flowers, perhaps gathering some resin, and making jewelry out of them. Or something for your hair? Your marui?
“I’ll put them into water, so that they don’t die by the time I get back,” you say, pulling back from Neteyam.
“Don’t worry, I can always bring you more,” he smiles.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
Pretending with Neteyam had become effortless. As you strolled along the beach, Neteyam and you were just talking, catching up on the things that happened in the past years. Occasionally, you would make him laugh, and it warmed your heart to see him happy like that, carefree. Whenever you would notice someone watching you, Neteyam would ask you to hold hands with him to appear more serious. You agreed, of course, but Tsireya’s words were slowly weighing on you. You were letting it yourself get too invested, meanwhile Neteyam was only pretending.
As he walked you back to your marui, you could sense his growing nervousness.
“I think my neighbors are watching us,” you whisper with a smile, coming to a halt in front of the entrance.
“Are they big on gossip?” Neteyam leans in slightly, like he’s about to tell you a secret.
“Oh, very big,” you chuckle, “They are always asking my mother about you.”
“Maybe we should give them something to talk about,” he gulps down, bringing his face closer to you.
As Neteyam's eyes lock onto yours, you suddenly feel your heart race. You can't deny the tension between you, but you also can't ignore the possibility of this causing more trouble than it's worth. The thought of rumors spreading around the village about you and Neteyam kissing makes your stomach churn. Maybe this is too far.
“What do you mean, Neteyam?” you manage to ask, captivated by his eyes.
“Can I kiss you?” he whispers, so quietly, like he’s going to scare you away.
“It wouldn’t be a proper date without a kiss,” you mumble. It was supposed to be a joke, a snarky comment, but you sounded so desperate, so impatient to feel him.
Neteyam only nods, his gaze fixed on your lips. He leans in, then hesitates, as if asking for one last permission. You tilt your head slightly, your heart racing in your chest. And when he finally closes the distance between you, you feel his soft, gentle lips on yours. It's so delicate and slow that it feels like a dream, intimate and special.
When you pull away, you notice a small smile resting on his lips. You can’t help but shy away from his gaze, taking a step back.
“Well, I think that was convincing enough,” you joke, trying to sound nonchalant about it.
“Thank you for tonight, Y/N,” he says, straightening up, “Have a sound sleep.”
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
Your sleep wasn’t sound at all. You tossed and turned on your mat throughout the night, much to the annoyance of your parents. Your eyes kept being drawn to the bowl of flowers, casting a soft glow in the darkness. It reminded you of stupid Neteyam, of his stupid lips, and stupid captivating golden eyes that glowed the same way under the moonlight. You couldn't get him out of your head, and it was starting to drive you crazy.
Tsireya's warning echoed in your mind - this pretend relationship with Neteyam was going too far. You knew you had to have a serious conversation with him and move on with the final stage of the plan: turn him down. If not, you could ruin your chances of finding a real relationship. Without Neteyam.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
Early in the morning, with a determined stride, you make your way to the beach, where you spot Neteyam, training with his father and a group of guys. You don’t think through what you’re going to do, when Jake suddenly notices you.
“Good morning, Y/N,” he says, drawing everyone’s attention to you, “Anything I can help you with?”
You greet them, and gulp down, easily finding Neteyam’s curious gaze on you. Well, you have come so far, why not just get it over with?
“Can I speak to Neteyam for a moment? It won’t take long,” you turn to Jake.
Jake purses his lips, but nods at Neteyam, giving him a sign to go. He approaches you with a worried look on his face.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your training,” you apologize.
Neteyam obliges, when you lead him away from the beach, to talk in private. It’s still early, so most of the clan is asleep. You feel nervous under his patient gaze but you know it has to be done.
“I wanted to talk to you about us,” you begin. Neteyam nods, encouraging you to go on, “I know there’s still a week until the hunting festivities, and I promised to help you till then, but I don’t think I can.”
Neteyam’s eyes widen slightly, but he remains calm.
“Do you want us to stop pretending?” he asks softly.
“Yes, I think it’s for the best if we stop now. If we keep going on dates and…kissing, it might give people the wrong idea, and I don’t want that,” you answer, trying to keep your voice steady.
He looks down at his hands for a moment, thinking. You don’t interrupt him. He’s probably just trying to come up with the best way of telling his parents. He doesn’t seem saddened that he won’t be forced to spend time with you anymore. You’re the idiot who fell for her fake boyfriend.
“I understand, Y/N,” Neteyam finally says, meeting your eyes, “Thank you for helping me so far.”
“It’s fine,” you let out a breath, “Then it is decided. And Neteyam…we have to keep our distance from now on.”
Neteyam watches, as you walk away with a mixture of feelings. You're relieved, yet also disappointed that the fake relationship is over. You can't help but wonder if things could have been different between you and Neteyam, if only circumstances were different.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
The following days seem to stretch with a painful slowness. You feel lost, with a constant sense of longing that follows you like a shadow. The realization that you had fallen head over heels for Neteyam and can’t be with him hits you hard. You feel stupid but you can't help thinking about him all the time, trying to carry on with your day-to-day tasks. But it seems like everything is taking more effort than it used to.
Every now and then, you catch a glimpse of Neteyam from afar, and he looks just as sad as you feel. You can't help but wonder if he's just putting on a show for the sake of the rumors, to make it believable. You wish you could just talk but avoiding him is the right thing to do for now.
And as suspected, it doesn’t take long for rumors about you turning him down to start spreading throughout the clan. People notice that you two aren’t spending time together anymore and are avoiding each other. It is ironic, how they think that it's Neteyam going through a heartbreak, when in reality it is you.
When Tsireya comes to congratulate you on the successful plan, she tells you that Mateä has heard the rumors and was preparing to confess to you. But you don’t want Mateä anymore. Instead of sharing Tsireya’s excitement, you can’t hold back any longer, and break down in front of her, confessing your true feelings for Neteyam. It is freeing to finally let it out, to have someone to confide in. As she comforts you, it feels like you are friends again, if only for a moment.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
You got ready a long time ago. Your hair decorated with feathers and beads, face painted with white ceremonial patterns. In a few hours you would be joining the rest of the clan, to wish a farewell to the Metkayina hunters. The Tsahik would bless them with a prayer to Eywa, and after you sing your songs, the young men will leave. It was a tradition in your clan, that at the beginning of each year, the young hunters would travel by the water to an unfamiliar land. It was a test that every hunter had to pass, to learn to adapt in every situation and be able to stand for himself and for his allies. Sometimes, it would take them a few days to return back with a prey. Sometimes, it would last a full moon. It depended on Eywa’s guidance, and the hunters couldn’t return without receiving a blessing first.
Despite the value it held, the passage was still dangerous. It was painful for you to recall the instances when the groups returned with wounded or missing Na’vi. And although you were aware that it was Neteyam’s third time going on the hunt, you couldn't help but feel worried sick for him. Tonight, with the rest of your clan, you had to show your support, but your mind was contemplating not showing up at all. You didn’t want to see his face, afraid that it might make your heart break further.
There was still time for the ceremony, as you wandered off to the water, trying to calm down your nerves. It would be disrespectful not to go, you had to show up and pray to Eywa that she keeps Neteyam safe and sound. You’re so deep in your thoughts, it takes you a second to notice Mateä sitting down next to you. You force a small smile to greet him.
“Excited for tonight?” he gestures to the extra pieces of ceremonial clothing you’re wearing on your arms and legs.
“Just wanted to be ready in time,” you’re not sure how to respond. You knew Mateä your whole life, yet it feels awkward to be with him alone.
“I heard that you turned down the son of Toruk Makto,” Mateä emphasizes, you hum, “I will not lie to you, at first, when I heard about it, I was relieved. I thought that he doesn’t deserve you. But seeing you like this… it saddens me. I do not wish for you to be unhappy.”
“Thank you, Mateä,” you hang your head at his words.
“Listen, Y/N,” he says softly, “We have known each other since we were babies. And while I curse myself for not spending more of my time with you back then, I do not want to regret this chance too.”
You meet his eyes again, nervously. You knew him pretty well. When Mateä was sure about something, he confronted it head on. Whether it was a rejection or an acceptance, he wished to know the truth in order to move on.
“I always had my eye on you, Y/N,” he confesses, “What I didn’t realize that it was not just in a way one would look after their friend. It is shameful to admit but… it took me seeing you with another man to understand the true nature of my feelings. I like you, Y/N, and I wish to know if you feel the same way.”
You gulp down, tears filling up your eyes. The man you thought you could spend your life with was finally opening his heart to you, yet you didn’t want it. Your own heart belonged to somebody else. Oh Eywa, why couldn’t you enjoy what you had wished for?
“Don’t cry,” Mateä whispers, noticing the tears rolling down your cheeks, “Your heart belongs to him, doesn’t it?”
You can see the brave face he puts on, as you slowly nod your head. You feel so guilty and ashamed for admitting it to him. Mateä was really one of the only people in your life that you valued, and you were hurting him.
“I’m sorry,” you sniff, “If there was a way for me to make this better…”
“You don’t have to apologize, just don’t cry, okay?” he reaches out to wipe away your tears, and you nod again, “That is enough for me.”
You don’t feel like you even deserve his attention right now.
“Mateä, if I could take away the pain that I’m causing, you know I would in an instant,” you mean it.
"I know, Y/N. But you can't help who you love," he says softly, "Regardless of what you choose to do, just promise me that we can still be friends, alright?"
"Of course, Mateä, you mean a lot to me," you nod, grateful.
"Good,” he stands up with a small smile, “Now, let's go. We don't want to be late."
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
You quietly take a seat next to Tsireya, who is anxiously watching Lo’ak from a distance. Despite knowing how important it is for Lo’ak to partake in the tradition, she can’t help but feel worried for him. You lay your hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
“Lo’ak is a skilled hunter. You know that Jake takes training very seriously,” you reassure her.
“You’re right,” she nods her head, then turns to face you, “You came with Mateä... Did you talk?”
You nod, pursing your lips together. It’s not difficult for Tsireya to realize what happened. It was only logical that you would reject Mateä because of your feelings for Neteyam.
“Oh, Y/N,” she lets out, pulling you in for a hug. You feel like it’s comforting not only you, but also her.
As the rhythm of the log drums slowly picks up, everyone falls quiet. The Tsahik makes her way to an open space, and the hunters quickly surround her in a circle, kneeling down. It’s then that you see Neteyam, wearing his headpiece and armor, with bow and arrows attached to his back. You can’t help but feel a twinge of worry for him but you push the feeling aside, afraid that it might ruin his luck.
When the Tsahik’s voice fills the air with a praying chant, the hunters begin to sway in unison, seeking the blessing and guidance of Eywa for their upcoming journey. With the rhythm of the log drums, you find yourself lost in the moment too, closing your eyes and letting yourself be carried away.
Eventually, when Tsahik stops, the hunters rise to their feet. As per practice, they must bid farewell to their loved ones, in case they may not return. You can’t help but feel nervous because this part of the ceremony is usually long, and Tsahik allows everyone to take their time. You know that soon enough you will watch Neteyam making his way to his family, and it hurts to know that he won’t be saying goodbye to you too. With every passing second, you feel more anxious, and all you want to do is get away from there. So, when the rest of the clan starts moving, you stand up to leave without even looking in his direction.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
You rush through the trees, making your way into a small clearing, illuminated by the moonlight. You take a moment to breathe in and out with the sounds of nature, and eventually calm yourself down. When suddenly you hear a rustling of the leaves.
Your heart skips a beat as you see Neteyam making his way to you, with a mix of concern and confusion.
“Y/N, why did you run off?” he asks, as soon as he’s close enough for you to hear.
“Doesn’t matter,” you dismiss him, “Why are you here? You should be with your family now.”
“I already talked to my family,” Neteyam comes closer, and your breath catches in your throat, “But I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you.”
“Neteyam,” you’re so confused at his behavior. Did he feel guilty because you looked upset? He shouldn’t be here with you right now.
“Y/N, why did you reject Mateä?” he asks suddenly, catching you off guard, “Tsireya told me.”
You don’t answer, holding his gaze. He hated rejecting girls, you can’t burden him now, before his hunt.
“Was it because of me?” he pushes.
“It does not matter, Neteyam,” you try to brush him off, “You have a hunt ahead of you, you shouldn’t be here right now. Shouldn’t be making your night about my stupid actions.”
“How can I not make this about you?” he says, irritated, “Everything is about you now, Y/N. Every moment of every night and day, doesn’t matter what I’m doing, my mind is occupied with the thoughts of you!”
“W-what?” you stutter, caught off guard.
“So for you to tell me ‘it doesn’t matter’ if you rejected Mateä for me… Of course, it matters. It matters to me, because... Because I see you,” he lets out, breathing loudly.
You stare in confusion, as Neteyam’s eyes jump all over your face, searching for a reaction. All you can do is think about how much you wanted him to say those words to you. To tell you how much he liked you, longed for you, the same way you did for him.
“I see you too, Neteyam,” you manage to whisper, reaching your hand to cup his cheek.
A loving smile breaks on his face, when Neteyam pulls you in for a kiss. He is so desperate to touch you, to know that it’s real. You’re real. Happiness overwhelms you, as you smile against his lips, your hands gently cupping his face.
“I’m yours,” he whispers, resting his forehead against yours.
“I’m yours forever,” you whisper back.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
Did my best to upload this before my job interview tomorrow, so by the time I come back, I want you to leave your comments and tags!!! Seriously, I love that shit, it makes my heart melt. Especially when you submit questions
Description: You didn’t see the way Neteyam was longing for you, too caught up in why it was impossible anyway. But he was insistent that you were the one he wanted.
Warnings: really insecure reader, that’s all I think
The humans never came back, Neteyam is aged up (like both him and the reader around 19/20)
6336 words
You wished you were more special, you really did. Watching Neteyam being surrounded by all these pretty Na‘vi was breaking your heart, because you knew you would never have a chance with the Olo’eyktans son the way you were. You were just an average healer, even if you were good at what you were doing, you had never had the chance to learn from the tsahìk, that place was snagged by a more popular member of the clan, with influential parents.
Your father had died in the big war, your mother had just found out she was pregnant with you and you were sure she still wasn’t over losing him, even if she put on a strong face. Your mother was such a gentle soul though, always being there for you and supporting your decisions. She herself wasn’t a healer, she was responsible for foraging. You also were happy that she didn’t pressure you to find a mate, now that you were a full member of the clan, instead telling you to take your time, as the decision was an important one.
As if you could ever imagine being with someone other than Neteyam, your heart bound to be broken the moment he finally decided on a mate - which surely wouldn’t be you. He could pick from the strongest warriors, best singers or most talented healers, the most beautiful women of the clan. You were quiet and soft, gentle like your mother, not a hardened warrior or a confident singer - you blended into the background. You were somewhat acquainted with the Sully kids, having a few short conversations here and there with Neteyam too, his little sister Tuk had taken a liking to you, accompanying you into the forest when you had to pick new herbs and plants and Kiri was one of your few friends.
You watched the other girls throw themselves at the firstborn of Jake Sully a little longer, standing at the edge of the village, before being interrupted by the youngest of the family. „(Y/N)!“, Tuk hugged you around the waist, making you laugh softly and you took her into your arms. „Hello Tuk“, you greeted her and she excitedly pulled at your hand. „Can we go explore the forest today? Nobody wants to go with me and sa‘nu said I can go if you come!“, she jumped up and down with a cute grin, making it impossible for you to say no. (Mommy)
„Of course, where do you want to go?“, you gently stroked her head and let yourself be pulled along into the bushes and away from the commotion of the village. „Lo‘ak and Kiri told me about this really pretty clearing with lerìk flowers and I want to gather some“, she explained, leading you through the plants that were growing in your way. „That sounds awesome“, you giggled and were honestly kind of eager to see the clearing yourself - maybe you could pick some flowers for your mother.
What you didn’t know, was that Neteyam couldn’t take his eyes off of you when you left the village with his little sister. Eywa, he was awed by your beauty and the gentle nature you always cared for Tuk with. His parents were urging him to pick a mate since he had passed his Iknimaya, telling him that they didn’t want to put any pressure on him, but that the whole village was waiting for his decision. Yeah, no pressure at all, he thought with scoff.
He had made his decision already - it would always be you. But he didn’t know how to go about this, you were so quiet and soft, not throwing yourself at him like the others, he didn’t want to scare you away by coming on too strong. Lo‘ak was always teasing him about the way he had no problem facing a palulukan when it came down to it, but confessing his feelings to you - that’s were he couldn’t be brave.
„Do you want me to put them in your hair?“, you offered Tuk, the clearing really being a mesmerizing place. „Yes, yes please!“, she immediately plopped down in your lap and started humming one of her mothers songs. You smiled and started fixing the small purple flowers in her hair, one after the other. You loved slow days like this, the hustle of the village exhausting you quickly. Another reason why you weren’t the right one to stand next to the future Olo’eyktan, you thought and your smile dropped a little.
„You looked so pretty!“, you exclaimed with a grin and the little girl hugged you happily. „Can I do your hair too?“, she was already taking some of the flowers into her small hands, and you nodded in agreement, turning around so she could access your head better. You could tell she was working with utmost concentration. When she was done she ran around to your front, a huge smile on her face. „You look so so pretty!“, she giggled and you pulled her into your arms with a laugh. „Not as pretty as you syulang‘it“, you were tickling her and she writhed around in your arms a little before you let up. (small flower)
You two totally forgot the time, engrossed in making some flower crowns and when you finally looked up you saw it was almost eclipse. „Oh Tuk!“, you gasped, „we need to get back, it’s late already!“ The little girl looked up from her now finished work too, standing up when she noticed you were right. „Come on“, you smiled and held out your hand for her, you two trekking back through the forest that got darker and darker. When you were halfway there, you noticed Tuk got slower and slower and when you looked back, she was yawning so big you could see her cute little canines peaking out.
„Come here sweet girl“, you giggled and picked her up, her head immediately falling onto your shoulder. Eywa, she was so sweet it made you think of having children of your own, a family and a mate - in a fantasy that you pushed far away, that mate was Tuks oldest brother. You hummed slightly, walking through the now dark and bioluminescent forest in peace, knowing there were only a few more corners to turn before you reached the village again.
Suddenly you heard a twig snap behind you and froze. If this was some sort of predator, you were more or less helpless, a sleeping child in your arms and no real self defense skills - except some basics you were taught when you were younger. Your heart hammered in your chest, you eyes wide in fear and you slowly turned around, not wanting to startle whatever was behind you.
You let out a shocked gasp when you saw Neteyam standing right behind you with a concerned expression, then you felt immediate relief. „Don’t scare me like that!“, you whisper-yelled, but the worry in his eyes didn’t fade. „We thought something happened! Are you two alright?“, he stepped even closer, grabbing your shoulder with one hand and placing the other on Tuks back.
Your heart was beating so loud you were sure he could hear it, the heat rising to your face and you were glad it was dark.
„Yes we are alright“, you gave him a calming smile, feeling guilty for making his family worry, „I’m so sorry, I totally forgot the time today.“ You looked away from his intense stare shyly and adjusted your hold on the sleeping child in your arms. He still had his hand on you, and the place where it laid was tingling and the warmth from his touch was spreading through your body. „I’m glad you’re safe“, he said quietly and you could feel his stare on the side of your face.
Neteyam couldn’t stop staring. The way your freckles were glowing in the dark and your soft hair with the small flowers in it was falling over your shoulder, made him want to pull you into his arms, never to let go. Your gentle hold on his little sister was only fueling his imagination of a future with you. You would be such a great mother, preferably to his children. Eywa, the thought of you bearing another man’s children made the bile rise in his throat. „Come on, we should head back“, he shook the unpleasant thoughts off and gently took the child out of your arms, trying not to wake her.
As cute as Tuk was, she was getting heavy and you were glad Neteyam took over. But when he wrapped his tail around your waist, guiding you forward, you nearly stumbled and fell flat on your face. This was torture and bliss and the same time, your body was going crazy and you were happily sucking in every bit of attention he gave you, but you knew the more you would obsess over your feelings, the harder the inevitable fall would be. But you didn’t care in that moment, the tight grip he had on you and the way he would glance at you every so often made your heart flutter.
—————————
You sat in the shade of a tree close to the edge of the village with Kiri, the both of you busy with weaving new baskets for your herbs and healing supplies today. You sat in comfortable silence until Kiri let out a huge sigh, making you look up. „What is it?“, you giggled slightly at the annoyed look in her eyes. „My brother won’t stop staring at you, I swear he’s such a skxawng“, she chuckled and you were confused. „What?“, you asked and looked around until you locked eyes with Neteyam, who was sitting together with a group of young warriors fixing their weapons.
His eyes widened when yours met his and he sent you a small smile, making you blush and drop your gaze. „Don’t be silly Kiri, why would he stare at me“, you were sure that he was just looking around and accidentally met your gaze, Kiri liked to tease you after all. „What? Are you blind? Neteyams so in love with you it’s almost disgusting“, she giggled and now you were sure she was messing with you. „Kiri, why on earth would that be true?“, you looked at her so seriously her giggling stopped and she was slightly confused.
Kiri was honestly astonished, couldn’t you see the way her brother longed for you? „Why wouldn’t it be true?“, she asked back, putting down the basket she was working on and focusing her attention on you. „I know you like to tease me, but you shouldn’t joke about something like this. Kiri, he has so many more beautiful, more talented and more confident mates to choose from, he would never settle for me“, she could see the hurt in your eyes when you fiddled with your work, and it left her slightly speechless. „I’m not- I wouldn’t…I swear-”, you cut her off immediately. „Please, just let it be“, you whispered, and she decided to let the topic rest for now. She knew her friend was shy and quiet, but she didn’t know you were so…insecure about yourself.
You weren’t mad at Kiri for messing with you, she couldn’t know that the feelings you had for her brother were so serious that you didn’t allow yourself any kind of hope they could ever be reciprocated in fear of how much it would hurt in the end. You were sure she thought you had a crush on him, just like every girl in the village, and decided to tease you a bit. You could never be angry at her. But this conversation brought your thoughts back to the topic you normally tried to steer clear of, your concentration long gone, making you put your basket down and get up.
„I’ll see you at dinner?“, you tried to smile, and the younger girl got up with you. „(Y/N) I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad“, she looked so guilty, you softly squeezed her shoulder in encouragement. „It’s not your fault, it’s just…“, your eyes wandered off to where Neteyam was talking to Nansìt, a pretty singer of the clan, „…there’s no hope.“ You squeezed her shoulder one last time and walked off, needing some time to yourself. Would you ever get over these feelings?
When dinnertime finally came around, you sat in your usual spot with Kiri, at the edge of the circle so you could talk in peace. Both of you didn’t like to be the center of attention, your mother was always sitting with the adults and socialized. „Yeah and then Tuk jumped on top of-”, she paused, looking to the middle of the dinner crowd. You were looking where she was in wonder, eyes immediately falling onto Neteyam who was making his way towards you two. „Can I sit with you?“, he smiled down at you both, food in his hand and tail flickering behind him.
„Yes sure“, Kiri answered, your throat was clamped shut anyway. Neteyam chose to sit down next to you, his knee touching yours slightly, your ears twitching treacherously. And then the little traitor next to you decided to leave. „I forgot I promised mom to…watch Tuk“, she didn’t even try to find a good excuse, but you couldn’t concentrate on anything else than the way your stomach was tingling so much, you couldn’t even think of eating any more.
„Are you well (Y/N)?“, Neteyam smiled at you, noticing the way your ears twitched in his presence. Eywa, you were just so cute. „Yes I am, thank you, are you?“, you were still not looking at him, your pretty big eyes trained on the floor. Lo‘ak had convinced him to finally ask you to spent time with him today, he was still nervous, but he couldn’t wait anymore. He wanted you to be his. „I am good. (Y/N) I wanted to ask you something“, he took a deep breath, and you finally looked up curiously.
„Do you want to-”, he is cut off by a highpitched voice above him. „Neteyam there you are! You promised you would tell us about your last hunting trip“, it was Zetire, one of his many admirers. You immediately looked back down and he sighed. „I’m busy right now“, he normally wasn’t that rough, but he was annoyed, he didn’t want to spend any time with the other Na‘vi girls, he wanted to sit here with you. „Oh come one, I’m sure (Y/N) won’t mind“, when the girl mentioned your name you winced slightly, and all he wanted to do was take you into his arms and tell the other girl to leave you alone.
„No, no I don’t mind“, you quietly said and Neteyam wished you told him to stay, he honestly would do anything you would tell him. „See, come on then“, Zetire hauled him up by his upper arm, her touch uncomfortable and his eyes never leaving your form. He didn’t want to cause a scene though, he knew you didn’t like the attention. He would have to ask you tomorrow.
„He really is an idiot isn’t he“, Lo‘ak watched the scene with a shake of his head, his sister next to him already had her face buried in her hands. „They are impossible“, she groaned, she thought this was finally it, you could finally be happy. That stupid ngwang, why did she have to interrupt the moment! (Worm)
————————
You had been busy all day, and you were glad you were, because you had successfully suppressed the memory of dinner the evening before. You hated how you just crumbled under the gaze of the other female, you liked Neteyam so much, why couldn’t you be brave, why didn’t you ask him to stay. Not that you thought you were better company than Zetire, but even if you had the smallest chance with him, the way you were acting would surely destroy that immediately.
You were nearly wrapping up for the day, when someone stumbled into the healing tent. And your heart skipped a beat when you realized that someone was Neteyam. He had a few big scratches on his biceps, a few places still bleeding. „What happened?“, you immediately got up from where you were sorting some bandages, pushing the tall warrior to sit down on one of the cots. „It’s not that bad, just a viperwolf getting too close“, he explained and you looked at him with concern, taking out your healing supplies.
He loved the way you looked at him with those big eyes, worrying about his well-being. You would be the perfect mate he just knew it, and he would always provide for you and protect your smaller frame from any harm, being a good and worthy mate to you. He just had to convince you of that too. You registered his explanation with a soft nod, your small hands already working on cleaning and patching up his wounds. He just leaned back slightly, enjoying the feeling of your gentle touch on him.
You wrapped his biceps in a bandage softly, the bulging muscle making you flustered. His gaze was on you the whole time, and now that you were finally done, you were wondering why he didn’t go to his grandma about this. She was a more seasoned healer after all. „Why did you come to me? Was your grandmother busy?“, you looked at him with wondering eyes, about to stand up, but he pulled you back down next to him softly. „No, I wanted to come to you“, he smiled at you, his hand not leaving your arm, your tail swishing behind you.
„Neteyam“, you whispered slightly, obviously overwhelmed by all this attention, but Neteyam didn’t care, he couldn’t wait anymore. „Come fly with me tomorrow?“, he finally asked you the question that he wanted to forever, the idea of spending time alone with you making him giddy. You looked shocked at his suggestion.
„On…on your ikran?“, you were slightly terrified, not being a warrior yourself, you had never flown on a banshee before. „Yes, I would really like to spent some time with you“, his smile made you feel all fuzzy inside, he really wanted to spent time with you! „I will protect you, don’t worry“, he reassured you, softly squeezing your arm, and you felt yourself nod slowly. „Great, I’ll find you tomorrow“, he grinned, his tail swishing happily behind him when he left the tent. Oh Eywa, you really hoped your heart would live through this.
————————
You were nervous all day, completely distracted during everything you were doing and about an hour before eclipse, Neteyam approached you when you were hanging up some herbs to dry. „Ready?“, he was grinning again, his ears twitching slightly. „Yes sure, let’s go“, you took a deep breath, following the future clan leader into the forest. You could feel a few glares on your back, the other Na‘vi women seemingly not happy at the sight of him leading you somewhere where you would be alone.
It was hard not to get your hopes up, your heart grasping onto every small and oh so pathetic possibility of him returning your feelings. You walked in comfortable silence, Neteyam was vigilant about everything going on around him, his bow slung across his back. His toned, broad and muscular back. His tail was alertly swishing from left to right, sometimes the tip would brush your thigh, making your breath falter and your body shiver.
Neteyam had a hard time only brushing his tail against you every now and then, he could feel it made you nervous and he loved every second of it. But what he really wanted to do was wrap it around your thigh and keep you close, making sure he knew you were safe the whole way. When you two finally stepped out of the treeline and had a view of the hallelujah mountains, he called out for his ikran who landed infront of you two after a short while.
The mighty beast infront of you beating his wings intimidated you to no end, your hand immediately grabbing onto Neteyams arm. He sent you a smirk over his shoulder. „Mawey, just don’t look into his eyes“, he patted your hand softly, pulling you forward after he made tsaheylu with his banshee. You had to admit that the beast was mesmerzingly beautiful, but it could also crush you easily with one of its claws so you had your reservations.
The tall warrior loved how you clutched onto him for protection, proud that you trusted him enough to ride with him when you were so obviously scared of it. Before you could change your mind, he picked you up easily by your small waist, putting you down on his ikran and hopping on behind you. Normally if he took someone with him, they would sit behind him, but he figured you would feel more comfortable if he had your back. Also, he couldn’t wait to pull you into his chest, breathing in your scent and enjoying the feeling of you so close to him.
When the strong Na‘vi behind you pulled you close, caging you in with his muscular arms and taking the reigns, you couldn’t even focus on the foreign feeling of the animal underneath you, you were totally preoccupied with not passing out. „Are you ready?“, his breath warmed your ear, making them twitch slightly and without thinking you wrapped your tail around his calf. „Yes“, you were speaking so quietly you weren’t sure he heard you, but he wrapped his own tail around your waist in response and the ikran took off.
Your hands were gripping the saddle so tightly your knuckles turned light blue, but you couldn’t bring yourself to close your eyes, the vast of the forest beneath you and the floating rocks around you were just too memerizing. And you had to admit, tucked into Neteyam like this, you felt kind of secure. His scent enveloped you, making you calm down, but you were also heating up because of his strong chest pressed against you.
Neteyam made sure not to fly too rough, eventhough he would love to show off his skills, he felt you gradually relax against him and didn’t want you to feel unsafe. Your big eyes were in awe at the scenery around you, your scent making him feel like he could do this forever, he was already dreading having to let you go later on. Your tail around his calf made his ears twitch in excitement, everytime he flew between two close mountains it would tighten. He had never been this close to you, your embrace almost intimate, and he loved every second.
You two flew in silence for what felt like ages, the presence of the other enough to be content. But when eclipse rolled around and the bioluminescent forest started to come to live, you landed right where you started earlier. When you felt Neteyams tail slowly let go of your waist, your own tail hesitantly let go of his leg, you really didn’t want this dreamy evening to end and reality to settle in. He jumped down and helped you off his ikran too, holding onto your waist until the beast was gone.
„Thank you for taking me ‘Teyam“, you smiled when you finally found your voice again, a grin breaking out across his handsome face. „Thank you for trusting me enough to come“, he chuckled and you blushed, your gaze dropping to the floor and you missed the dreamy look on his face. „Are you going to attend the feast in two days?“, he asked you and a frown made its way onto your face. „I don’t know, I didn’t plan to“, you admitted and the unhappy look on his face tugged at your heart.
„I know you don’t like the hustle and big crowds, but I would really like to see you there“, he tried to convince you, taking your smaller hand and holding it to his chest, making you all flustered. He planned to lead you away from the crowd after a while and finally confess to you, asking you to mate with him. You still seemed unsure, but nodded softly. „I’ll be there“, you promised and the grin that broke out across his face was almost blinding.
——————————
Your brain was going haywire the whole time your mother was fixing your hair and pushing and pulling on your tweng and top. What on earth were you even doing here? You hated going to these big feasts, normally fleeing the village center and reading one of the books you got from the scientist in your hammock. And what were you even expecting to come from today? Neteyam was probably going to be busy anyway, his admirers were never going to let you near him. But the way you two were so close and touchy two days ago, made your hopes uncontainable.
„Why do you look so sad ma’ite? Aren’t you excited Neteyam wants you to be there?“, your mother stroked your hair softly, worry in her eyes. „I don’t know, I’m scared“, you grabbed onto her hand, and she pulled your head towards her. „Why?“, she asked, patiently waiting for your answer. „What if I’m interpreting too much into this? There are going to be so many pretty Na’vi woman there this evening. What if…I’ll get my heart broken tonight“, you whispered the last part, a thousand scenarios of rejection and humiliation running through your mind.
„I can’t believe someone as kind as the Olo’eyktans son would be so cruel ma (Y/N)“, she reassured you, and you just nodded halfheartedly. You knew Neteyam wouldn’t hurt your feelings on purpose, but if you saw this all wrong and he had no interest in you whatsoever - maybe he was just nice to you because you were so close to Tuk and Kiri - you would get your heart broken today. You wished you weren’t so shy and insecure, you would love to just enjoy this evening.
You arrived at the feast a little late, everyone already gathered, a few fires burning and music was being played. You were immediately stolen away by Kiri, your mother waving to you and telling you to have a good time. „I’m so glad you came! It would have been unbearable without you, I swear“, Kiri told you and you laughed at your excited friend, but your eyes were scanning the crowd for a certain someone.
„He’s not here yet, had to help Tuk get ready, she was throwing some kind of tantrum earlier“, Kiri smiled knowingly and you looked away blushing. „You two are so cute I swear“, Kiri laughed pinching your cheek, and you swatted her hand away unhappily. „Stop it“, you scolded her, but she just giggled, but then her face turned annoyed. „Oh, I’ll be right back, I see Lo‘ak sneaking off over there that skxawng“, she hissed and tried to catch her brother before he could do something reckless.
You smiled at their antics and settled down in a spot in a less crowded area, contentedly watching the people around you. „Did you hear?“, you heard a woman a few feet away ask her friend. „I overheard Neteyam has chosen a mate“, both of them were excited at their gossiping, but your heart stumbled slightly. „They said it is Zetire, they were seen in the village together yesterday“, the first woman spoke, and you were praying to Eywa that this was just a stupid rumor, your heart only just gaining a little bit of hope for itself. „They would make a perfect pair“, the other woman gushed, and you begrudgingly had to admit they were right. Had you really interpreted everything wrong?
„Oh look, there they are!“, you followed the direction where she pointed, and sure enough Neteyam was standing there talking to Zetire who was hanging onto his biceps. The women next to you were actually right, and everything you had let yourself believe these past days shattered inside of your chest. How could you have been so stupid! Of course he would choose her, she was a more than gifted singer and would stand strongly by his side. The thought alone made tears gather in your eyes, but you didn’t want the other clan members to see, so you got up to find a quiet place in the forest. Why did he even want you to come in the first place?
But you didn’t get very far, before a male voice interrupted you. You immediately knew it wasn’t Neteyam. „(Y/N), wait!“, but you didn’t stop, only coming to a halt when a big hand grabbed your upper arm, the touch making you uncomfortable. „Hey wait a second“, Terlsey grinned down at you, and you had to admit eventhough he was good looking, your heart would always be spoken for. „Do you want to join me for a dance?“, he looked excited and you felt bad for turning him down, but the picture of Neteyam and Zetire was still burned into your mind. „I’m sorry Tersley, maybe another time“, your voice was barely stable and the smile you gave was probably more pathetic than you wanted. „Nah don’t be silly, come on!“, you started to protest when he pulled you along, but before he could get very far someone else pulled you away from him vigorously.
Neteyam had been searching for you the moment he finally arrived at the feast, he was already annoyed at being too late. He perked up when he found you sitting in a quiet corner, and excitedly made his way towards you. You didn’t see him, and halfway there Zetire basically jumped him. „Neteyam! There you are, come on sit with us!“, she tried to pull him away, but Neteyam stayed where he was. He really didn’t have time for this.
„I can’t, I have other plans“, he explained, trying to pry her hand off of him, his eyes making sure you were still there. But you weren’t where he last saw you, instead you were standing a few meters back, together with Tersley. That annoying skxawng. You looked like you were uncomfortable, his protective instincts wanting to knock the man next to you out. His gaze darkened, completely tuning out whatever Zetire was babbling about and when that bastard grabbed onto your arm and tried to pull you away, he roughly shook the girl next to him off, leaving her pouting.
He rushed over and pulled you into his chest and out of the other’s arms, his heart unclenching a little bit at your proximity. „Don’t touch her“, he growled, his fangs baring and Tersleys eyes widened, his hands raising in surrender. „Alright, alright“, he scowled, but knew he had no chance against the future clan leader, ultimately leaving you alone. But what Neteyam didn’t expect was you shaking him off and quickly walking into the forest without a comment.
You couldn’t face him, you were embarrassed enough as it was, honestly thinking he could ever like you back. And him seeing you cry would be so humiliating, so you quickly marched through the dark forest, hoping that he wouldn’t follow you, your tears flowing down your cheeks one by one, your heart hurting inside your chest. But of course he was following you, he was probably pitying the poor, shy girl. „(Y/N)! (Y/N) stop!“, he was shouting behind you and you sped up, but after a few more meters he had caught you gently by your upper arm, pulling you around. „Please wait“, he was panting slightly, the tips of his ears dowturned with concern.
„Can I please be alone?“, you whispered, discreetly trying to wipe away your tears. „Are you crying? What did that skxawng do to you? Are you hurt?“, he was frantic, his eyes checking your body for injuries. „No it’s not about him“, you sniffled slightly and before you had a chance to escape, Neteyam pulled you down on a log that was behind you two. The bioluminescence of the forest helping you see his face, a few glowing insects flying in the air.
„What is it then?“, Neteyam was worried about you, the girl he loved was hurting and he didn’t know how to help you. When you attempted to shake off the hand that was still holding your arm, he let you go, but it hurt his heart that you didn’t want his touch. „It doesn’t matter, please“, you wouldn’t meet his gaze either, „you should go back, Zetire is probably already waiting.“ Now he was confused, why would he care about her?
„What? I don’t care about her waiting for me, my priority is you“, he was speaking quietly, trying to get you to open up to him. „Neteyam stop that, I don’t want your pity“, you turned your face away from him. „(Y/N) please, I don’t understand“, he was getting desperate, having no idea what was happening. You let out a deep sigh, wiping at your tears again and there was nothing he wanted to do more than his hands being the ones to dry them. „I heard you chose a mate“, you finally gave him something to work with, eventhough he didn’t understand why you were crying, he was certain you liked him too.
„Yes I did“, he smiled and tried to take your hand, but you pulled yours away, his smile dropping immediately. „She is a good choice, you must be happy“, you whispered and your hands were fiddling with eachother in your lap, your head turned down. „She is perfect, but I can’t say I’m happy right now, because she seems to be hurting and I don’t know why“, he moved closer to you, relieved when you didn’t move away. „Zetire seemed more than delighted, what do you mean?“, your eyes finally met his, and the sad, heartbroken look in them almost made him wince.
„What does Zetire have to do with any of this?“, he was getting frustrated, you could see it. „I don’t understand, she is the one you chose isn’t she? Or is it someone else? Nansìt?“, you thought about all the beautiful women who would immediately agree to be his mate. Suddenly his face got all serious, and his big hands firmly, but gently, grabbed your face as it dawned on him that this was some kind of cruel misunderstanding. „(Y/N), how could you ever think I would want anyone else but you?“, he sounded so sure of himself, and you felt like your heart stopped in your chest.
„Me? But I’m…I mean why would you want me? I‘m way too shy, I hate big crowds and I’m not even overly talented in what I do. The other girls would be a much better choice to stand by your side as the next Olo’eyktan”, your voice was quiet, but he heard you and immediately shot down any doubts you had. „I don’t care about any of the other girls. You are the one I want to mate with. Ma (Y/N) you are perfect, you are so gentle with everyone, the way you care for Tuk makes me yearn for our own children, you are always helping the ones who need it and you are such a talented healer. Not to mention you are beyond beautiful. You are the one I want to spent my life with ma tìyawn“, he pressed his forehead to yours, wiping your tears away softly.
„'Teyam“, you whispered, speechless at the realization that he actually returned your feelings. He smiled at the pet name. „I see you (Y/N)“, he softly stroked your jaw, your face heating up at his confession. Your hands hesitantly wrapped around his neck, a gentle smile lighting up your face. „I see you ma Neteyam“, you whispered, a grin breaking out across his face, his excitingly swishing tail curling around your waist and pulling you even closer.
His eyes darted down to your lips, and your stomach was tingling overwhelmingly at the thought of what would happen next. When you accepted his advances by leaning a little closer yourself, he couldn’t hold back anymore and he softly met your lips with his. The feeling was indescribable, you felt like your body was on fire - in a good, pleasant way. His lips moved carefully and his hands ran down your body, gripping your hips and pulling you onto his lap, making you gasp and break the kiss.
The girl in his lap was blushing madly, but he didn’t care, he was so thrilled that you returned his feelings, making him kiss all over your face excitedly. „'Teyam stop it“, you were giggling so adorably, and he stopped with a lovesick grin on his face. Finally having you in his embrace like this made him implode with pride. He would never let you go. „Please tell me you want to be my mate“, he wanted to make sure you were his. You nodded and he kissed you softly before shaking his head.
„I need to hear you say it ma txe’lan, say that you’ll be mine“, he murmered against your lips. „I’m yours Neteyam“, and that sentence alone made him want to take you to the tree of souls right now, his body telling him to claim you. But he didn’t want to rush you, tonight he just wanted to hold you tight and kiss you as much as you would let him. „Mine“, he hummed contently and kissed you with a little bit more vigor, pulling all these sweet sounds from you. „Yours“, you sighed against his lips, you couldn’t believe you were so lucky. But when he softly traced your lips with his tongue, one of his hands wrapping around your back to hold you as close as possible, you knew he was yours.
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That’s it! A more fluffy and less smutty one this time, I hope you liked it I’m not as happy as with my other avatar works meh..anyways leave some love!
Welcome to my Neteyam X reader series! This first part is kind of a slow burn to establish the plot so there is not much action as I hate when things are rushed. But it is cute and a bit fluffy 🤭 The events of The Way of Water never happened in this series, so this is based in the forest. Enjoy!
Neteyam is 19, reader is 18 in this series.
contains: slight fluff, as little use of y/n as possible, very minor mention of 🪦 (one time)
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For as long as you could remember, you had the biggest crush on Neteyam Sully.
You couldn’t help it. He was the sweetest man in the entire clan and he acted much differently from the others. Never cocky, never boastful. It made your heart skip a beat just thinking about how he had always unapologetically been him - a genuine sweetheart and over protective from the start.
The two of you were not strangers, in fact, his presence was quite familiar to you. Throughout your younger years he would protect you from the harsh words of the other kids after witnessing you being bullied the first time. Upon finding out you spent most of your time alone and had no friends, he invited you to hang around him and his siblings with a promise of belonging. You hadn’t realized what an honor that was until you got older.
His brother and sister, Lo’ak and Kiri, quickly took a liking to you and became the friends you never had. But unfortunately for you and Neteyam, the progression of your story was cut short. As the years passed his schedule became bombarded with training duties, leaving him busy basically 24/7 and eventually causing your friendship to become less of a priority. You were hurt, but you had to understand it wasn’t personal. Once he got to a certain age, his parents allowed him to have fun and hang out with kids his age less and less; giving him constant reminders of the shoes he would grow to fill. Apparently, he had to spend every living and breathing moment training for a position you weren’t even sure he actually wanted.
Growing up, your mother told you that crushes were very simple and lighthearted. Something that was meant to make your heart flutter and your cheeks rosy. But having a crush on Neteyam was actually the exact opposite. This was Jake Sully’s son we were talking about. Girls fawned over him everyday, rightfully so. But watching them trail closely behind him as if he were metal and them magnets made your heart pang with jealousy. You knew you would never have a chance, and even if you did, there were probably so many other girls above you on the imaginary list that already had his attention. He would surely never make it down to your name once it came time for him to choose a mate.
Loving him was like yearning for something you didn’t even know existed. It was like opening your mouth to speak but remembering you didn’t have a voice to use. You weren’t a hunter or a healer, you couldn’t sing and you most definitely were not the beauty queen of the clan. You weren’t anything special, so how could you ever think you had a chance to call him yours?
“Nete-yammm” A gorgeous, tall na’vi giggled with a sing song tone, reaching out to caress any area of his body that didn’t already have a three fingered hand touching it. You cringed at the sound of her voice. That was Eyiti, the daughter of an amazing healer in your clan and probably first on his list to be his Tsahik. You absolutely loathed her, the way her eyelashes batted in his direction and how her stride became flirtatious when he was around to make the long braid that covered her queue sway side to side.
You definitely had your reasons for disliking her, one of them being that when you all were younger she had purposely tripped you and caused you to faceplant in the mud right in front of Neteyam. He had so much faith in everyone that he hadn’t even seen her foot conveniently stick out in front of you when you excitedly walked towards him. Before he could reach an arm out to help you up his dad had whisked him away, reminding him he had responsibilities he needed to tend to and at this point girls were the least of his worries.
“Is there anything we can do for you? Do you need your hair re-braided? A massage maybe?” The group asked, snapping you out of your bitter flashback when multiple different voices chirped, taking turns to offer him favors. You watched them swarm around him like vultures, his eyes searching for a way out of the circle.
“Yes, perhaps a massage! Your muscles must be sooo sore from your hunt yesterday.” Yet another voice chimed in, she literally looked like she wanted to eat the flesh off his bones and you rolled your eyes in annoyance. Why couldn’t they just leave him alone?
“Neteyam! Are you hungry? I can make something good for you to eat. You need all the energy you can get for your training later, right?”
“No!” Another na’vi woman hissed, latching onto one of his toned arms and hugging it. She almost knocked him over with the force that came from her launching herself at him. You watched him stumble to the side a bit, his stance awkward and stiff as his cheeks flushed due to all the overwhelming attention. Jeez, was she trying to hug his arm or rip it off his body to take it home with her? You didn’t know but honestly you wouldn’t be surprised if that was her intention, these women were insane. They looked like little girls fighting over a doll with the way they were pulling him back and forth by his biceps.
“Girls, please” He spoke softly and forced a smile on his face in attempt to not hurt their feelings, or worse; make them more hostile than they already were. “I am okay, really. I do not need any of you to do anything for me other than enjoy your day. You all are…” he paused before continuing, “very beautiful and nice women but I truly must be going, I cannot be late for my meeting with my father.”
The mention of a discussion of the future with his father earned many dreamy sounding sighs from his personal fan club.
Your face grew hot when you noticed his eyes look up at you, seemingly begging for help with an almost panicked smile on his face. You pressed your lips together to stifle your laugh, then raised your hands in surrender on either side of your head to silently communicate to him that he was indeed on his own with this. You knew he’d be alright seeing as he dealt with this almost daily, but you also knew he was growing tired of it. Poor Neteyam was too nice to hurt their feelings, but even if you tried to help him what could you do? They’d probably tear you apart if you walked up and attempted to steal him away from their grasp. You sure as hell weren’t going to draw attention to yourself by intervening.
Thankfully for him, you heard Neytiri’s sharp voice yell his name from a different direction, causing the girls around him to jump and straighten up in fear of our Tsahik witnessing them behave in such a shameful manner. And from the sound of his mother’s voice- he was definitely late for that meeting. His ears perked up in alert but the expression on his face only showed relief due to her timely save.
“Gotta go girls!” He exclaimed with haste, sounding more excited now than he had their entire interaction. You sighed to yourself and gave him a subtle wave with a gentle smile, watching him take the extra second he didn’t have to smile back at you before he slipped through the small crowd and damn near sprinted to safety.
Your smile grew bigger as you watched him escape, soaking in the way his eyes had previously just held contact with yours for longer than they needed to. A daydream would have washed over you had you not felt the glares of his desperate admirers trying to burn holes through your head. You cleared your throat to break the awkward silence and swiftly turned on your heels, realizing it probably wasn’t the best idea to continue standing there if you valued your life.
~ a few hours later ~
Eclipse had now envelloped a previously sunny day, stealing the sky away and taking the sun’s place for the rest of the night. You sat with your mom on the floor of your hut, just having finished a wonderfully made dinner. “Mama, would you like help with the dishes?” You knew better than to excuse yourself before offering your assistance.
“No no, child. Go on, I know you want to take as much time as you possibly can before it gets late.” She smiled up at you and shooed you out with her hand, the wrinkles creased next to her eyes served in reminding you of how grateful you were to have had your mother by your side all these years.
“Yes mama, thank you.” Nodding your head, you at least stacked the dishes into each other to help as much as you could before you thanked her, quickly standing up from where the two of you were kneeling on the floor.
Your mother quietly laughed to herself at your excitement as you skipped to the doorway, surprised at how you didn’t trip over your own two feet as you gathered your things. You pushed through the curtains that served as a doorway to your home and once stepping foot outside, you felt your lungs expand to take a deep inhale and breathe in the crisp night air.
Almost everyday after dinner, you would excuse yourself with the permission of your mother and embark on a stroll through the forest. At first, she wouldn’t allow you to go more than half a mile without her. Her fears derived from the fact that you were no hunter and you did not like to carry weapons, meaning you could not protect yourself if the time called for it. But upon realizing you had a deep connection with the animals of the forest (and came back unscathed every time) her rules relaxed and her trust in you flourished. Even the Palulukan paid you no mind - you would still bring small chunks of meat with you though, just in case.
You expertly leaped from tree to tree with little to no time between. After taking the same path day by day it was muscle memory by now. You used the ball of your foot to stabilize your landing on the thick branches after each jump, and your opposite leg carried you to the next. This was your favorite part of everyday, traveling through the breathtaking forest with your own two legs and being able to really appreciate the vast land you called home. The way the rough, damp tree bark felt against your toes; the small chirps and mating calls of animals below you that filled your ears. You much preferred it to flying on an Ikran; they were loud and would scare away the small animals of the forest before you could say hello.
Before you knew it, you had reached your quiet hideaway above the waterfalls. A sigh of relief left your lips as you leisurely made your way up onto the bank of the cliffside; the ground illuminating briefly in the spots where you had stepped. Careful to not crush the flowers that had just recently bloomed, you crouched down closer to the ground to collect one of the things you came for. Pulling the bag you had brought with from behind your body, you patiently searched through the vegetation until locating one of your mother’s favorite herbs for stews, and another for salves.
That was the deal the two of you had made. If you were going to be out exploring the forest without her, you might as well make yourself useful and and collect what’s needed for the house. You didn’t mind though, your mother was getting older and you would do anything to make her job easier. Your father had died during the battle with the sky people almost twenty years ago and was one of many casualties. He was gone before your mother even had the chance to tell him she was pregnant. Every time you expressed sadness about it, she would hug you and remind you that he died with honor; fighting along side his people and protecting what was left of home tree. She gave birth nine months after his passing and raised you alone. She was offered help from the village, but did not want to accept pity. “We are all struggling from the aftermath of this war, not just I.” She would humbly say. She truly was the strongest person you knew.
After gathering a good amount, you gently reclined and rested against the large tree trunk that had been supporting your back for a couple weeks now. Closing your eyes, you let the sounds of the water crashing into the rocks below invite you into a calm, lucid state - the beat of your heart slowing to a steady rhythm as you lay in nature.
The serene forest awarded you with its peaceful lullaby for about fifteen minutes before the crunch of a twig snapping interrupted your meditation. You gasped quietly, whipping your head around in alert, your eyes straining to try and see through the trees. Not many animals came this high up into the forest, mostly birds or the Syaksyuk (night lemurs) swinging through the trees above. But these steps sounded heavy and that made your ears lower with worry.
“Who’s there!” You called out, rising to your feet with your hands prepped on your bag to secure your mother’s herbs in case you had to make a run for it. You squinted your eyes at the darkness in confusion, the sounds of the leaves crunching were not frequent enough to be the result of multiple feet.
“Ow! Damnit,” You heard a familiar voice curse, your ears perking back up when a tall na’vi with long braids emerged into your view.
“Neteyam?”
He whipped his head up to look at you, his braids swaying to the other side of his head in sync with him. “[Y/n]?” He questioned right back at you. “What are you doing here? It’s late, you know.” He warned, brushing off his shoulder and looking around. “Are you alone?”
Still confused by his sudden appearance, you shook your head slightly. “I come here almost every night, and yes I’m… alone,” you spoke, your voice quieting with the last word that left your lips as you looked at him in bewilderment. Your eyes traveled from every inch of his body and you found yourself gawking at how he looked even more beautiful while under the moonlight. Your attention quickly averted when his gaze found its way back to you, raising your head and stabilizing your tone. “Forget about me, what are you doing here?”
He noticed you staring but decided against addressing it. He chuckled and shook his head, “I too come here often,, but only during the day. The forest is very dangerous outside of our village at night, [Y/n].” He said softly and took a step closer. It almost looked as if he were worried about you.
“Yes, I-” You felt the urge to take one backwards but your feet stayed planted in the grass, your brain reminding you that you’re literally standing on a cliff right now. “I’m aware of the dangers,” you continued. “But the animals don’t pay me any mind, I actually think they sort of like me. And I always bring scraps of food, just in case.”
He nodded, seemingly approving your method of preparation.
“I don’t have anymore, though. The forest is a bit quiet tonight so I gave it all to a Palulukan I saw a little ways back.”
Neteyam’s eyes almost popped out of his head as he took a step closer to you once more, in an attempt to make sure the words he heard were correct. “A- a Palulukan?” He questioned, “Like, those six-legged creatures that will tear your head off without thinking? Are you feeling alright?” His face washed over with genuine concern as he brought a three fingered hand up to feel your forehead.
“Yes, Neteyam.” You giggled at his astonishment. “I know what a Palulukan is, you skxawng.” You teased with an eyeroll and gently shooed his hand away, speaking up again to extinguish his worries. “But really, I’m fine. See?” You nodded slowly, extending your arms out to him to show your lack of injury.
“Huh, no scratches…” His eyes trailed along your smooth skin and you felt goosebumps prickle down your arms. You hadn’t remembered it being chilly tonight.
“No scratches,” you parroted, turning your back to him and returning to your previous resting area. “Come, sit with me.”
The corners of Neteyam’s mouth moved to form a small grin and he nodded his head in silent agreeance, taking you up on your invitation and sitting down next to you. He mimicked your movement, scooting back to relax against the base of the tree. A loud sigh of genuine relief could be heard from him and to you it sounded like he had been holding it in all day. You had your attention focused on the soft blades of grass that tickled your legs, suddenly tilting your head to the side with a new found query.
“Wait,” You started, earning a curious hum from him that permitted you to continue. “I thought you said you come here during the day time? Correct me if I’m wrong but, it looks pretty dark out here right now.” You joked.
Neteyam was always so lighthearted and easy going, so your eyebrows furrowed at him when he continued to stare straight forward at the waterfall across the ravine. You had expected him to laugh or at least crack a smile like he always did at one of your jokes, but he looked conflicted when he answered. “I just… I had to get away from my parents for a little while. They’re driving me crazy.” He grumbled.
Oh my Eywa, I’m such an idiot. This is the first time in years we’ve been completely alone and I’ve already soured his mood.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“
“No,” He interrupted, turning his head to look at you with a smile that instantly calmed your nerves. “Don’t feel bad, it is not your fault… Besides, I’m glad I came when I did. Had I gone earlier, I wouldn’t have gotten to see you.” His voice laced thick with his accent, you felt your stomach swarm with butterflies at the feeling of his large hand now resting atop yours. His warm yellow eyes glistened, looking even more beautiful to you than the stars above your heads. Your lips parted slightly while the two of you sat there appreciating each other’s presence, his smile growing wider when he cocked his head to the side at the apparent loss of your train of thought.
Your eyes fell from his and focused themselves on your overlapped hands so you could blush in peace, earning a quiet snicker and a head shake from him. “Yes...” you finally responded, looking back up once you confirmed your heart wouldn’t explode and ruin the moment. “It has been a while since we hung-out.” You smiled, your tone mellow.
The two of you sat with each other for a while. Time passed so quickly whenever you were around him that you didn’t even know how long it had been. You talked about everything. His parents, how your mother was doing, and overall what he’d been up to. There was never a boring moment with Neteyam. At one point you expressed interest in his training, but the excitement was not reciprocated so you dropped the topic and instead joined in stargazing with him.
“So… How was that meeting you had earlier, with your parents?” You cleared your throat and spoke up after a bit, breaking the silence.
He scoffed and scratched his head lightly, throwing his arm up in an annoyed gesture. “Stupid and unnecessary. They tell me the same thing everyday as if I don’t already know.”
“What is it now? Are they scolding you for Lo’ak’s antics again?” You giggled at his aggravated huff in response to your question, using this moment to your advantage and gently resting your head on his shoulder. You genuinely thought it would be something along those lines. But when he hesitated before letting you in on exactly what they were pestering him about, you became worried.
“They want me to find a mate. Soon.”
His shoulders tensed and you blinked in disbelief at his words, your body slouching slightly against his arm with disappointment. The words that left his lips were not at all what you had been expecting. “Oh…” Your voice was almost a whisper with how hushed it was and you were glad he couldn’t see your face right now. A thousand thoughts clouded your brain at once, were they due to surprise at what he said, or fear?
“I’m not ready.” His voice snapped you out of your pity party, and you remembered that this wasn’t about you. It was about him. You had to set aside your feelings and hear him out. You guys were just friends anyway, and what else are friends for, right?
You laughed dryly, cringing after at how forced it sounded. “I think you’re just nervous, Neteyam. Besides, you have loads of options to choose from. Any one of your admirers from earlier will do fine.” You shrugged and tried to sound as encouraging as possible, picking the petals from a flower that you had taken into your grasp after you removed your hand from his.
“None of those women will ever be my mate.” He stated sternly, as if he sounded offended that you had even suggested it. His voice was calm and the volume low, but the tone he said it in made your breath falter. “Those are not the kind of women I want. They only see me for my status in the clan.” He mumbled, his feelings sounding hurt.
You sat up and turned your body towards him, dipping your head to try and meet his avoidant eyes. “’Teyam…” you said solemnly. He still hadn’t met your eyes but his ears perked up slightly in response to the old nickname you had for him. Watching him pick blades of grass out of the ground to distract himself from the conversation, you sighed to yourself in frustration. Not at him, but at the fact that the constant reiteration of the importance of his training throughout the years really had him thinking such a thing. “Look at me.”
His head lifted slowly but his eyes wouldn’t stay on your face. He gnawed at the inside of his bottom lip, feeling embarrassed for even bringing it up.
“You-” grabbing his hand in both of yours, you shook it slightly for emphasis and squeezed firmly, “-are so much more than a title, and you know that. You are worth so much more. Do you hear me, Neteyam?” Your gaze held strong and your shyness had no control over you at this point. You wanted to make sure he understood what you were saying. You wanted to make sure he knew you were telling the truth. You needed him to.
His eyes finally locked on yours and it was his turn to feel shy this time. A small smile broke through his previous frown, and his eyes fell to your lips for a split second before he looked back up at you. “Okay.” He answered, sounding satisfied with your reassurance and stroking the back of your hand with the pad of his thumb as a thank you.
The air between the two of you felt electric when you remembered you were still holding his hand. Your chest began to rise and fall with weighted breaths when you noticed he seemed to be admiring your features. You cursed yourself for wondering what it would feel like to kiss him- thinking about how well your lips would pair with his. Your intense feelings for him had calmed slightly due to his absence, but now you felt them bubbling up and threatening to burst through the surface all over again.
A loud horn sounded suddenly, interrupting your thoughts and signaling the end of a day. The both of you jumped and your hands retracted, startled out of your intimate interaction.
“Oh my Eywa… I was supposed to be home almost an hour ago!” You exclaimed, sounding panicked as you rushed to grab your things.
Neteyam’s eyes widened and he immediately stood up, looking equally as panicked upon remembering what happened the last time he got you home late to your mother when you guys were younger.
“I-I’m sorry, this is all my fault. I distracted you.” Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, he eagerly extended his free one out to help you up while sounding apologetic. “Come, I’ll take you home.”
You accepted his offer and allowed him to assist you to your feet, shaking your head repeatedly as you stood in front of him. “No, no. This is on me, I completely lost track of time.”
Though it wasn’t his fault you had stayed out much too late into the night, he was right about one thing. He was able to distract you so easily, you became clumsy in his presence. You mindlessly took a wrong step to the side, crying out in pain when your foot came in contact with the thorn bush you usually remember to avoid- it’s sharp and thick thorns piercing through your skin.
“What? What is it? What happened?” Neteyam questioned frantically, his voice loud and riddled with worry when you yelled and helplessly clutched onto his biceps for support.
Pain shot like lightning through your leg and with your eyes tightly shut you hissed out an answer. “M-my foot, I-” you managed to get out between sharp inhales, another cry of pain interrupting your sentence when you attempted to lower your foot to see if you could walk.
“No!” Neteyam spoke against your movement, sighing when his advice came too late. “You cannot walk like this, hold onto me and keep your foot raised.”
Now, if it didn’t feel like your entire leg was on fire, you probably would’ve crumbled at the feeling of his warm hand sliding between the fold behind your knee and lifting it slightly to assist you with his instructions. The two of you were in such a compromising position, yet you couldn’t even enjoy it.
“Maybe we should sit down-“
You hopped a bit and shook your head, sliding your arms around his neck to reduce the weight burdened on your free leg as he held your thigh. “The thorns, they’re poisonous,” you breathed out. “I have to get home.”
“Poi-“ His mouth fell open in shock, almost repeating the word that had alarmed him. His jaw clenched seeing you in pain, he felt bad knowing he wasn’t able to help. “Can you fly? Call your ikran, now.”
“I can’t-“
“How foolish of me, you probably cannot fly. We will go on mine.” Before you could get another word out he raised his pointer finger and thumb to his lips with haste, resulting in a crisp, loud whistle.
The truth is… you couldn’t fly even if you wanted to. You never tamed an Ikran of your own and you were deathly afraid of flying. Because of this, you traveled solely by foot and had no intention of changing that. Until now.
You squealed in fear when his Ikran dropped down onto the cliffside in an instant, turning and shielding your face from its sharp, flapping wings. “Neteyam-“
“Come, we must go. There’s no time.” He urged, his eyes locked on your trembling foot as he waited for you to move.
“Wait!” you raised your voice, only to get his attention. “I’m… I’m scared of flying. Terrified.” You gulped, now looking at the giant creature but careful to not make direct eye contact.
“You are?” His voice was soft, intent on not making you feel bad for something you couldn’t control. He looked conflicted. Neteyam was never the type of man to make you do something you didn’t want to do, but he truly had no choice. “[Y/n], I am sorry, but we must. We need to tend to your wound as soon as possible. I understand your fear, so I will tell her to fly slow. No sharp tuns or dips, yes?”
Closing your eyes for a second, you sighed and slowly nodded your head. You attempted to calm yourself and slow your breathing as best as you could, knowing there was no other option but to face your fear. He waited for you to prepare yourself before swooping his arm below your legs and lifting you off the ground gently.
You actually wanted to kick yourself. To be in his arms was everything you wanted and more, minus the raging pain paired with numbness that was slowly starting to travel past your toes. You tightened your hold on his neck once arriving at the Ikran’s saddle and he felt your body tense against him.
“Mawey, [Y/n]. It will be alright, I promise.” Delicately placing you down on the back of his Ikran, he motioned for you to swing your other leg over before climbing on in front of you. “Hold here.” He reached behind him and grasped your hands, bringing them forward and positioning your palms to lay flat on his toned chest.
Your heart was beating so fast, you were surprised you even heard his voice through the loud thumping ringing in your ears.
“You feel my heart?”
“Y-yes.” You nodded almost as soon as the question left his mouth. His heart was the only thing you could feel. Hell, you couldn’t even feel your legs but you knew the numbing poison hadn’t travelled through your bloodstream that fast. You prayed they would regain feeling so you wouldn’t fall off this giant bird.
“Slow your breathing, listen to the beat of my heart and allow yours to do the same.” He instructed calmly, fastening his hands on the reigns.
You swallowed what felt like a giant lump in your throat, scooting closer to him and leaning forward to press your front against his back as he prepared to take off. The feeling of your skin against his was enough to make your breath shudder, but you really couldn’t use anymore excitement right now. “What if I fall?” You whispered.
“Nonsense,” He chuckled lowly and the vibration of his voice could be felt against your cheek. “You know I’d never let anything happen to you.”
You pulled back ever so slightly, your mouth agape and your eyes staring at the back of his head in disbelief at how easily those words came to him. However, your moment of pondering was cut short when he beckoned his Ikran to take off, your grip retightening and your body gluing back to his instantly. The large animal squawked before plunging itself off the cliff, resulting in a frightened scream from you.
“Tamtam, Saya. We have a new rider with us, and she’s a bit fearful.” Pulling up slightly, he used one of his hands to softly pat her strong neck to soothe her. The animal listened to his demands, flying steadily and slowing her pace to a gentle glide through the air. “How are you doing back there?” He asked, as if your nails digging crescent marks into his pecs couldn’t give him the answer he searched for.
Finally opening your eyes, you carefully peeked over your shoulder and peered down at the forest below you, letting out a small gasp. Softening the grip you had on the man in front of you, your eyes twinkled with admiration. “Neteyam, i-it’s beautiful…” you spoke in awe. You had never seen the forest from above until now and experiencing such a sight with him made you feel as if you had been missing out this entire time. You almost completely about the fear that consumed you just a few minutes prior.
After a few more minutes, Saya began to descend in front of your home- pulling you out of the spell the beauty of the forest had cast on you. The flight came to a gradual halt and her wings flapped in place to cushion the landing as much as possible. You saw the flickering of candle flame illuminating from inside.
Oh no. Please don’t be awake, please don’t be awake, please do not be awake.
Silently cursing yourself, you removed your hands from Neteyam’s chest. You secretly pouted at the sudden lack of warmth, but right now you had bigger issues to tend to- one of them being facing your mother. Neteyam dismounted swiftly, giving you a reassuring look and allowing you time to slide one of your arms around his neck before lifting you off, carrying you bridal style. “Not so bad, huh?”
Both your heads snapped to the entrance of your home as you watched your mother run out before you could answer him. “[Y/N!]” She yelled, not caring if her voice carried to the other homes. “Where have you been?!”
She looked worried sick, you felt terrible.
“Neteyam?” She questioned, obviously confused as to why he was with you- or maybe why you weren’t standing on your own two feet.
“Hi Ma…” You started, earning an angry glare from her. “I can explain.”
She whipped a hand up and closed her fingers, effectively silencing you as she turned her gaze back to Neteyam. “Young man, what were you doing with my daughter, this late in the night?” Her voice was eerily calm.
He lowered his head slightly to show respect. “I am sorry, I will explain everything… but your daughter is injured and we must tend to it, immediately.”
Her expression changed instantly, her eyes searching to find a wound until she noticed your swollen foot. “Oh my goodness… Come!” She demanded, urging Neteyam to bring you into the house.
“Place her down, here. Gently.”
He did as he was told and crouched down, removing his arm from beneath your legs once you sat down completely. He ran his now sweaty hands along his thighs and with his mouth in the shape of an ‘O’ he exhaled nervously, standing and obediently placing himself against the wall. He looked scared shitless and was more than happy to remove his hands from your skin in the presence of your agitated mother. You looked up at him apologetically, mouthing a silent ‘I’m sorry’.
You winced in pain at your throbbing foot, taking over for Neteyam and explaining to your mother what had happened before she could ask again. “I-I stepped in a thorn bush,” You paused, reluctantly continuing your sentence. “the poisonous one…”
She hissed in distaste, her back to you as she gathered what was needed to make medicine. “Everyday you go out, what do I tell you?” She seethed.
“Be care-“
“To be careful!” She cut you off before you could finish and you winced again, but not because of your foot. She lowered herself to the ground and propped your foot up on her leg to examine it. “You are lucky, child. The thorns could have broken off in your foot and put you in much worse shape.” She grumbled, wetting a cloth and using it to clean the dried blood from your skin.
“I know, and I’m sorry. I lost track of time and got distracted.” The pain began to subside as the poison completely numbed your foot, now working its way up your calf.
You watched her gaze shift to a nervous Neteyam who stood stiff and silent against the walls of your hut, looking at him suspiciously while he tried to find the right words to use.
“Ma, please.” You pleaded, your voice bringing her attention back to you like you wanted. “It was not like that, I swear it. He found me after I stepped on the thorns, had it not been for him I would not have been able to make it back.” You had lied a bit, but it was mostly the truth. “He had nothing to do with this, it was all my fault. He only helped me home, Mama.” You didn’t want her blaming Neteyam for something that wasn’t his doing, he had enough of that at home. Your mother was extremely protective over you because of what happened to your father, you were all she had left so she always came on strong at first when it concerned you.
She became quiet in a moment of contemplation, “I apologize, Neteyam. Thank you for bringing my daughter back to me safely.” She nodded her head, looking up at Neteyam with gratitude this time.
He smiled shyly as if it were no big deal, holding his arm with one hand as he dropped his head and shook it from from side to side, his braids following suit. He hadn’t changed a bit. Always quick to take the blame, but never to accept praise.
“Will your parents be angry with you?” You chimed in, looking at him worriedly. He already had so much on his plate, you felt bad at the thought of contributing. You relaxed slightly once he shook his head in attempt to assure you that he would be okay.
“It is fine, really. Making sure you are safe is far more important to me.” He responded, looking into your eyes and keeping them there until your mother cleared her throat to remind the two of you of her presence. “Ah, but I really should be going. It is late.” He swallowed, managing to tear his eyes away from your face. “Will she be alright?”
Your mother nodded, wiping the wet cloth along the sole of your foot once more. “Yes, thanks to you. Please, greet your parents for me?”
You watched as he brought two fingers up to his forehead then brought them back down with a slight bow, respectfully acknowledging your mother and excusing himself.
“Goodnight…” You sent him off with a coy wave, bringing your fingers up to gently rest against your lips as you watched him leave. The second he was out of your sight, everything that had just transpired in the last hour and a half began to wash back over you.
Thanking Eywa that your mother’s back was turned to grab few ingredients for an ointment, you looked to the side and picked up your bag, feeling slightly guilty. “I brought your herbs, mama. I’m sorry you have to waste them on me.” Your voice trailed off as you ushered them off in her direction.
“Nonsense. When it comes to you, nothing is a waste. We can always get more herbs, but I only have one of you. Do you understand?” She reassured, her hand on your cheek to comfort you before reaching for your bag. “You mean much more to me than any of these things.”
Your shoulders relaxed and you leaned into her touch with a sweet smile and a nod, grateful you had such a caring mother. You watched as she expertly ground up the herbs with a bit of aloe vera, her technique crafting it into paste that would aid in the healing of your injury. She dipped two of her fingers into the bowl, gently applying it to the puncture marks in your flesh.
“So…” She started, her voice laced with curiosity.
You groaned, bringing your hands up to cover your face in embarrassment as you already knew a boatload of questions were about to follow. Regardless of how tough your mother could be with him, she was surprisingly supportive of your crush on Neteyam and even encouraged it. You always made sure to tell her what a respectful young man he was.
“I haven’t even said anything yet!” She laughed, grabbing the bandage next to her and wrapping it around your foot as she continued. “Look, I just think you should go for it. You should to tell him how you feel, don’t you think he deserves to know?”
You sighed and looked down at your hands, twiddling with your fingers as you thought of what to say. “I don’t know Ma… I don’t want to get hurt. His parents want him to find a mate now, but he said he isn’t ready.”
“My sweet child,” Your mom took your hands into hers, causing you to look up at her. “He is waiting for you.”
_________________________________
Alright y’all, the first part of my Neteyam x reader series is doneeee ahh I’m so excited!! Isn’t Neteyam the sweetest? 🙈 I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! It took about three days and so many grueling proof reads, so if they’re still any typos I missed I apologize. 😅 I am actively tweaking my brain for more ideas for the upcoming parts, so please forgive me if part 2 takes a second to drop. lmk if you want to be tagged! 💞
Please like + reblog if you can it’s much appreciated 💞
Neteyam in the continuation of the betrothal request once he’s suffered enough from heartbreak that is yet to come, and becomes a straight up menace whose new motto is “been rejected a hundred times, one more wont hurt” and gets way too bold with his advances on reader 🫢
Everytime I come here on this app and open my last saved draft, I gotta remind myself that I am not a writer. The only reason I’m even indulging in writing is because I would like to see the specific promt I have in my mind coming alive since I cannot find any similar ones out there yet.
But I’m not a writer 😭
And the frustrations I feel when I type down the story flow and it sounds so tacky because my vocabulary range spectrum is nonexistent and english isnt my first language.
The moment he noticed your crumbled expression with tears pooling down, his face fell. He was taken aback.
In all the years of knowing you, or at least in the years of what he assumed to know of you, you had never once shown him your vulnerable sides. He had caught glimpses of hurt, joy or anger crossing your face at times, for a split second, before they got masked away with an unreadable expression that often adorned your face.
And before he could further dig his memories of you, his thoughts get interrupted by a small whisper. One, that could’ve been lost on him, had he not been staring at your moving lips at that moment.
I want to break this betrothal.
Chills ran down his spine with how broken you sounded to his ears. And looking back up into your eyes that seemed to keep producing more tears, he processed what you had just said.
Break the betrothal… break what you two had since your birth…
Clenching his jaw and shaking his head slowly, his face contorted to that of a denial.
No… no. You cannot ask for this and you know that more than I do.
You sucked in a breath as you watched him through your blurry vision, wiping your tears away immediately. And with a shaky exhale of your breath, you responded.
I am not asking for your approval. I am simply letting you know that I will find a way to break this betrothal, no matter what it takes.
.. I cannot do this any longer, Neteyam.. I have had enough.
The last sentence was carried with a tone of someone who has finally given up on about everything. Your eyes showed how tired and defeated you felt, and for a moment, Neteyam was yet again left speechless. He wanted to argue back that what you are doing will cause a lot of trouble for not only the two of you, but everyone else that the both of you knew of. You both were expected to be mated in a few months to top it all. But he couldn’t bring himself to utter a single word at that moment. Just searching your eyes with a slight frown, hoping his own will convey all that he wanted to say.
When he picked up on the slight change of your expression to that of a determination, was when he attempted to finally speak. But before he could even open his mouth, two of your fingers were pressed gently against his lips.
I know what I’m getting myself into so there is no need for you to remind me of any possible consequences. I am prepared. Have been, for a while now.
You whispered your words carefully, eyes trained on your fingers against his lips.
And seeing as this is a last favour I am doing for the both of our sake, please don’t try to get in the way. Because afterwards, you will finally be free from me, Neteyam. This will also be the last time you will hear from me, so I would appreciate it if you will keep quiet about what happened this night and just forget about my existence as you are already good at doing.
Your focus was still on his covered lips as you waited for his response. Already expecting him to shove your hand away and tell you how you’re being unreasonable and irresponsible, you slowly removed your hand. To your surprise though, he stayed rooted to his spot. Silence filled the tent as you felt the heat of his gaze on your face.
Deciding then that this was it.. without sparing any glances back to his eyes, you made your way around him and left the tent. Thankful for once that he was letting you go.
summary: Neteyam and a new friend were getting a little too close for comfort, leaving you insecure with your place in the boy’s life.
pairing - Neteyam x reader
Olo’eyktan - clan leader
Zeykoyu - healer
Ikran - banshee
Skxawng - idiot/moron
Srung - help
Tsmukan - brother
Yawntutsyíp - darling/little loved one
Yawne - beloved
Tanhí - star
notes - light angst, mostly fluff, accidentally made Neteyam poetic as hell but I think it suits him
wc - 1.6k
You were very secure with your relationship with Neteyam. The two of you are not bonded in any way but your trust within one another and with the clan is strong enough that you are not pressured into bonding, besides, the both of you are young, there’s no need to rush.
Your friendship with Neteyam goes back years, to when you were practically in diapers, though your days of running around tree branches, exploring, and brushing off Jake’s scoldings are behind you now. While Neteyam was constantly training to become the future olo’eyktan of the clan, you were training to be a zeykoyu, a healer. Ever since Neteyam had almost died of a gunshot during the second coming of the sky people, you had made it a point that you will become his healer. You were confident that you would constantly be by his side anyway, so you’d rather you have some use to the warrior.
ITS ME AGAINNNN I LOVE LOVEEE YOUR LAST REQUEST :C ❤️
ever since ive been reading a lot of manhwas and i got an idea form it that id love to read a fic of with neteyam xv
okay so i was thinking of a heart wrenching angst but comfort later on with an arranged engagement of reader and neteyam where neteyam starts to hate reader just because he was basically forced to be with her and reader is always patient eith him even if hes so mean to her like going with other girls or smth and one day reader snaps at his rudeness towards her and says nah lets break up. and at first neteyam is like FINE but he later starts to notice how his daily life that always had you there for him, helping him with whatever, being his maid basically sbfushd and he starts to miss you. starts to realize how much he fucked up becuz he realized how faithful you were to him and worked so so so hard for him and was always there for him :((( but hes too late now bcz he sees you finally giving other men a chance to court you since youre no longer his now ;(
Huhuhu a little request won’t hurt hm?
Warning: Hurt. No comfort yet.
From the day I was born, you and I were promised to each other without a single say in it. While you despised me for it, I felt sympathy for you and did my best to stay out of your way.
His jaw clenched as he observed your face, watching as the words left your mouth. You were both in a healing tent, where you were initially patching up the older man after he had returned with the raid party. Neteyam was being even colder than usual, asking if someone else could patch him up in your stead. That had been your last straw, after all those times, after all those years, of him either pretending like you didn’t exist or disregarding your efforts made for the sake of him.
My whole life, I have been training to become someone worthy to stand beside you, the future Olo’eyktan of our clan. Did I want to though?
You chuckled bitterly, looking down at your folded hands in your lap. You could feel his piercing gaze on your head.
What would it matter if I wanted to or not, right? Just like you had no choice but to accept me as your future mate, I had no choice but to comply to the orders given by your grandmother and my parents. I merely existed to be your Tsahìk.
Looking up from your lap, you met his hardened gaze with his ears pulled back. You felt your stomach tighten.
I did not want this, Neteyam. I did not.
What changed then? He rasped out. You think I didn’t notice all those times you looked at me as if I hung all the stars myself? Don’t think I also didn’t notice you enjoying your training with my grandmother. That says enough for me.
Silence.
You pondered over whether you should deny his claims or admit it. He looked agitated, looking down at you as he stood tall infront of you. You noticed again how much he had physically grown, over the last year. Taut muscles filling up in all the right places and facial features looking a lot sharper now. You looked down again, avoiding his accusing eyes.
You let out a small exhale.
When you spend most of your time by your teacher and have a very limited interaction with opposite genders, you tend to fall for who is most present in your daily life.
With a sad look in your eyes, you matched his gaze again.
You happened to be the only man I am freely allowed to be around, for long. I do not have the privilege of meeting up with other men like you do, with other women, Neteyam.
At that, he pursed his lips. Moving back and forth on his feet as he nodded in a mock understanding.
But you continued.
Falling for you was my biggest mistake, Neteyam. If I had known in all those times you were with other women, being hopeful for a day you would open up to me, see me for who I am and not as someone you are forced to spend the rest of your future with, against your will, that this was all nothing but a wishful thinking, I would have done everything in my will to stop these feelings from growing any further.
Cocking his head to the side, Neteyam let out a laugh, disbelief painting his face. He had stopped footing around and was now standing infront of you again. Same pursed lips as he squinted down at you in a mean look.
Save your lies for another day. I know for a fact that you are more than allowed to meet up with other men. We are NOT mated yet. Don’t act like we are. What about your lil friend that always tails you, huh? Forgot about him already?
You watched his expression grow even more sour at the last part he spat. The things he was saying confused you to no end, but hearing him deny your statement of not having the same privilege as him made anger simmer inside you.
Standing up tall in cold fury and looking dead in his eyes, you pushed your index finger at where his heart laid, hidden behind his chest.
I have never once lied in my whole life, that I assure you. But to think you are this ignorant of our betrothal really disappoints me, Neteyam. I know the sight of me upsets your mood and you wish for nothing to do with me. But I had honestly expected more from our future leader.
You paused and took in the expressions written all over his face. It going from an accusing glint in his eyes to the one of a slight shock, finally settling on an unreadable expression.
And in a low voice, he asked you.
What did you want from me.
It sounding more like a statement rather than a question, you cocked your head to the side, watching his eyes trail on the ground.
He had managed to pick up on your little movement, though.
You held me back here with this talk. I’m sure there is a point in bringing this topic up? What do you want from me with this?
A fool you were, to think he would ever be the same understanding man that he is with everyone else. You really hoped that being the one to touch on this topic and to possibly clear the air between the two of you would make some positive change in your dynamic. That you wouldn’t have to resort to your last option.
Biting your lower lips as it started to quiver while tears welled up in your eyes, threatening to pour down. You searched his eyes for any hint of guilt or regret for having been this harsh with you up until the very last moment. When you found none, the tears that were threatening to spill finally broke free. Your heart never having ached this badly before, it was almost suffocating.
the deepest sighs, the frankest shadows | neteyam x avatar!reader
summary: it's been a week since the consciousness transfer and there is more to adjust to than just your new body. for starters, the approaching threat of the sky people and the preparations for war. or, that in an attempt to bring some light back into the world, mo'at finally announced the future olo'eyktan's mate. choices are to be made as both relationships with the sully brothers are still unclear. somehow, though your heart is already made up, and what about the perfect soldier? it brings up the question: duty or love?
pairings: neteyam x avatar!reader
word count: 18.1k (this is insane)
warnings/notes: the end at last, smut, minors DNI (18+ please), unprotected sex, slight choking, mating, swearing, mention of sky people, confessions upon confessions, neteyam being stupid but also completely obsessed with you, loose ends tied up, brother reconciliation, angst (has to be), crying, fluff, happy ending?
series masterlist | one of us: part eight (finale) | requests are currently open for now
Please, let him be soft.
Neteyam Te Suli Tsyeyk’itan his whole life had been compared to gunmetal, sharp arrows, and serrated teeth of the most vicious predator in Pandora. He resembled all of those things because he was a warrior, the best soldier, and a hero to many — or at least he would be once he won this war and became Olo’eyktan. Many people compared him to many things; all deadly, crenulated, and power filled. It was very deserving to be spoken of so highly and to that degree because Neteyam didn’t lose a fight.
He didn’t, falter or show weakness, and like any soldier had the ability to push down his feelings until they were so small and minuscule they were barely there. He was built and trained up since he was no more than a child preparing for this future, this prophecy, and this battle against the sky people. Neteyam Sully was Toruk Makto’s eldest son and in turn the best-prepared soldier for the upcoming war.
Those who saw him as all those things refused to realize that he was also Na’vi, not made of steel or unbreakable shields, but of humanity. His humanity and ability to have feelings were shown a mere week before as he stood in the middle of the village, a limp body strewn along his arms. The perfect soldier then was not unwarpable or without weakness. Just like old, warn, and overused things, he had broke in front of everyone. He is no robot, no man without emotions as no leader should be without a strong heart. Fearless, improbable, and also not one of the eldest son’s traits because he very much had feared. Feared losing the very woman no one would have ever expected him to fall for. In that brief time, everyone saw that heroes hold just as much humanity, and more so heroes have the ability to break.
But, please let him be soft.
Neteyam Te Suli Tsyeyk’itan had shattered and then when it was all said and done, with nothing left to cry for, his emotions were packed up and sent away again. Without even being fixed, he returned to being the hero that held the entire world on his shoulders. Because even if you asked and begged, Eywa would tell you just as anyone else that the world needed him. His hope, his strength, his courage, his leadership, and his strength. The world needs everything and he will give it all, including his heart.
It was no longer yours, not since the consciousness transfer, not completely. You wanted nothing more than to go to him when you woke up. You wished for him to reveal that he was flawed and breakable and somehow felt immensely for you. You wanted the whole world to know he was soft and that he was yours. You wanted to kiss him, feel him, know that the two of you could now have it — all of it while you still could. In that brief moment of clarity with all the walls built up before they came crumbling down again. It was only a matter of time, a matter of solitude before the storm would come before the enemy came.
Suddenly, everything had aligned and life was no longer at your fingertips. It was no longer outside of a large metal box or a sleepaway. It was right here, right in front of your face. You went asleep for the last time in your original form and when you woke up with Toruk Makto staring down at you, hand cradling your face, you knew you had made it to your true form. You made it to your reality, your existence.
It all was in your grasp and you would never let it go again. You stared up at Vitraya Ramunong’s mauve neuron rods and you realized that this was why she had sent you back. With tears kissing your cheeks, you realized she had granted you this silent prayer so he could be soft and he could be yours.
Neteyam would give them everything until he was nothing but a shell of himself, nothing but an imprint of dust. He would give and they would take it all, anything he could spare. Neteyam would give them everything so she gave him you.
You were there because of him.
If only you could tell him that. If you were only given a minute, a spare moment, to say how irrefutably in love with him you were. If only Eywa could prolong a spindle of time so that if anything were to happen either of you could go with touched lips and empty mouths. You could go without anything else to say.
Somehow though as soon as you were okay and back in good health, you realized that where gunmetal can warp and tarnish, it can also be repaired. Arrows could be glued and dull teeth, sharpened. What once was could be again and you grasped that over the next week. A week full of weaponry dispenses, battle practices, meetings upon meetings of planning routes, and combat groups. The conversation revolved around the sky people, the territory they had long since crossed, and their weaponry only. Everyone had nearly forgotten about your visit with Eywa, the consciousness transfer, and you and Neteyam.
If you weren’t practicing flying your Ikran and shooting your bow or locked in the grasps of Tuk and Kiri, you were talking strategies with Jake. Somehow he had noticed that after all your training and previous knowledge of humans, there was a warrior buried deep inside of you. You had become an asset to him despite the close loss. If you had a moment to spare, you were constantly in search of Neteyam, just begging the Great Mother for more than a passing glance or nod of acknowledgment.
If you managed to see one another, you both would momentarily freeze and just stare at one another almost painfully, so many words needing to be said. There were so many times when he would try to mouth something to you but it never got far because he was swept away in a matter of seconds. Neteyam was busier than you were, having become his father’s right-hand man and despite only being nineteen was promoted to one of the generals of the operation. If he wasn’t training, he was for laying his father’s orders. He was no longer soft or yours but the mighty warrior once again.
Then if he had any moment at all, Tsahik was dragging him away to discuss whatever was required of him for his courtship. That was another thing that had happened, Neteyam’s mate had been announced, proudly to the clan. Mo’at thought it would help with providing calmness to the people. That despite the alarms going off in everyone’s head that there was something to celebrate, the manhood of their future Olo’eyktan and his future wife.
Tsmandi Te Nätäkx Ayitul’ite — the finest young healer in the clan. She had been training with Mo’at for years, and somehow over the last six months, you hadn’t thought to see her as more than the Tsahik’s healer in training. You should have seen the signs and many reasons why she and Neteyam could be a perfect fit. She was intelligent, kind, and able to lead the people alongside him. Not to mention she was stunning with long wavy hair, a small curved nose, and perfect blue and ivory markings along her skin. She was the perfect choice for Tsahik and somehow at the news, it was hard to even hate her for it.
You wanted to. You wanted to hate her so bad but you knew that there was no point in it. No point in hating her when it was just as much out of her control as Neteyam’s. It wasn’t her fault that you had feelings for him or that despite most of the village realizing it that Mo’at continued to go forth with the arranged courtship anyway. It wasn’t her fault that Jake had actively noticed how his son felt about you and instead of stepping in or saying anything, he decided to stick his head in the sand and focus on the other problems that plagued the clan. Neytiri had tried to talk to her mother, to try and revert the match but despite her being the wife of Olo’eyktan, Mo’at still had say and control over the pairings. A pairing she didn’t see you fit for. They were to consummate their mateship and get married as soon as things slowed down with the sky people, possibly as soon as after the first battle and airstrike.
Of course, you had no idea what Neteyam was thinking or feeling because whenever you saw him, he was back to focusing on his duties, the weight everyone asked him to carry. It seemed even his own heart, soul, and suffering he was trying to manage. You would bear it, but it seemed he didn’t want you to.
A storm was coming and suddenly you had come to the conclusion that a moment would never be supplemented for you to be able to talk to Neteyam. The two of you were like the sun and the moon — revolving around one another, unable to touch and it didn’t matter how close you got to one another, you would never meet. He was the sun, the source of your warmth, the ability you could breathe. With such an effect to provide for everyone, came a price to pay. One that resembled a fleeting moment he shared with the moon at dusk and dawn because where he was the sun, he was the untouchable, uncurable, unfreeable. He wasn’t yours and because of the perfect soldier in him, he might never be.
“So, based on how they are approaching the village, we know they would invade from this direction. There are no other markings that are east of the village so there won’t be any of them over on that side. The only thing we have to worry about is them coming from the sky, which is where the group on the Ikrans will come in,” Jake was in the middle of the same spiel he had been going over for three days now with the same people: all of the riders and soldiers.
You found yourself glancing over past your eyelashes to Neteyam who stood on one side of Jake, as a right-hand man, and Lo’ak on the other. Even with his troublesome and risky behavior, he was still expected to fight and the sight of the two of them together now with faded green bruises and cuts shrunken down to small lines, you were unable to look away. You hadn’t spoken to Lo’ak yet about his proposal or the idea of you two mating because every spare moment was put towards Neteyam but where there was no conversation with Neteyam, it meant you weren’t able to have one with Lo’ak. He was getting antsy evident in the way his eyes found yours in a full room or he tried to catch you while you were alone after training. Somehow it hall had been avoided though.
“Neteyam and I will be with the airborne group,” Jake said then, his son’s name drawing your attention back to the importance of the meeting, “We will start here and fly there, waiting for a signal.”
“If you are a spotter you do not engage until you have to. We will take care of the first lines of fire and lead the attack,” Neteyam’s voice was serious as he glanced between the riders, the edge to his tone coinciding with that of a leader. His eyes flickered towards you but no longer than they had anyone else. You felt your stomach rise and fall just as quickly as he continued, “You’re spotters, you report, and that is all. When you see something, call it in, and then wait for further orders.”
Neteyam glanced around his father to Lo’ak who sent in a noticeable eye roll back. Jake knocked his elbow into the side of his youngest son and Lo'ak straightened up suddenly at the realization that his father had seen what he did in response to the future Olo’eyktan. A mutual understanding moved through the small crowd like a hush as Lo’ak nodded toward his father — everyone silently agreeing to listen to every word that Neteyam was saying.
This wasn’t another ‘what-if’ scenario or a hypothetical situation to use to prepare the people or yourselves. This was real and it was actually happening. Gone was the comfort that appeared with the ‘what-ifs’, a small understanding that no matter what was said or done they would remain as they were, a hypothetical situation. But now, things had inevitably changed. There was no putting this to sleep because it would still be the only thing thought about as soon as everyone left the room.
There was no going back to how things were; before the sky people, and their arrival. Ever since the night of your ceremony when Jake and Neteyam found them near the territory line, they were always there; not just in the forest slowly creeping closer and closer but in everyone’s minds. It was no longer a scenario but a possibility that would finally appear soon.
A few nights ago you had overheard Jake talking to Neytiri that if things begin to deter far in advance of the war, they should flee — protect their home for as long as they can but if it begins to go downhill, leave while they all still can. He had already advised many women and children to leave, and find shelter and solace within the mountains where he knew the technological advances could not operate. You were pondering how long it would take until he ordered everyone else to retreat, even the mightiest of warriors.
It was sure to happen because he wasn’t the same marine or Jake Sully he once was. The Toruk Makto had laid his reign to rest and now there was more at stake; his family. Before it was about honor and portraying a message about the quality of life. Many losses had occurred but for the greater cause of success. It seemed that even as the clan faced that same threat, Jake wasn’t as dedicated to the message, not if it meant losing the lives of many. He wouldn’t show it though, not to those still willing to lose their lives to protect their home. To protect their views, he would keep up the facade that he was the same leader he once was proud of.
“They’re coming and they aren’t going to stop unless we do something about it,” Jake said, a small hiss falling from his lips as he thought back to this long hard fight that had become his life, “They think that they can take whatever they want, but we have sent them this message before and we will do it again. That we won’t stop, not as long as they keep coming. We will fight. You will fly with me, your Olo'eyktan, and we will remind them that they can’t do this. They can’t take whatever they want while we’re still standing. So, prepare yourself, brothers and sisters, because they are coming, but they don’t realize that we’ll be ready!”
Cheers and hollers filled your ears as you looked around at the riders, spotters, and soldiers all soaking in every single word their brave leader had to offer. He had led them to victory once against the sky people and he would do it again. That was what all their faces said as they stared forward, with no moment to fear what could happen next or if they would even be alive to see that victory. His words shook you straight to your bones but you could only stare forward, in shock, as you took in the expressions of both of his sons. Lo’ak with one of his fists in the air, a grin was stretched across his face, almost satisfyingly as he thought about the violence that was soon to come. It was a look of vengeance, wanting and needing justice for all his people's pain.
Then there was Neteyam.
Please, let him be soft.
Strong, mighty warrior, Neteyam. He stood proudly, his hands on his hips, head tilted at the sight before him. Honorable future Olo’eyktan, Neteyam would follow his father to the ends of the world and would even let it take him if it meant he could save everyone else. He would sacrifice everything just to feel his father gushing with pride. That was who he was and suddenly like the worst realization, you knew it wouldn’t matter how much you wished for someone to just hear you, to let him be soft and be full of imperfections. You wished that he would walk away but that seemed like too big of an ask from you when the world needed him as much as it did.
Somehow his eyes found yours and his mighty statue faltered slightly under the weight of your gaze and your longingness. His lips curled slightly into a frown, one holding every emotion and every word you knew he wished he could say. That he felt for you in a way he didn’t for anyone else and that he could want you the way he did but it wouldn’t change anything. His look held so much admiration and softness, but even in it, you could see the harshness of reality — the one thing he could never say out loud. I can’t.
As if his proclamation meant nothing. As if losing you, or the fact that it had almost happened hadn’t done enough for him to leave his duties to the side. Like even though you were standing right there in front of him, everything he could want, he still couldn’t do this for you. He couldn’t go against what was expected of him at least not then, not with what was at risk. Suddenly as your heart constricted in your chest, his intense stare never leaving your trembling frame, it felt like you had been too stupid to fall under his spell. I see you. It suddenly had lost all meaning to your life.
As soon as Jake was done making his grand speech and the noise level had faded to a mere nothing, you found yourself sneaking out from the tent, beating the rush that was sure to follow. You felt his eyes drag over your back as you slipped out into the evening air, the sun beginning to set behind the tree line. A wind rippled along your skin, goosebumps being left in its wake as you approached your tent to leave your bow and chest guard.
The many voices of the rest of the riders and spotters filled the air as they began to exit from the tent. You hurried around the corner, eyes taking in the sudden dullness that seemed to have fallen over the area. The familiar dash of children was gone, instead, it was a mere memory as the village was now completely filled with soldiers, and riders, all decked out in armor and with weapons. The warmth that once was provided by the Omatikaya people had faded to a numbing fear that rattled everyone’s teeth.
Fear of the unknown, the fear of having to wait for the unknown. It was all that was on people’s minds and the days were no longer filled with meals, prayers, or times of celebration. In place of it, all was prepared for a war that could appear any day now. With everything, it felt like you hadn't been flirting with the possibility of death a few days prior or passed through the eye of Eywa. It was like you had never been human at all.
Somehow you integrated quickly, ideally, as if this was where you always were meant to be. It didn’t change the fact that every time you closed your eyes at night in your hut, you weren’t used to not having them open again in the link pod. It was the most significant adjustment, knowing you were no longer bouncing back and forth from one body to the other. You closed your eyes and opened them again in the morning with no interruption in between. That was your life now.
As you approached your tent, you heard the rushed footsteps from behind you as they bounced hurriedly across the dirt of the ground. You felt your heart pick up in your chest at the possibility of it being Neteyam but the feeling faded just as quickly as you heard the person call out to you.
“Y/N!” Lo’ak.
You sighed, peering over your shoulder, having should have known that it would be him over his older brother. Neteyam would never run after you like that. He was deliberate with even how he walked to protect his precious image from the rest of the people and he needed to seem calm and collected. Lo’ak’s face scattered in paint of orange and green, meaning he was probably about to go out on a spotting run and was just trying to catch you before. A quick conversation you hoped, as you still hadn’t had the opportunity to tell him you couldn’t accept his proposal.
“What, Lo’ak?” you asked, turning back to your tent, slipping inside.
"Wow," he followed, surprise forming on his face as he watched you place your bow down on the table, “Really, you’re not going to rush off this time?”
He had a point as for days you had been so concentrated on getting Neteyam alone, you were practically running at the sight of Lo’ak and his reckless confession that had left you backed up in a corner. A corner you now had to face head-on because what once was a hypothetical scenario had become your life overnight. You like a mighty soldier came out on the other side and now your future lay before you bare of any plans or decisions.
You were so blinded by the love you felt deep within your chest, you hadn’t thought any further than the way it had wholly consumed you. There was that word again, consumed. Consumption. Almost as if Neteyam’s love was water that would cure the dire thirst that had overtaken your lonely soul. Somehow the dire need had taken over every other physiological ask of your body.
Lo’ak had not been a priority but how could he have been when this obsession had once again become a “will they, won’t they” scenario.
“Y/N,” your name fell from his lips like the softest touch and you felt the recoil of your heart back into your chest, “If you plan to make a break for it I am not going to just let you go this time. Frankly, if you try to run off, I am just going to go after you and I think you remember that it is quite easy for me to catch you.”
You sent him a narrowed look over your shoulder before you busied yourself again with removing the chest guard as well as the knife strapped to your waist, “You never stop do you? With the flirting?”
“Well why would I ever stop when I get to see that look on your face every time I do it,” he chuckled, eyes flickering over the fierce glare and the furrow in your brow that matched the same one you once had when you were human. Even though you now stood only a few inches shorter than him and with ivory-dotted skin, you still were so much like the you he once knew, all starting from the animated expressions that coated your face in life.
He reached forward his thumb brushing over the folded skin, “The crinkle right above your nose only ever shows up when you’re annoyed or angry. And you’re cute when you’re annoyed.”
You smacked his hand away and sighed loudly not finding his affection welcoming in the slightest with the current circumstances at hand; the sky people, the guarantee of war, the possibility that any of them could die, the fact that he was still waiting for you to accept his ask to be his mate, or that he knew very well how you and his brother felt about one another. His flirting didn’t feel right in any way at that moment.
“Can you stop that, just… what is it, Lo’ak?” you sighed, rubbing the furrow he had been talking about seconds ago. You hoped it would disappear under your fingers, smoothing back to normal to keep him from feeling any more satisfaction. He knew your expressions and feelings inside and out, filling you with the worst dread, “Why are you here?”
“We need to talk,” he shrugged, casually as if the conversation he was hoping to have was just that but you knew better. Based on the glint in his eyes and the sly smile, you knew that nothing was casual at all about it and that with the charm laid on thick, he finally once again had you in that corner.
“Lo’ak…”
“No, I am not letting you walk away from this again. This can’t go on any longer,” he said, voice lowering as his hand extended forward as if it was going to touch you but it stopped mid-air due to the way your eyes hastily followed it. It fell back down to his side and you instantly felt guilty about it.
His mouth parted then as if he was going to say something else but you stepped forward, practically begging him not to, “Lo’ak, stop."
“Y/N,” he warned.
“Don’t say another word,” you professed, taking a step back away from him, “Not about this. Everything I said that night remains true and I haven’t changed my mind. I won’t let you do this, I can’t. I will not hold you back and diminish your chances of falling in love.”
“Y/N—”
“No!” you shouted then, feeling your shoulders shake at the exasperation of the word, “We can’t. You deserve better Lo’ak and I deserve better. Marriage and mating are not some solution so you don’t end up alone. I would rather be alone than become something you’ll resent. I won’t do that to myself.”
“You’re right,” he said, his words ringing out but muffled by the intense panic you felt as soon as his voice filled your ears.
“No, Lo’ak—”
“Y/N!” he raised his voice as both hands took your shoulders firmly. Shaking you lightly, your frantic eyes found his, finally flickering up from where you had been staring at the ground. You were met with a soft smile so loving and kind as a deep chuckle escaped from his mouth, “I said you’re right.”
“What?” your ears flattened slightly in shock as your eyes widened.
He laughed again, thumbs beginning to rub circles into the inside of your arms, finding the most amusement from the look on your face. “Look, I love you. I do, but not enough, and surely not as I should. Watching you and Neteyam this week, I realized that how I feel about you isn’t nearly as much as he does. And expectations or logistics of the future put aside, it would be wrong of me to make you settle for someone who doesn’t look at you the way I find him doing every day. You deserve more than what I can give you and I am sorry I didn’t realize it earlier.”
The look hadn’t faded from your face, instead, it only deepend, your hands finding his arms, able to feel the warmth of his skin under your fingertips, “Really?”
“Yes,” he chuckled, “Plus, do you really think I want to be with a girl who would rather have my brother. No thanks.”
Your heart clenched in your chest, twisting and turning almost like you were about to be sick even though the look on his face resembled only amusement and laughter. Like his own joke was too funny not to laugh at himself. Your grip on his arms tightened unexpectedly, “I’m—”
“Shut up,” he cut you off, eyes narrowing at the way you were going to profusely apologize for something that had been completely out of your control the moment you had met Neteyam. Lo’ak even noticed it the first night, how you looked at his older brother like he had hung the stars. Even when he was less than welcoming during that first meeting, you saw the world in his eyes. “I’m fucking with you. It’s fine.”
“Is it?” you asked, hesitantly.
“Yes.”
You weren't convinced evident in the way your gaze fell back to the ground, not fully able to meet his eyes from the shame and guilt that was eating away at you. You had hurt him and led him on out of fear and it was inexcusable. With Lo'ak though, when it came to you he was always quick to forgive. Shown in the way, his fingers wrapped around your chin, lifting your head so your eyes once again met his.
“I have been second to Neteyam my whole life in everything and I don’t think I could go through with being the person you’d settle for just because you couldn’t have him. You were always right about that, how we shouldn’t choose to be with someone to settle. If we had, I think it would’ve killed me. We would have truly been miserable,” he admitted sadly with a solemn smile overtaking his features.
You had felt your eyes well up at his words, at the pain that had decorated his face in the form of worried lines and battered scars. He was right, just as you had been a week ago and had been every day since. The two of you would have been miserable but it didn’t deny the sudden sadness that formed. The grief that had formed for your friendship that might just never be the same and the love you swore you could have felt for the Sully son in another life. In this existence, you weren’t meant for one another and your souls would never coincide but possibly in another life and another world they would have.
“I want you to know I was never angry with you that it was Neteyam you chose. Even with him getting everything, I could never be angry with you about that,” he squeezed your arms under his palms as he paused for a brief second before continuing, “The reason I was so upset was that I was afraid he was going to hurt you. I know my brother and I knew that duty comes first, it always would, so I figured Tsmandi would come first. But watching him this last week, watching him as we all almost lost you, I can see now that nothing will stop him from feeling how he does when it comes to you.”
You felt your breath hitch, the weight leaving your entire body as you stared up at Lo’ak in slight awe. Not a single ounce of annoyance or jealousy filled his face, no spitefulness. When he said he loved you, he was telling the truth and when he said that it couldn’t compare to Neteyam’s feelings it was said with so much courage. There was no anger there laced within his wide eyes, but so much reassurance.
“When you came here Neteyam was a soldier who carried his mighty sword on his back. Before I would have told you that without a doubt he would stick to his orders, and his duties as the firstborn but he’s not the same person anymore. He is more than our father’s perfect little soldier but our future Olo’eyktan. He has a strong heart. He’s fit to be a ruler and to lead the clan to victory. But most of all, a man with a strong heart doesn’t take orders from anyone.”
“No, stop that,” you denied, suddenly, his words too much. Your face fell as you thought back to the last few days ever since you woke up from the transfer in a haze, a desperate haze for Neteyam's attention. He was and always had been the soldier the world expected of him. “Don’t say things that aren’t true.”
“But it is true.”
He would give them everything. He wasn’t soft, and he wasn’t yours.
You shook your head and sniffled, “No.”
He was a king’s son and there was no room for love among duty. It was inevitable and Lo’ak’s words only drilled holes in the hope he had built up seconds before.
“Yes it is and you’re being stupid,” Lo’ak said then effortlessly and it stung as it slid in past your chest.
Your eyebrows knitted together again, “Lo’ak!”
“Well you are,” he laughed, shaking his head, “You’re being just as stupid as he is. You’re stupid and in complete denial. It’s like you don’t realize you hold his heart in your hands. His feelings for you aren’t going anywhere. Neteyam is a ruler, yes with no fear, but I never said that a king sometimes doesn’t need a little push here and there.”
There will come a ruler whose brow is laid in thorn, smeared with oil like David’s boy. He will tear your city down…
An English poet once wrote that “there is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.”
Neteyam never knew who this man was or what he did that made his life so damn significant. He just saw him as he was, a sky person that once lives hundreds of thousands of years ago, facing the same idealistic problems that seemed to also be consuming his world. No, the future Olo’eyktan couldn’t care less about William Shakespeare but more about what he said. There is a tide in the affairs of men. In reality, the saying meant more having come from his father, first told to the young boy when he was no more than ten years old. The marine himself had heard it from Norm not long after he had arrived on Pandora himself.
The famous line stuck with Jake after all these years and he then passed it on to his oldest son, who seemed he would need it one day. That evening, sitting in the dark tent, the newest crafted bead on his songchord being rubbed between his thumb and forefinger, that was all he could think about. There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
There was a possibility of violence and war soon approaching followed by a long line of grief and all he could think about was that damn poet’s line his father had told him time and time again the older he got. Neteyam sat near the doorway of the tent and peered out towards the darkness of the forest while the sound of his father’s voice faded in the background accompanied by the taking apart and putting back together of guns. One pulled apart sat at Neteyam’s feet but he had lost interest in the weapon long after the sun had set.
His mind drifted then to where it always seemed to end up, you. More specifically, the way you had looked at him during the meeting earlier that evening, the disbelief and the pain that had overtaken your face. The complete betrayal you felt as the days were fading away quickly, days where he was still free and not some other woman’s.
He had held you with your last dying breath and said the most intimate words anyone could say within the clan and yet, he stood there across the room acting as if they meant nothing. To him, it was the most significant thing he had done in his life, but in a minor lapse of judgment, he had let the rest of his responsibilities appear again and take away his attention. Where every day passed until he and Tsmandi would be asked to be mated, also was another day gone until the sky people attacked the village. It was just a matter of time which one would occur first.
He felt his disappointment in himself increase as well as a wave of anger at his lack of awareness. He already almost lost you once and Eywa couldn’t promise the two of you a lifetime together or years to come of oblivious bliss. Nothing was promised and he was sitting there wasting every second for a battle that very well could kill him.
“Neteyam,” the sound of Jake’s voice pulled him back into the present.
He was clutching the bead so tightly in between his fingers, it had slipped and the entire songchord had fallen onto the ground. He hadn’t even noticed the absence that was left within his grasp. Not bothering to pick it up, his eyes expectantly found his father’s. The gun he had been putting back together sat in his lap in pieces, but he had paused to get Neteyam’s attention. His brows were raised curiously and a small curl was starting to appear on his lips. A look that Neteyamw wasn’t quite sure he had seen before.
Jake then nodded towards the entrance of the tent, his ears flickering as he did so, “Go on.”
“What?” Neteyam asked, unsure if he had heard him correctly.
“Go on,” he repeated, nodding his head again, “If I know her as well as I think I do, she won’t wait forever.”
Neteyam’s eyes widened then, hands dangled across his knees as he tried to process the words he never thought he would hear but felt himself reveling in for moments on end. Brows furrowed slightly, he felt as if it had been too good to be true because there was certainly no way. “But Dad—”
“You’re a good warrior Neteaym,” Jake complimented as his hands began to fiddle with the weapon in his lap just as a sudden emotion appeared in his voice, “But you’re destined to be a ruler someday, to become the next Olo’eyktan. An Olo’eyktan makes decisions for himself. No fear.”
“No fear,” Neteyam repeated slowly, still unsure if any of it was real.
“Now, go. I will handle your grandmother.”
Jake’s final words were all the confirmation that Neteyam needed. Picking up his songchord and gripping it tightly in his palm, Neteyam rushed out of the tent, leaving the burdens and the ripped-apart gun behind. Able to feel the way the moon and the stars reflected across his skin in the dark, he couldn’t help but pause outside the tent and peer up at the sky. A soft smile began to pull at his lips and in that brief pause of time, he sent up the quietest whispers of gratitude to the Great Mother. Then as if the world had finally felt like it was going in the right direction, he tightened his hold around the songchord as a new sense of determination formed. It took hold around the base of his stomach, filling him with the greatest fire known to man; pertinacity.
With hurried steps, he made his way across the village, your tent in sight. He could see the dim lighting from the lantern inside and he felt himself holding his breath as he reached for the flap of it. What would you say when you saw him there practically groveling for forgiveness, for a chance to prove himself? How would he properly say in so many words that he was wrong and that it had always been you? It’s you. Even as the world was starting to cave in around him, it was you he thought about and dreamed about. It was you and he had been entirely stupid for so long.
He took a deep breath, fingers clutched around the fabric but as he went to pull it back, he was distracted by the sound of a loud whistle. It made his ears twitch and he found himself turning to locate the loud noise. His hand fell away from the tent as he found Lo’ak just a few feet away slowly approaching, his arms hanging loosely at his sides and a look on his face Neteyam couldn’t quite decipher. Some lingering yellow markings were still pressed along the younger brother’s temple and arms, but they were practically invisible in the dark. A week ago, Neteyam had only looked at Lo’ak with hatred and with his fists balled tightly together, a feeling that had never been there before when it came to his younger brother.
Now as they stood only a few feet from one another, in front of your tent, still having never addressed that night, Neteyam felt his stomach tighten again. Not only in guilt about what he had done but also in slight anger as his resentment and jealousy still lingered under the surface. Lo’ak had asked you to be his mate, and Neteyam still didn’t know what the outcome would be or what you had even decided to do. He refused to be in a room with Lo’ak unless it had something to do with the ongoing conflict with the sky people, so now standing there in the darkness of the village, there was an obvious amount of tension that still lingered.
Lo’ak nodded in the direction of the forest behind him, shrugging his shoulders as he did so, “You just missed her. I am sure you could still catch her though.”
Neteyam heard the words and slowly felt his stoic expression and rigid stature fade. His fists unclenched and his ears flickered curiously. His lips parted slowly, in surprise as he glanced from his younger brother to the forest practically calling his name, “Lo’ak—”
“You’re the better man,” he said, cutting him off and shrugging his shoulders as he did so, “You always were. I was just too stubborn to get out of your way.”
The future Olo’eyktan found himself shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe that his younger brother thought he was the only one at fault here. They both had been. Things had only fallen apart because of their indignation toward one another and their incessant need to push down all of their real feelings until they no longer felt as if they existed. It was something they both had gotten from their father and it had shown with how they chose to handle this whole situation, with violence.
“I have always been too hard on you, Lo’ak. It's unfair.”
The younger Sully laughed, his chest rumbling slightly almost as if he was trying to brush off all the seriousness that was forming, “It is what is expected of you. You should be hard on me because I need it. We’re not kids anymore Neteyam and I need to start taking responsibility for my own actions. I have been letting you do it for far too long. So please hear me and believe me when I say that I was wrong about this. I knew how you felt about her and even when I saw how she so obviously looked at you, I chose to ignore it.”
“You were doing what you thought was right, I can respect that,” Neteyam replied honestly, his eyes softening at the sight of the pained expression plastered across Lo’ak’s face.
“No, I was trying to be you.”
His brows furrowed at Lo’ak’s admission, lips curling slightly into a frown at the emphasis of the word you. Something that he never expected to hear. “What do you mean?”
“I was trying to be you. I thought I was protecting her… that I could protect her, but I’m not you. I was wrong, Neteyam because she never needed my protection. I was scared that you would hurt her, that somehow your duty, your need to put everyone else first would wreck everything. I was trying to protect her, but I can’t do that because I’m not you. I am not made to be a ruler.”
There is a tide in the affairs of men.
I am not you.
Neteyam felt his deep inhale get lodged within his chest at Lo’ak’s words, ripping what was left of the walls he had built up to pieces. Ears pulled tautly back, he stepped forward and found his hand reaching out to take a hold of his younger brother’s shoulder, “Lo’ak, it is a good thing. I wouldn’t want you to be me. I wouldn’t want you to carry these burdens. It’s suffocating.”
Lo’ak’s head fell slightly, almost like he was guilty he was the younger son, free of more responsibilities and expectations. Even though it had not been his choice, he felt guilty that Neteaym was the one who had his future completely planned out for him, that because of their birth order, his brother was unable to fully commit himself to you.
Neteyam squeezed his shoulder lightly, “I am glad it’s not you, Lo’ak. I am so relieved that you are who you are. I know the guilt you must feel but it’s not a weight you should waste time bearing. This wasn’t a choice you made and you need to let it go. Yes, you’re not me. You’re not a perfect little soldier, but believe me, it’s not a title worth having.”
The honest sentiment was strong as it settled deep within Lo’ak’s chest suddenly breaking through all the resentment that had been there for years. The outcast. The wrong brother. The mess up. It all no longer mattered as he stared at Neteyam because for years while he had been so busy trying to hate him and make his life harder, he failed to realize just how unlucky the firstborn really was.
It was never that Neteyam got everything he wanted but rather was given everything without a choice in the matter. Everything and everyone’s approval he hadn’t asked for. In exchange the pressure to be perfect, to do everything right, and to never disappoint. The reality that had been looming over them their whole lives was that Neteyam wasn’t the lucky son, not in the slightest, just the one that held the entire family and world in his hands.
It surely was a responsibility Lo’ak was relieved he would never have.
“I mean look what it has gotten me,” Neteyam said then, shame covering his face as he glanced over his shoulder at the tent, “I have hurt her. I have continuously hurt the only woman I have ever had feelings for.”
“Feelings?” Lo’ak asked, eyes narrowing as he observed the reaction that overtook his brother’s face from the question, “You love her then?”
It was a softness Lo'ak had never seen on his brother’s face before. It was like all worry and all weight had left him in a matter of seconds. What was left was a mere admiration for the woman who was sitting waiting in the woods. She had left to pray to Eywa, to ask for answers for her heartbreak that seemed to be inevitable but the answer was as clear as day and standing right in front of Lo’ak. It was the soft lift of the corners of Neteyam’s lips to the coruscated flash in his eyes.
“Y-Yes.”
Lo’ak nodded, slightly surprised that Neteyam finally admitted it but somehow not surprised by the response that finally confirmed everything. It had always been there under the surface. The answer to the very question he asked moments ago, but to actually hear it out loud was foreign.
“You should go,” Lo’ak said then, glancing briefly over his shoulder to the forest and the direction you had disappeared to, he could only assume to the spot Neteyam had introduced you to.
Neteyam’s face pinched together for a moment, brows furrowing as he tried to analyze Lo’ak’s expression and his sudden need to send him off into the forest. It was almost as if his younger brother couldn’t handle any more of the conversation. The younger Sully stepped back, putting some more space in between them.
As Neteyam was going to say something more, he was silenced quickly as Lo’ak raised his hands, “I am fine. It’s fine, really. I am just saying you shouldn’t waste any more time. You should go.”
He agreed silently and knew then that after everything that had happened; the tension, the arguments, that fight that broke out somehow this one conversation had healed all wounds. It had healed those very blows that had been sent to Neteyam’s chest and had brought the worst rage out of him. The betrayal he felt seeped away and somehow nothing was left but the forgiveness and understanding that clouded his mind. It was a reconciliation that had somehow seemed to fix all of the things from over the years of growing up under the same roof, always in competition, acting as if their father’s pride was something to be won.
Lo’ak for years had felt that he had always come second and that he would never be Neteyam. It wasn’t a disagreeable aspect anymore but rather something he could learn to see as understandable. He didn’t want to be Olo’eyktan, not really, and that came with all the standards laced within the title. For the first time in years, there was an understanding between the two, an acceptance of sorts and it all started and ended with you.
Neteyam slipped by Lo’ak, the confirmation of you being in the forest already guiding him to a certain place he was sure you'd ran off to. The only place either of you'd end up when it was this late and with dangers lurking around. It was the only spot either of you would wait for the other and it brought the most comfort when times were dire and destructive. There was no knowing what would fall upon the forest the next day or the day after. No guarantee of what would happen to the clan, to the village, to the people, and to those who were about to put their lives at risk for the entirety of their belief system.
Neteyam very well could die tomorrow and now suddenly all he could wish for was to have one night. One night where you could be his and he could be yours, completely, honestly with nothing else wedged between the two of you. He wished to have you, to feel your skin beneath his fingers, to memorize the way you would look up at him, and the way you would say his name. Most of all he just wanted you to promise him that it wasn’t too late. That he hadn’t fucked things up that bad.
He needed to hear that despite everything you loved him.
Just as his feet reached the tree line, Neteyam stopped at the sound of Lo’ak calling out to him again. Turning around, he found his younger brother sending him a proud smile, one that reached his eyes, not an ounce of sadness or disappointment to be shared between the two. “Just take care of her okay?”
A single nod was all that was expressed from the older Sully, the man who had fallen so irrevocably in love he couldn’t imagine doing anything else for the rest of whatever time he had left — take care of you was the only thing at the top of his list. Fuck the responsibilities. Fuck the arranged marriage or the expected mateship. Fuck the control his grandmother seemingly wanted over who his partner was going to be.
Jake’s words rang around in Neteyam's ears as he turned back towards the forest and stepped inside.
An Olo’eyktan makes decisions for himself. No fear.
He found himself suddenly picking up his pace, the wind brushing along his skin as he began to run. His knife clattered across his thigh from the holder around his waist colliding with his songchord as he brushed past the brush and tree branches. His eyes were set forward in the dark, the lush glow of the forest the only thing to guide him as he felt his lungs begin to burn. They burned for air as his legs began to ache. Sweat was forming along his brow but the only thing his mind was set on is getting to you.
No fear. He kept repeating it to himself over and over again. Simply, because he didn’t fear much. He never gave a second thought to what his father asked of him. Being a soldier and the talk of war never scared him somehow. He prepared his whole life to someday die in battle but you, somehow telling you how he felt was so much worse. The idea of actually admitting it out loud to you was the scariest thing he'd ever do. Letting himself fall for you was something that took more courage than he would ever care to admit. Because loving you meant he was going against the crown, the expectations, and the future wife that had been chosen for him. He was going against the prophecy that Mo’at had laid before him.
As he slowed near the familiar trees and mangled brush, it felt as if the Great Mother had another plan for him all along. Almost as if she had brought you back for him and him alone. There was a great plan, a future that would be laid out before him and he felt that Eywa was promising that you would be the one by his side.
He held his breath as he pushed the brush aside and stepped swiftly through the forest spotting you from beneath the trees. You stood near the base of the river, arms wrapped around yourself as you stared forward at the water, tracing the ripples with your eyes. Lips pursed, you shifted from side to side seemingly lost in your thoughts, so much so you didn’t hear his approaching steps. Neteyam stopped just a few feet away, allowing himself a few seconds to admire you, your side profile, and the way your hair fell effortlessly across your shoulders. The top half was pulled back out of your face and laced together in a small braid, leaving a few pieces to frame your face. Your smooth skin reflected the sheer lights of the water and he couldn’t help but trace the slope of your nose and the slight purse in your lips.
He hadn’t been this close to you since the night among the mauve tendrils, the night among the Tree of Souls where you collapsed in his arms. Where he had bared every pain that was painted across his soul to you. He could still picture the way your face was dosed with salty tears, aching and begging for him to understand. I trusted you. His pained words still echoed in his ears now but it seemed things had changed so much since that fateful night a week ago.
It was as if you were the one now who felt betrayed, heart twisting at the thought of him being with someone else. Entirely the same way he had felt when he had found out Lo’ak had asked you to be his mate. Except for the way you stared into the empty river, gaze void of any warmth he knew somehow you were feeling far worse than even he had.
Neteyam had known what it felt like to feel the one slipping through his grasp to another, he knew what it was like to feel so betrayed and heartbroken at the way reality messed with your perception. He had felt the wounds strike his being and somehow even with knowing all of that, he had bestowed it on you. A feeling he hadn’t wished to befall anyone had been passed off to you and the guilt was choking him.
A click of your tongue filtered in through his ears and as he took a brief step forward, your body turned in his direction. Instantly, you froze, surprised to find him standing there, eyes locked on you in the dark. His gaze shamelessly traced the shape of your body and you found yourself in silence watching him as he did so. Your heart had picked up in your chest as a heat of some sort started to pool in the base of your stomach due to how delicately it felt like he was tracing your skin. You hadn’t heard him approach and now to have him standing there before you after so long, it had filled you with so many emotions. So much love and so much pain as he was there in front of you, soon to belong to someone else.
He watched the glass form across your eyes as the pained expression filtered across your features. The obvious furrow of your brows and the twitch of your lips held his attention away from your smooth exposed skin. You were glued to your spot, the frustration pricking at the nerves of your body, filling you with a numbing rage at the sight of him. You had craved it for a week, needed it with every fiber of your being to see and talk to him. Days ago you needed him to promise you and reassure you that there was nothing to worry about. That Tsmandi would not be his and he would not be hers, but he never came. He never let those reassurances leave his tongue and now somehow the sight of him in the only spot that brought you tranquility felt poisonous. As if it had all long become toxic.
You turned away from him then, arms tightening around your waist as you found solace in the appearance of the blue water rather than his gold eyes. A lump had formed in your throat and the painful bob of it left you trying to conceal the tears that were starting to well in your eyes. Tears of anger as he stepped closer, his gaze burning holes into the side of your head. His shoulder brushed yours softly as he let his stare drift from the side of your pinched face to the river before him, the sound of the waterfall sinking into his ears.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he smiled softly as he thought back to that night all those months ago when you sat at the bank underneath the stars for the first time. It was the first time he had ever told someone about the nightmares he barred on his back as well as the first time he had let himself acknowledge his feelings for you.
It felt as if the two of you had grown so much since then, aged at least five years instead of just the one. Somehow in a course of almost a year, he was no longer that delirious young boy, desperate for his father’s approval. No, he had become a strong warrior, skin coated in the toughest armor and a future of reign in his grasp. He felt like a true man as he stood next to you, a woman he wished to give his entire self to. He felt honorable and worthy and powerful. That was how you made him feel even when you wished to recoil from him, even when you wished to run and let the fear guide you away deep into the forest.
“It’s seemed like we have lived an entire life since the first time I brought you here,” he said suddenly, stare flickering back over to you, satisfied in the way your ears twitched and you turned your head slightly to him, his words practically guiding you back to him. “We were both so young and naive that night. It was the first time I felt you break through my resolve. It was then that I knew I was beginning to feel something for the girl who appeared in the forest. It was like you were a gift from Eywa herself.”
Your brows furrowed, lips forming into a frown as you looked over at him, to meet his eyes. The look in them took you by surprise and suddenly you found the anger ravaging you as you met his soft gaze. “You shouldn’t say things like that to me. It isn’t fair of you.”
He ignored your reply as well as the annoyance that dripped from your lips, “It was like you were sent here to save me.”
His hand dropped to his side and examined your expression as his pinky brushed delicately across the skin of your outer thigh, just below your hip bone. You sucked in a breath past your teeth and felt your hands tense around your body at the feeling of his warm touch and the satisfied smirk that appeared on his lips. A pang appeared in your chest and you felt the lump in your throat get larger. You glanced down at his hand as it glided across your hip bone again, while his tall looming body seemed to envelop your senses completely.
You granted yourself a moment to divulge in the feeling, to let it shoot to your core and the desire you felt for the man before you, the undesirable, the unattainable. But then you felt your body's hotness turn to rage as he took another step closer to you, his eyes half-lidded and scanning your face. You shook your head and found yourself hissing at him, your hand roughly pushing his away.
“Ftang (stop)!” you demanded, the warning in your voice void of any warmth as your eyes narrowed in his direction, a pained huff following from your parted lips, “What are you doing, Neteyam? Why are you here?”
“You know why.”
“No, I don't,” you said, sticking your hand out to keep him an arm's length away. If you were going to have a conversation you needed to have a clear mind to do it and you couldn't have a clear mind with him hovering over you.
“What, you don’t have some dinner or meeting tonight with your future wife to talk about wedding logistics?”
“No,” he said simply, refusing to step back even with your threatening gaze.
“What do you mean, no? You are to be married, yes?” you asked, suddenly confused as it was all the village had been able to talk about for the past week. It was the only topic of importance other than the sky people and the intended doom that would soon fall upon the land.
“I don’t wish to marry any woman unless it’s you,” he admitted, reaching up so his fingers ghost over your cheek. He brushed a piece of hair that was framing your face back behind your ear and you hated the flush that appeared on your face. He smiled as his eyes flickered down to your lips still parted in confusion.
His words hit you in the chest like a ton of bricks, words you had only ever thought you would have heard in your dreams. They were all you had wanted since the night he had come to you in the healing tent since he had cupped your cheek and whispered the very confession that had confirmed every feeling he had had.
He had barred his soul and for the last week, you had been left in the dust, left to contemplate your future before you. You watched him as he entertained the idea of mating with the chosen women for him, as he contemplated it to please the village and the people. You had been left in a spiral of pain wrenching and pulling at every will of yours to live while he had been squaring away every duty asked of him.
You shook your head, feeling the cringe of your lips as you reached up and shoved his hand away from you. You stepped back, lips quivering slightly as your eyes stared daggers into his, “No.”
“Yes,” he replied, trying to reach out for you again, confused by your sudden need to recoil from him.
“No,” you took another step back away from him, the twist of your lips matching the way your heart felt in your chest, “Ftang nga (stop that)! You’re being mean, Neteyam.”
His brows furrowed, standing tall as the small quiver of your lips held his attention, “What, how am I—”
“I waited for you,” you uttered indignantly, as the pained look in your eyes seemed to amplify, “For days, I waited. Waited for you to come to me and say something, anything. All I needed was some reassurance, hear something that confirmed I hadn’t wasted my time on you.”
“Y/N—”
His heart ached at your words and his guilt seemed to intensify as you only wished to push him away even further for the pain he had caused you. After everything, you felt so disgusted and hurt by the distance he had put between the two of you. He had been so caught up with his father, with planning for the attack, that he hadn’t even spared a single moment for you. A moment to express his feelings and reassure the anxieties that had been preying on your innocence for far too long.
“They announced your courtship with Ms. Tsmandi Te Nätäkx Ayitul’ite, the next Tsahik. I waited and you still didn’t come. You let me believe that you were going to marry her, that you once again would choose your duties over me. I waited for you,” you repeated, eyes welling torturously with tears as your breath was ripped from your throat.
His shoulders fell slightly, as the single phrase I waited for you seemed to hold just as much weight as your previous admission. The way I feel about you is consuming. Except where that one had actively repaired every damage he had ever felt like a precious oath, this one brought out nothing but dread in him.
As if those four words were a farewell and you would soon disappear from his sight, back into the forest where you had come from. Like the words were a confirmation that he was incapable of fixing what he had done, the hurt he had caused. He was standing before you offering to throw every caution to the wind, offering to risk it all; his reputation, his reign, his expectations, for you. It took him too long to have realized it but now that he had, a silent prayer was cast across his heart that it wouldn’t be too late.
“Tsap’alute si (I’m sorry),” he professed anguished as you seemed to only be pulling away from him, “I shouldn’t have kept you waiting. I should have come to you, talked to you, and told you everything that has been on my mind since the night in the healing tent. I was scared Y/N. I am still so fucking scared. I almost lost you. You collapsed in my arms, in my fucking arms and I—I can’t. I can’t bear the thought of it, especially now with the sky people closing in.”
“It’s not something you can guarantee, Neteyam,” you said, softly, staring intently up at him and the sudden vulnerability that was plastered across his features, “You can’t promise to protect me through this. This war is unpredictable and your protection can’t be promised.”
“It has to be,” he mumbled out, face pinched together and hand hung in the air, desperately trying to reach out to you, “Y/N, not even for a second, was I considering marrying Tsmandi. You need to know that. This week it was never my intention to blindside you or keep the whole thing from you. I never thought about it even if it were my duty. I couldn’t, not when my heart solely belonged to you."
“Neteyam,” his name fell from your tongue breathlessly but no other words followed.
“It’s always been you. From the moment I saw you in this very forest, cowering behind my baby sister as no more than a stranger.”
You shuddered, every desperation and need for him evident in the way you seemed to lean closer as if his words were the secret password to your being. Like he could put you back together simply by the way he looked at you alone and his sweet words. You stared up at him, so close to offering him what was left of the dying organ in your chest.
It was a lost hope and even as it anatomically was healthy enough, beating away in your chest, the phantom pain was strong and killing every will you had left. This man had played with your feelings, spun you around on his finger as he tried to decide whether he wanted you. You had stood by, letting his control over your feelings be something he could hold over you.
Somehow even with what he had put you through, the long excruciating week of tears and the fears of the unknown, you found yourself holding onto every single word he professed. You were giving in and the thought terrified you. It terrified you that somehow he would be convinced to forget about you, to leave you once again, in favor of his throne and the means of doing what was expected of him. You were cautious, cautious as you offered him everything you had left of yourself.
“You aren’t being fair,” you professed, your heart rate so loud it echoed in your ears as every last conscientious thought seemed to be escaping from you. Like at any moment you would be out of excuses and let him graciously take you.
“No, but I am not lying about how I feel either. I never have. Oel ngati kamele (I see you).”
Those three words seemed to bring you to reality. They hit you so hard, you felt you were back in that tent just before the consciousness transfer. He repeated them just as earnestly and desperately, needing you to believe him. Needing you to say it back as if his sanity depended on it. Like the thought of you denying him would break him entirely.
Somehow though at the sound of them in your ears, you felt nothing. The meaning was gone and instead, you were left with an ache from the absence of the feeling his words once brought you. At that moment, you had let the fear take over and steer you away from the same desperation you were feeling as he was. For so long you had tiptoed around one another, had hurt each other in favor of protecting yourselves.
Now with all the possibilities there just at the tips of your fingers, you felt the fear rush through your veins like ice water. Coldness and spite were all you could feel then for a brief moment as you thought back to the night among the Tree of Souls. How you had poured everything out to him and he turned his back on you as if it was the easiest thing. He looked down at you with your chest open and exposed, and spat in your face. He had torn you to pieces shamelessly and you could still remember it evidently.
He looked as you had that night, staring down at you with the same look you once had. He was offering you everything, scarily so, a dire need for you to accept him. To say yes. Your hold on him was just as strong as his and this time he didn’t hide it. He didn’t hide his need for you. His need that filled his entire body with shock waves and desirous fantasies. His need to combine his soul with yours for the rest of time, so that you would never be apart again. He didn’t hide how much he needed you, how much he needed your kiss to grant him life.
It was all there within his eyes, his gold wide eyes, speckled with every true feeling he had. You felt petty then as you stared up at him hoping to fill him with just as much dejection as he had to you.
“You aren’t capable of seeing.”
Sometimes, it just wasn’t enough. That’s how you felt like sometimes there weren’t enough words in the world to heal every wound. It was evident by the angry tear that slipped past your water line. It slid down your cheek, your skin still smooth and bright under the luminescence of the forest. He followed it as it settled in the corner of your lips.
It was harsh. Cruel even to deny both of you this. The possibility of finally being together, but your pride was bent too much and somehow you just couldn’t put the hurt you felt aside — not after everything. You couldn’t.
The exhale from his lips was entirely broken, as if you had stolen his last remaining breath from his lungs. He stared at you utterly confused and hurt, not understanding that his ignorance this past week had caused you so much pain. So much that you would walk away from him completely. Suddenly the weight had returned, the weight of a broken heart. Somehow it was far worse than any weight he had felt before. He finally saw that all he wanted was you, and the thought of losing you completely to his stupidity was maddening.
You turned from him, shaking your head slightly as if you couldn’t look at him for another moment longer. One more glance was sent to the water, the river filled with far too many memories, memories of him and you. You knew then that it didn’t matter how much you loved him, you wouldn’t be a woman who groveled, or who would beg for him.
There wasn’t a word or anything that he could say that would stop you from walking away.
“I love you, Y/N.”
Except there was that.
You felt your breath get lodged in your throat, your steps halting from where you stood a few feet away. Fingers twitching at your sides, you found your eyes locked forward at the darkness of the forest as shock drenched your body. Lips slightly parted, you felt your heart stop completely in your chest at the sound of those three words escaping his lips. Words you never expected him to know let alone say.
Somehow they felt heavier than I see you. They spoke to the human you once were and they felt heavier on your being and your consciousness. They held so much more meaning and feeling to you and somehow you found they had stopped all of your efforts to leave. You closed your eyes for a moment.
He had you.
With a strangled cry on your tongue, you suddenly turned slowly to face him, knowing he controlled every fiber of your being. You were a puppet on strings and he was the sole puppet master.
He stood by the bank, chest puffed out, eyes desperately trying to find yours. They quickly traced your tears and swollen lips as every honest look about him swelled across his face. He wouldn’t let you go, you knew that. After everything, he couldn’t but at that moment you wished he would set you free more than anything. Set you free from the pain that panged you so profoundly. Because it would be far easier than ever to grant either of you this. Neteyam Te Suli Tsyeyk’itan owned you and he held your heart in between his palms and the thought terrified you.
You shook your head, lips quivering as he slowly approached you each step sending your senses in over drive, “No. Neteyam, no.”
He stopped in front of you and he saw it then with your true feelings reflected in your tears. You were scared, absolutely terrified. The thought to feel so consumed by someone was scaring you away from him and he understood it. Stood there beneath the stars, he understood it completely. Because god forbid you give yourselves to each other and somehow this war destroys it. Somehow one of you loses the other, left to wither and collapse under the weight of grief. Eywa forbid one of you is returned to her far sooner than expected.
He felt his own tears fill his eyes as he reached out, hands taking your arms softly. Hesitant for a moment, he found his stare flickering up at the sight of something out of the corner of his eye. Uncertainty plagued his mind then, only wanting what was best for you and for him. As he peered up though, he felt his chest tighten unexpectedly at the sight of an atokirina floating right above his head, emitting a soft glow. He felt his stomach clench and then relax by the sign it brought. Suddenly then, he had never been more sure in his life.
“I’m in love with you,” his eyes fell back down to you and a soft smile appeared across his lips as he leaned closer, “I know I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve you. Not after how I have treated you all this time.”
You felt a sob fall from your tongue as all reserves seemed to crumble before you at his feet. I’m in love with you pushing every single insecurity you felt away. It was branded across his eyes and made your whole body feel as if it was going to collapse in his arms. It was the clearest he had ever been and it had you falling apart at the seams.
Sometimes, it just wasn’t enough. Words weren't enough but those were. To you, those words were everything and more.
It didn’t matter then to you that you were terrified of losing him or that he was promised to another woman. It didn’t matter that he was supposed to be Olo’eyktan and all of these expectations hung heavily on his shoulders. None of it mattered anymore that every sign had pointed to the two of you not being able to be together because he was in love with you. He was in love with you and Eywa seemed to have blessed the match willingly. She had brought you back for a reason, for this, for him.
Let him be soft
Let him be mine.
His hand drifted up until it cupped the side of your face, it overwhelming you as he cradled you softly. His thumb traced your jaw so carefully as his eyes bore straight into your soul.
“From the moment you got here, I was condescending, rude, too absorbed in myself, and still am. I tried so hard to deny what I felt for you, for months, and this last week I found myself still trying to do that. I have been so blind and so fucking stupid. Not only was I focused on the fact that I almost lost you but the impending war. I have been awful and confusing. I admit that I have done so many things, so many horrible things, but here I am, begging you to love me anyway.”
His voice broke then, his thumb moving along your jaw to your temple and the tear stains that were stuck along your skin. His heart ached for you then and he knew that he wouldn’t go on if it meant you couldn’t be his mate. He needed you like he needed air and the thought of living another day without you was murderous.
“I am no perfect solider. I am flawed and am more difficult than I would ever like to admit, but I am a man who desperately loves you,” he whispered, leaning closer, his intense stare devouring you whole, “I am offering you everything, everything I have. I have done so many terrible things, I know that. But please, just tell me that despite it all you love me.”
His other hand which was gently wrapped around your arm slipped to your waist. As his warm fingertips pressed along your skin, you felt an exhale escape from your parted lips. Your body shuddered, out of instinct, and you leaned closer to him enough that his chest was almost pressed firmly against yours. At his lingering touch, you felt the warmth in your stomach begin to pool more just as another small breath escaped from your mouth.
His hand flattened against your lower back, pulling you flush against his chest. Your entire body felt hot then as your eyes flickered shamelessly from his dilated pupils to his parted lips. Lips that had been on your mind every night for months. Lips that you had wished would claim yours day after day, night after night.
Tell me you love me.
You gasped at the feeling of his heart beating profusely in his chest, clashing with your own. Your eyes then snapped up to his wide ones as he stared down at you. He was waiting for what you would say next, waiting for what you would do next. The desperation was evident, interlaced with the desire that coated his golden orbs. His golden orbs that were drenched in reflections of the forest almost as if you were back between the mauve tendrils.
The sight of an atokirina floating over his shoulder made you think that maybe you were, that you had traveled there. Like Neteyam wasn’t really there in front of you, saying all of these things. This was all just a figment of your imagination and would be nothing but dust by the morning. It was real though, as real as the Great Mother herself. All evident by the pull of your stomach and the need that was brewing at the base of your stomach for the man before you.
You always wanted him, always wished to be claimed by him and no one else, and now here he was before you, begging, asking. All while Eywa approved of it herself. Your eyes flickered back over to his face, as the pressure within your stomach began to appear in the form of a throb in between your thighs.
His tongue swiped along his bottom lip and you found yourself following the movement with your eyes, wishing it could be replaced with your own. You couldn’t deny the feelings that were overtaking you, or the incessant need to confirm them with action. You loved him, of course, you did and it was something you wouldn’t be able to deny any longer.
With a quiet whisper, your eyes found his and all want to deny him seemed to melt from your body, “I can not lie to you.”
His ears perked up at your words and he found his eyes tracing the way your features had visibly softened, your own eyes reflecting all the same things his was. Desire. Need… Love. He tilted his head curiously, his bottom lip finding a place in between his teeth as the anticipation began to eat away at him.
You sighed, hand lifting from your side to press along his chest, right where his heart sat. He inhaled at the feeling as a small smile appeared across your lips, “There is no one else who has ever made me feel as you do and there never will be. It's you, Neteyam, always.”
Your eyes softened, taking in the way he smiled down at you, a low chuckle falling from his lips in relief at your words. You smiled too then as he leaned closer, hand still firmly wrapped around your jaw. You felt your breath hitch again in your throat as his stare flickered down to your lips and then back up to your eyes.
His mouth parted softly as his thumb drifted to your lips, and your thighs involuntarily clenched as he traced your upper lip and along your cupid’s bow. A breathy gasp was ripped from you as he dragged the pad of his thumb down across your bottom lip, satisfied with the way it bounced back into place.
Unable to stop yourself, your eyes fluttered shut as his hand slowly trailed down away from your face. Palm ghosting over your neck, his thumb moved from your chin down across your pulse point. He felt himself stir at the sight of your wet parted lips and the way your lashes brushed along the tops of your cheeks. He couldn’t stop himself then as his hand firmly took a hold of your neck and pulled you forward.
His lips gently found yours and for a second you could barely register the pressure. It was so soft, delicate as if he was trying to savor the first touch. You were the first to move your lips against his and even as you did, it was tender and slow, so different from the way he was clutching onto your neck.
His lips moved effortlessly against yours and you felt yourself practically melting in his arms, legs close to buckling beneath you if it weren’t for the stronghold he had around your back. His lips were soft, slightly parted, teasing with an underlying sense that was almost demanding.
A whimper escaped from your mouth and at the sound, he pressed his lips harder against your own. His hand tightened around your neck then, and at the feeling of his thumb pressed firmly against your pulse, you couldn’t stop yourself from letting your head lull back slightly, mouth parting at the action.
The urgency built up just as the throbbing in between your legs had. Just as the warmth seemed to spread across your entire body like firecrackers. His tongue molded with yours and at the feeling of it engulfing yours, you couldn’t help but arch your back into his.
Your hands found a place along his shoulders, fingernails brushing against his skin with ease. With a flick of his tongue, your hands dug into his back and it pulled a groan from the back of his throat. At the sound, you couldn’t help but buck your hips forward into his, desperate to feel anything, everything.
Feeling you struggling to catch your breath, his teeth took a firm hold around your lower lip and pulled back out of the kiss, releasing it with a pop. All while his eyes traced the way some of his saliva pooled along your lower lip. He shifted on his heels as he took notice of how puffy and red they were as well as how dilated your eyes suddenly appeared. He knew then there was nothing he wanted more than to have this view for the rest of his life, to be the one who pushed you this close to the edge, to have complete and utter control over every part of your body.
Hand leaving your neck, he reached behind himself to take a hold of his queue. He reveled in the way your eyes widened slightly as he brought it around his shoulder. His other hand that still had a firm hold around your hip tightened, his thumb brushing along the string of your bottoms. You shifted under the touch, breath completely stolen from your throat. You shook your head slightly, unsure at that moment as Neteyam stared down at you, his queue offered out to you.
“I have always wanted you Y/N. Always,” he whispered lowly, finger twisting around the string of your bottoms as his eyes scanned your face with the utmost softness he could muster, “There is no one else I would want by my side.”
Your heart clenched in sync with your thighs and suddenly there was nothing left to say, no other excuse to be had. He already had every part of you including the aching organ in between your ribs. What else was there left to spare?
Neteyam Te Suli Tsyeyk’itan was asking you to be his mate and there weren’t enough reasons to stop you, not while he stared down at you like that with his hands touching you the way they were. You were putty under his touch and with your entire being aching to give him what was left of you, you grabbed your queue from your back and pulled it forward. You held your breath as you stared between them, their pink nerve endings twitching in the air.
Slowly, you watched as he extended his out further towards you and with the most docile touch connected his with yours. As they firmly wrapped around one another, you felt all air be stolen from your lungs and every sensation in your body be exemplified. Tsaheylu. Your whole body suddenly collapsed forward as your eyes widened, pupils growing in size.
Staring forward at Neteyam, you watched as his own eyes dilated and his entire body jolted forward, arms tightening around you. His forehead fell to yours and for a moment you both just stood there wrapped up in the other’s arms, soft pants echoing off the forest trees. It was like you had been awakened and all you could focus on was the erratic beat of his heart in his chest and the gasping breath of his lungs You could feel it to your very core and it only heightened every sensation and desire you had.
At the sight of his glistening lips and blown-out pupils, the ache in you intensified from the extra stimulation. He groaned slightly as your hips met his again and he couldn’t help but let his lips connect with your jaw. His head dipped, lips tracing the skin from your jaw to your neck with his tongue.
Both of his large palms gripped tightly at your hips, trying to pull you as close as he could just as his teeth poked at the surface of your skin. Finding the pulse in your neck, he bit down slightly and you couldn’t stop your eyes from rolling back at the sudden sensation that went straight to your core. It was like every nerve ending had been lit on fire from Tsaheylu and you wished to never disconnect from him again.
His arms were wrapped strongly around your body and you found yourself moaning out his name as his fingers traced over your hip bones, firmly enough to hopefully leave a mark. “Neteyam…”
As his lips found your collarbone, his hands took a hold of your thighs and pulled them up and around his hips. A small noise escaped your mouth at the sudden feeling of your feet coming off the ground but it was replaced then by a moan at the feeling of his core meeting yours. The newly added pressure had you aching in his arms, as if he wouldn’t do something soon you would actually die.
His lips trailed up and claimed yours again and instantly as his tongue molded to yours again, he fell down to his knees, them hitting the ground harshly. His hands were still firmly gripped around your thighs as your knees slid to the grass on either side of his. Sat on top of him, you felt the feeling in your stomach tighten slightly. He was hard under you, straining against his bottoms.
“Yawne (my beloved), look at you,” he said lowly, staring up at you, his eyes half-lidded and full of need, “I think this is where you were meant to belong.”
With his hands wrapped around either one of your legs, he pushed you off of him slightly and then onto the ground. You felt your back arch slightly at the feeling of it meeting the cool grass. He crawled over you and you felt your legs tighten from around him as his body hovered over yours. With his arms on either side of your head, you were unable to stop your gawking at the sight of him looking so huge and strong on top of you. Even in the darkness, you were able to see every line and tautness of his muscles. It was like he was sculpted by the gods themselves and all you could think about was how you desperately wished for him to overpower you.
His lips found your collarbone again and then slowly as if he was taking his time, planning to use every minute of darkness you two had, they trailed down your chest. You arched into him again as his breath fanned across your breasts through the thin material of your top. With open-mouth kisses, his lips were followed by his tongue as they left a trail of wetness between your breasts all the way down your stomach. They stopped right above the line of your bottoms, right above where you ached for him most.
He glanced up at you and smirked as his hands pushed your knees apart further. You begged then, shamefully, “Neteyam, please.”
Teasingly, his hand trailed down the outside of your thigh before firmly wrapping around your knee. He lifted it up onto his shoulder and his lips found the inside of your thigh then. Your body tensed and then relaxed as he began to trace his lips up the side of your leg.
With each inch he got higher, you felt the anticipation flooding your system and you couldn’t help but twitch with impatience. A moan slipped past your lips as his tongue flattened across the inside of your thigh only a few inches from your soaked bottoms. Mouth falling away from your skin, he glanced up at you through his eyelashes and grinned smugly at the want in your eyes. With your leg still balanced across his shoulder, he reached up, his fingers curling around the string of your bottoms. His eyes never left yours as he gave them a gentle tug. They loosened around your frame.
Your hands tightened at your sides as you felt them fall away from your body and discarded off to the side. He groaned loudly as his eyes traced down your frame and before you knew it he was leaning in, mouth finding your inner thigh again. They trailed up slowly until he was face to face with your lower half, bare and aching for him.
His hand left your hip, fingers slipping in between your legs to part your split. At the feeling of his fingers, your breath hitched and then a second later you felt his mouth connect with you. His tongue found your clit in a matter of seconds and you couldn’t stop the twitch that ripped through your body at the skillful flick he sent to it. His other hand reached up to push your body back to the ground just as he flattened his tongue against the bundle of nerves.
Your head tilted back at the feeling while a whimper was ripped clean from the back of your throat. He chuckles and the sound vibrates through your entire body. His middle and ring fingers then slip in with ease and you can’t help but tense under him with the newfound stretch. He waited a moment, for your breath to even out and for the uncomfortable pull to fade. After a few seconds, he dove in like a starved man, his lips wrapping firmly around your clit, sending a jolt of electricity through your entire body. A string of curse words falls from your lips like a symphony and it only fuels the man below you more.
His fingers start to move, creating their own pace dragging along your walls as the slickness only seemed to increase in between your legs. His tongue poked and prodded at every inch of skin he could find. His pace quickened and it all was starting to become too much as anywhere his fingers didn’t reach his tongue did. It moved up and down, tasting every part of you.
His name was the only thing you could find yourself saying as his fingers suddenly curled up inside of you. Your entire body jolted, heat appearing across your skin in dabs of sweat as your heart rattled away in your chest feeling like it could explode at all the pleasure being pulled from your body.
“Neteyam,” you found yourself calling out as the assault only seemed to continue, the overwhelmingness of it almost too much on your body.
He ignored you as his lips firmly sealed around your clit again, tongue going to work, as his fingers curled again. The heat rushed across your entire body straight up to your face and your hips pushed up into his hand with your back continuously arched into the air. Your heel dug into the back of his shoulder at the feeling of his tongue again. He sucked at your fluids like juice just as your thighs tightened around his shoulders. With his hand wrapped firmly around your knee, he lifts your thigh higher and your jaw drops open in shock. No sounds could be formed then as the spring in your stomach began to tighten.
You realized then what was soon to happen as it felt like he was sucking every last innocence out of your body, every last drop claiming you as his. He groaned as his pace somehow got faster. You clench your eyes shut just as his fingers hit the point deep inside of you. His grip on you was bruising as his tongue sucked and flicked and took everything you had to offer him. You were squirming at that point unable to stop the pulsing that was emitting from deep inside of you. Your chest was rising and falling so quickly that you felt as if you couldn’t catch your breath.
You pleaded for him to not stop and just like he would grant you this for the rest of his life, his fingers curled into you one more time and you felt the coil deep within your stomach snap, taking the rest of your body with it. He ripped the feeling straight out of your body and pulled the loudest cry from you with it. Your voice cracked as he continued pushing his fingers up in you, tongue not moving from where they were clasped around your clit. Your leg shook from where it hung off his shoulder as your vision blurred, expelling tears from the inner corners. Body collapsing onto the ground, he waited a moment, fingers still in your body and tongue pressed to your core, before he pulled away.
Your ragged breaths filled his ears and he couldn’t help but smile as your leg slipped down from around him. He pulled his fingers from you and you winced slightly at the sudden feeling, your lower half tightening around nothing.
As your eyes fluttered open again, you stared at him as he leaned up over you on his knees. Your spent body being imprinted on his mind. Wiping at his mouth with his forearm, he licked his lips, the taste of you still coated across his tongue. At the sight of his glistening lips and narrowed eyes, the heat appeared again in seconds.
His lips sloppily collide with yours and as if he hadn’t already ripped it out of you once, you felt your chest arch into his. His tongue pressed along yours and you shivered at the way he tasted, like you. With the remnants of your actions splayed between your thighs across your skin, you felt the wetness appear again. He smiled at the feeling of your body against his and groaned as his hand drifted down in between your bodies to his own bottoms. Your nails dug desperately into his back and his hips jolted into yours in surprise. Fingers pulling at the band of his bottoms, he yanked them from his body. Your breath hitched again, the sixth time since he first had touched you as you felt his hardness brush against your core.
He hissed at the feeling and for a moment his head collapsed into your neck, almost painfully. You whispered his name and it brought his gaze back to you. He felt his entire life flash before his eyes with the sight of you below him. Irrevocably you were finally his, you were there, and you were alive. You were his.
It wasn’t another late-night fantasy where his hands had wandered in between his legs. He blinked and you were really there. You were alive and he couldn’t stop his hand from drifting up to your neck again, desperately craving the gentle flutter of your pulse. Hand gripping tightly around your throat, he watched with a furrowed gaze your reaction as his tip pressed into your entrance, prodding slowly.
Without a warning, he pushed in, bottoming out quickly. You cried out again, chest arching up into his as he hissed at the involuntary tightness around his dick. His head tilted back for a moment, trying to memorize the feeling of you squeezing so beautifully around his length, your name falling from his parted lips in praise.
After a moment, his eyes fluttered open again as spews of love sputtered from his lips. His hands reached for yours at your sides and you gasped at the way he pushed them up above your head, his fingers lacing in between yours. As you squeezed around him again, he swore, deciding then to pull out and slam back into you.
“Oh, fuck,” he exhaled then as he did it again, the pleasure flooding his system, “Yeah, that’s it.”
That heat began to pool again instantly as one of his hands slipped from yours down in between your bodies. His thumb found your clit. It was still swollen from the effects of his tongue, and without a second to waste he began to build up a pace. His hips rammed into yours, harshly sending your back into the ground as your legs wrapped up around his waist.
It all was building up again and you felt your head lull to the side suddenly overstimulated. It wouldn’t take long this time as it all was flooding your system; his grunts, the pleasure, the feeling of his body wrapped around yours strongly. He groaned out as you clenched around his dick again, you already fast approaching the edge. He rammed up into you harder as his hand tightly held yours.
“It couldn’t have been anyone else, Y/N. It’s always been you. You’re meant to be my future wife, my Tsahik, my mate,” he mumbled lowly as his pace began to falter quickly, “Only you.”
You hummed then, “My Olo’eyktan.”
His eyes rolled slightly at the title, it sounding so formal across your tongue and he couldn’t help but speed up further. He sent another and then another thrust straight into you, as his thumb continued throwing circles into your bundle of nerves.
Somehow it all had led you here, the six months of training, him starting off by disliking you, the arguments, the issues. All of it led to this with you splayed beneath him, being fully claimed as his. You let the noises fall freely from your swollen lips as all the tension and the pain seemed to fade away.
Neteyam’s grunts filled your ears as his palm tightened around your throat once and then twice. The pressure had you squeezing around him, it bringing you to that point quickly. He slid in so easily and quickly as your juices coated your inner thighs. His thumb didn’t stop and before you could even realize it, that spring in your stomach was tightening and then breaking completely.
Your whole body erupted into flames as a cry fell from your lips, it was so loud and so startling. You pulsed around Neteyam as he pulled out and slammed back into you, the sudden flutter of your walls, pulling a groan out of his throat. He couldn’t hold on much longer with the constant clenching around his cock. His eyes squeezed shut then as his hand moved away from your clit to dig into the skin of your hips. It was bruising as he gave one more pump before his whole entire body stilled, tensing above you.
You exhaled suddenly at the feeling of him shooting up inside you, followed by a few more thrusts before he was pulling out completely. The lost feeling of him was surprising as the sound of his gasps filtered in through your ears. Chest meeting his, your face was flushed with color at the sudden realization.
You were mated for life.
Reaching up, you cupped his face, practically asking him to open his eyes to coat your vision in gold and specks of green. With a gentle exhale, they snapped open and met yours. An exhausted smile appeared across his lips as your thumb traced delicately along his jaw.
You were overwhelmed at that moment by it all; the fact that you were laying in your spot with the future Olo’eyktan of the Omatikaya, with no promise of the days ahead. You felt everything as well as the pulse in his body from the bond of your souls.
You were one, forever and the only thing you could think to say at that moment was, “I love you too.”
The Na’vi say that every person is born twice.
It is the greatest rebirth ever granted to a person. A mere moment of acceptance, of acknowledgment, a promise that no matter what, you have a place among the people forever. There is a greatness that comes from it; the connection that the people have for one another, the power they emit gracefully.
The Na’vi were more than just a tiny sliver of humanity you had fallen upon. It had become your life, your existence, your sole purpose in life. Grace Augustine had once seen that in the Omatikaya, she saw them as her destiny. Then there was dream walker Jake Sully. He led the clan to victory against the sky people and now suddenly sat upon your Ikran, queue wrapped firmly within its, dread once again was felt in the air. A moment of the unknown presented to all.
Success was never guaranteed. Life was never guaranteed, but there were more important things than the need to breathe. Justice. Perseverance. Triumph.
All of that had masked over the necessity of a long life, of years to come because why promise life if there was a chance it would be dull and overtaken by enemies. Why have life if it is only filled with smoke-clouded air, and living in fear? So many had suffered at the hands of the sky people, and so many losses had been wasted at their feet. Their greediness overtook the humanity that once plagued their hearts.
It was no way to live, captive in your own world.
“Look alive, people, we got metal in the sky,” the Olo’eyktan’s voice filtered in through the transmitter strapped within your ear.
Your body stiffened, glare narrowing at the sky before you.
War was coming. Violence would soon erupt in the world of Pandora once again, after nearly two decades of peace. The Omatikaya people once again led the tide of Na’vi and Ikrans in the sky. Multiple bands of people scattered across the forest, waiting like silent death traps.
This was it.
Taking in a deep breath, you found yourself looking off to the side towards the Olo’eyktan. You looked past Jake and you felt your eyes meet his instantly. The great warrior was already staring at you. The mighty soldier’s golden eyes traced your face with the utmost determination you had ever seen. Neteyam Te Suli Tsyeyk’itan flew upon his Ikran, gun gripped tightly within his palms. Hair braided back out of his face laced with feathers. His face was covered in war paint, dosing his skin in bright colors. The orange and the green stripes were an imprint and you took a few seconds to take in the sole sight of the Toruk Makto’s oldest son. He had become just as he was always meant to.
He was made with gunmetal and veering sharp teeth. He was made to be mighty and strong and fearless. He was a warrior. A soldier. A hero.
He once again was giving everything to the world without a second thought. They needed him as much as they once needed Atlas or Achilles. They needed the great soon-to-be Olo’eyktan so desperately and he gave everything willingly. The world needed his strength, his courage, his blood, and his sweat. Most of all, they needed his heart.
He would give it all for his people, for his home, for you. Because he wasn’t just a mighty warrior but a ruler. A king and a king would sacrifice his entire being for the betterness of everyone else. He flew then powerfully, captivatingly, and even with all the pressures of the world on his shoulders, you knew then he would not falter. He would not collapse under the weight or break under the pressure.
He was stronger than any gunmetal or wooden arrow. He was the chosen one and more than that he was yours. He was your love, your soon-to-be Olo’eyktan, and your mate.
Neteyam’s gaze flickered across your features, skin bathed in bright paint, a glint filling your eyes. He nodded towards you and you felt your body tense unwillingly as the sound of metal blades drifted through the air. You granted him one more look, the sight of him gracing your being with one last fateful glance.
The Na’vi say that every person is born twice.
With the screech of your Ikran in your ears, your gold eyes snapped back to the sky before you, and speckled with the lightest green they locked upon a metal chopper in the distance, and you knew then that it was just the beginning.
author's note: this is the end... i don't know what to do with my life now but i hope all of your angsty hearts can rest now.
one of us taglist is not working the best right now and I have over the limit of people asking to be tagged (it says it's fifty) so, for now, I am just not going to have a taglist because I can't tag everyone and it's taking a lot of work to figure out.
A story update can literally make one’s whole day, looking forward to getting home asap. 🥹 Getting discharged today and I’m gonna gobble this up once home. I cannOT WAIT!!!!
first of all I hope you're resting and recovering well! 😭
secondly I don't know if you do any small promts requests but if you do, I would love to read your take on reader being in love with loak but gets heartbroken seeing him with some other girl and neteyam is there to quickly console reader. idk what endgame tbh i just love the attention from both brothers so i guess loak x reader x neteyam? 😭😭😭
Thanks love 🤍 I don’t mind doing requests but just a warning that I don’t know much about how it all works. So I’ll just write whatever comes to mind:
As you made your way through the crowd of clan people dancing around in pairs, your gaze fall on Lo’ak and what seems to be someone from the group of girls standing at the side, squealing and giggling at the pair dancing together. Your heart immediately sank at the recognition of who that girl was; Kie’ra. The one who is well known for in the clan for being the best singer. The one girl whom Lo’ak had been showing interests in, for the past month. You had believed it to be nothing serious when he would start bringing her name up at random times, thinking she held no candles to you in his heart, as you knew you had something between the two of you that wasn’t ever spoken about but it had been there, clear as a day. He had always been very protective of you and was always around you. But the past weeks, he had become distant. You didn’t have it in you to confront him about it so you just let it all unfold, making you both even more distant than ever. You hadn’t spoken in a week and tonight, you had hoped to get him to talk no matter what. That was all you could think of as you waded through the crowd until you saw them, close and intimate. A slight smirk gracing Lo’ak’s face as he had both his hands placed on her hips, while her arms were wrapped around his neck, bodies swaying in sync. You hadn’t realised you were stood shock-still at the scene unfolding infront of you until a hand gently patted on your shoulder, making you snap out of your thoughts and turning around to find none other than the older brother of the one guy you had given all your hearts to, smiling down at you warmly. At the sight of him, you immediately tear up and Neteyam is quick to check up on you, holding your shoulders, head tilting down to look at your hiding face and throwing a bunch of questions your way. “hey, hey, it’s okay. I got you. What happened? Y/n, please look at me. Can you tell me what’s wro—“ until his sight falls on the figures behind you, having to double-take, and everything seemed to click then, in his head. There was no more of the same questions thrown your way, just whispering reassurances with some cusses under his breath as he makes way for both of you to a more secluded area.
After having calmed down, Neteyam had guided you back to the crowd for a lil dance with him to make you feel better. You couldn’t stop looking their way though, for the first few minutes and Neteyam took it upon himself to get your attention back on him. His hands sliding away from yours to find your waist, pulling you in closer, and you gasp, eyes finding his in question for the sudden act. All you got in return is a playful smile though and you couldn’t help your own that broke out. You decided then to just enjoy your time with the playful older brother. As you both danced around each other, with each other, you couldn’t help but feel like crying on the inside at the sight of Neteyam with his wide grin, feeling so loved and cared for. You felt so grateful for what he was doing and that thought and feeling alone made you want to give him everything. Growing up, Neteyam had always been like a big brother to you as you and lo’ak often got into troubles together. He was always there to save your both’s asses and you had admired him a lot on top of it all. Seeing him infront of you now, smiling reassuringly down at you as you’re both dancing in the crowd, you wonder if things would’ve been a lot different if only you had fallen for the older brother instead. The one who always made you feel safe whenever he was around. The one who always listened and made you feel heard and understood. The one who’s always the first to comfort you whenever you were upset. You wondered how you had fallen for the other brother instead. With these thoughts in mind as you still looked at Neteyam smiling down at you, oblivious to what was going on inside your head; you inch closer to him, arms finding his neck, tip toeing, you place a light kiss on his cheek.
Not having seen that coming, Neteyam was stood dumbfounded for a few seconds until he let out a small chuckle, shaking his head and jokingly asking if you had mistaken him for his brother. You were about to play it off as it being a friendly kiss, worried that he might think lowly of you for jumping on him the moment you see the one you’ve always loved being intimate with some other girl— until you notice the slight blush gracing his cheeks. You didn’t know what it meant exactly. Was he embarrassed to be kissed openly like this in the public by someone whom he probably has always considered a younger sister? Or has he never thought of you like a little sister and actually liked the small kiss you gave him? You wanted to know. So you do the last thing you had expected to do at this clan party tonight when you were getting dressed up for it earlier: dragging one hand down his neck to his muscled pecks while the other stayed in place around his neck, you inch closer to his ears and whisper words that has his eyes widening, pupil dilating for a split second until he’s pulling you back, searching your eyes for an answer. You only smiled as you head in to connect your lips.
Unaware of your surroundings, you don’t notice the pair of hardened eyes on the both of you. More so on you. Jaw clenched as they take in how good you looked tonight but you were with someone else and the hands that held your wide hips as you leaned in to kiss the man infront of you belonged to none other than his very own brother. Not knowing how to process all this, Lo’ak leaves the crowd immediately, leaving his dance partner confused and trailing after him.
Hii can I ask when we are getting the release of your fic friends no more? im super excited and always check your page everyday multiple times to see if theres any updates 😭
no pressure thou! i hope you are having a great day ❤️
Aye man thanks for looking forward to my fic!!
I was supposed to work on it two days ago and publish the first chapter with the artwork but I got into accident that night and got hospitalised 🥹 I will be discharged in about few days so until then, I will try to work on going through what I wrote and fix any errors!
Tysm for your love for my unfinished works I had uploaded!!
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