“What do you mean werewolf?” You blurted out as your landlord sat there calmly, smiling at you with a knowing look. You couldn’t believe your ears, hell, you were still reeling from the dead deer on your porch!
“You’ve seen the movies, right?” Mrs. Locklear asked, stirring a cup of tea. “Oh, surely a girl your age has read Twilight,” she laughed. “That book is bullshit by the way. I’ve met vampires and they certainly aren’t like that. Oh and don’t get me started on the werewolf shenanigans in there.”
“Mrs. Locklear!” You gasped out to interrupt her ramblings. “Yes, I know what a werewolf is. But that’s just stories! Like…vikings or something came up with those stories. Right?”
“Oh certainly some of the earliest tales of werewolves come from old viking tales. Lots of vikings probably were.” She took a sip of her tea, which you had made before she arrived with shaking hands. “There’s stories of us from all over the world. How could that not be real?”
You grasped your chest. “Us?”
Mrs. Locklear was close to taking another sip before she stopped. “Well, shucks, my bad. Don’t be afraid of me. I’m just an old lesbian. Nothing mean about me except my stance.”
You looked her up and then down. She was far from being a frail older woman. How old could she be? Sixty? Maybe late fifties? No! That’s not what matters, she’s a werewolf!
“How many of you are there?” You felt like you were being squeezed like a dog toy every time you spoke.
“Well, I can’t recall the last tally we did. So many folks have moved in the past few years. Damn covid just about chased all the Northerners here.” She thought a moment more. “Granted, this town was formed as a werewolf safe haven.”
Your eyes could have bulged out of your head. “Please, Mrs. Locklear,” you decided to try bargaining. “Tell me you’re pulling my leg and a deer just decided my porch was the best place to die.” You would do anything to be able to stay in Hearthway Hollow, you loved this place.You loved your job at the daycare. You had thought just this morning how you could stay here forever! The rent was affordable to where you could live on your own, which could never happen anywhere else. The people were nice! Oh god, the people. The werewolves!
Mrs. Locklear put her hand on your shoulder. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Lots of people here go through this. And us werewolves are just like you, save for being furry once in a while.”
“You said a werewolf left that…deer on my porch.” You pointed towards the sliding glass door which had become one of your favorite parts of your new home. “Why would it do that? Is it a threat?”
Mrs. Locklear smiled. “It’s a declaration of love, actually.”
Your jaw went slack and you had to take a step away to brace yourself at the kitchen table. “How is a dead deer supposed to do that?”
“Look, it’s just a simple tradition here. It’s showing that they want to provide for you and are capable of doing so. Any minute now the local butcher shop will come to take the deer and process it into meat you can cook with. If you don’t want it, they will donate it.” She took another sip of tea. “Also, tell me where you bought this tea!”
“A relative in Vietnam,” you sputtered out. Your head was reeling, spinning. How were you supposed to go to work like this? First it was a dead deer. Now it was werewolves and something about love.
“You’re lucky,” Mrs. Locklear said.
You stared at her in disbelief.
She smirked. “Not many people get courted by a werewolf, you know?”
Somehow, you went into work, managing to put a bright face on for the kids. It was fingerpaints day, and everyone was excited. You got everyone dressed in cute little smocks and sat outside where the concrete slab wouldn’t be harmed by the spilled and excess paint.
“So, are you still enjoying the job?” Julian asked. He was one of the other teachers at the daycare. He was handsome, sweet, and so gentle.
“Yes!” You exclaimed. “This has been, oh my gosh, probably my most favorite job ever,” you said, beaming with pride. “I can’t thank you enough for hiring me.”
Julian beamed right back. “We were so excited to have you here, and the kids like you too.” His eyes cut over to the tables where a kid was complaining about how messy their hands were. “Would you mind going and getting the water buckets?” He asked.
“No problem!” You cheered. “How many do you think we’ll need?”
“How about five. Three kids to a bucket.”
You gave him a thumbs up. “You got it!” You went off towards the shed, stepping out from the shade of the gazebo.
“I was wondering what the noise was.”
You lurched then let out a laugh. “Oh, Kayden.” You breathe with relief while clutching your chest. “You startled me.”
His stoic expression had not once changed since you started working here. His thick brow was set in stone, and his full lips were placed in a permanent half scowl half pensive line.
He bowed his head at you. “I’m a silent walker. I used to scare my mother.”
“I’m sure,” you chuckled. “And yeah, it’s finger paint day!” You said this with a sing-songy tone, like you were still talking to the kids.
Kayden had a handful of jobs at the daycare. His family owned the property so he was part groundskeeper, security, and janitor. He was a jack of all trades to say.
“You wouldn’t think most teachers would be that excited about a mess like this,” he murmured.
“But look how happy the kids are! Not only that, they really let loose and show their creativity. Isn’t that exciting?”
His dark eyes looked you up and down. “I never much liked it as a kid myself.”
You stared at him shocked. “Never?”
He held up his gloved hand and wagged his fingers. It was the closest you had seen him get to playfulness. “I’ve always had a thing with getting my hands dirty. I don’t mind hard work, I just prefer to keep my hands clean is all.”
You leaned closer to him. “Then what did you like as a child?”
His eyes darted aside. “Eating crayons apparently,” he grumbled. “At least that’s what my mother says.”
You tried to keep from laughing, but a giggle escaped from behind your hand. Kayden’s eyes darted back to you and something of a smile appeared.
“What do you need in the shed?” he asked. “I’ll get it for you.”
You were still trying to keep from laughing, but you were bursting. “Buckets,” you sputtered. “For water so the kids can splash around and wash their hands so it’ll make clean up fun.” You said with a bright smile on your face.
“Are you always so chipper?”
The question kind of stung. You tended to keep up a cheery attitude to keep people at bay. If you are happy and sunny no one pays much attention or asks too many questions. “Am I?” You asked, trying to play it off.
“It seems that way. Don’t worry, I’ll go get some buckets for you.” He turned away before you could really see if he was smiling or not.
The paintings were left out to dry, and the buckets of water were used to water the planters all around the daycare. You were wiping down tables while the kids napped, excited for the snack you’d have when you were done. The thought of werewolves was an almost distant thing. Until it wasn’t.
You stalled, looking out towards the woods behind the daycare. You swallowed, thinking that some massive, bloodthirsty creature was watching you from the shadows. Wide, glowing eyes peering at you, wanting you.
“I can help with that.”
You yelped then sighed. “Kayden! You should wear a bell.”
“Sorry,” he murmured.
You shook your head, laughing at how afraid you had been. “Sorry. I’m just a little shaky today.”
His brow furrowed ever so slightly.
You sat down at one of the picnic tables. “I woke up to a pretty frightening sight this morning.”
He was still silent.
You glanced back towards him. “What do you think about werewolves?”
“Not where I expected this conversation to go.” He stuffed his gloved hands into his pockets.
Was he one of them? You thought to yourself. Was Kayden a werewolf? Big, tall, Kayden with the beautiful, wavy chestnut hair. He was lean, but always wore baggy coveralls to hide his form. Then his skin, his lovely skin. You had been wanting to ask him what he used for it, but had been too afraid to.
“You’ll hear a lot of stories about them around these parts.” His eyes darted off into the distance. “Not much you can do to escape it here.”
“Apparently,” you grumbled under your breath. You reached into your apron, taking out the apple in the large front pocket. You picked at the skin before taking a small bite.
“An apple? You really are a teacher.”
You covered your mouth while you chew. “I like them, okay? Don’t tease me about it.”
There it was again, something that could have been a smile, but maybe it wasn’t. “I’ll take care of the tables. You enjoy your break.”
“I don’t mind helping.” You tried to follow after him, but he made you sit back down while he washed off the tables.
Once home you busied yourself with tidying up and washing your hair. Anything to keep your mind off that big glass door. You took to your bedroom, painting your nails and toenails while music played. You heard something rustling, as if dragging through the forest.
You watched your door, which was slightly cracked to where you could see outside the glass door. The motion lights came on and you jumped to your feet. For some reason, you went towards the door. For another inexplicable reason, you slid open the glass door.
The creature was hunched over, trying to pull something along the gravel driveway. It turned around, ears perked up, brown coat bristling along the back neck as it looked at you.
Werewolf!
You froze in fear, unsure why you had been so bold as to come outside.
The werewolf dropped its next gift, which you didn’t even want to focus on. You exclaimed a curse word under your breath as you met the werewolf’s eyes.
“I don’t eat a lot of meat!” You blurted out, once again like you were being squeezed. “I’m barely a cook at all.” You bit your lip. “I donated the deer. I'm sorry.”
The werewolf was frozen in the headlights of your eyes, he’d be caught and he wasn’t sure what to do.
You pointed to what it had been dragging. “What’s that?”
The werewolf’s ears flattened down and he turned away from you, looking down at his feet. “Apples.”
You furrowed your brow. “What?”
He stepped aside, showing you the large burlap bag. “Apples.”
Your mouth opened slightly then closed. “I…I can’t possibly eat that many.” You stepped down towards him. “Did you pick those at Hyacinth farm? That’s miles down the road!”
He nodded.
You were trying your best not to shake. “I do really like apples though. G-good guess. I’ll enjoy them all the same.”
The werewolf was quiet.
You were also quiet.
“Sorry,” he muttered again. “About the deer.”
You bit your lip. “It’s okay. If that’s tradition, I get it. My family has some weird ones.” You then motioned to your door. “Would you like some tea?”
He went quiet again, avoiding eye contact with you.
“I prefer talking to get to know someone who…wants to court me, so to speak,” you laughed nervously. “For starters, what’s your name?”
His tail wagged slightly before curling around his leg. “I’m a bit embarrassed to say.” he followed you, stepping inside and bowing his head to avoid hitting the top of the door.
“Do I know you already?” You asked as you reached for the kettle.
The werewolf looked around, his eyes darting back and forth as he took in your home. He eventually stilled, focusing on you. His eyes looked familiar. You stared at him a bit too long and looked away embarrassed.
“Maybe it’s best I don’t know anyways,” you huffed. “It’s really sweet you’re trying to court me. If it wasn’t so shocking I would be flattered. But it’s okay, you don’t have to do this.”
His eyes flicked up. “What do you mean?”
You fidgeted in place, looking down at the ground. The paint on your toes had gotten smudged when you jumped up. “You don’t have to court me. I mean, it’s a lot of effort. Killing deer, picking apples.” You looked back up and forced out a laugh. “I’m not worth all that!”
He looked at you, his gaze serious and a bit ominous. “Not worth it?”
“You know,” you scoffed, trying to play it off. “There’s better people out there. People who love werewolves.”
His eyes were still sharp. His silence was creeping on you.
You swallowed. “What do you even like about me?”
He snorted. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have a lot to like about you. The first time I smelled you, I knew. Your scent is soft and warm, it’s comforting. From there, I found so many things I liked about you. Your hair, your smile. Beyond that, it’s-” His large paw covered his chest and his fingers gripped. “I want to be near you all the time.”
Your heart fluttered. “No. Really?” You murmured.
His eyes were sharp again. “You put up a guard of cheeriness. It’s a wall.”
You shut your mouth tight and grabbed the hem of your shirt.
“No one has to worry if you’re always smiling. Right?” The werewolf stepped towards you. “No one gets too close when they think you’re friendly.”
“So? I am friendly!”
“And you are.” He reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “But you use it as a shield rather than a magnet.”
The werewolf dropped his hand. “If you want me to stop, I will.”
You swallowed and jumped when the kettle whistled. You caught your breath and grabbed two mugs from the counter. “Can’t we just talk? Maybe if we do, you’ll make up your own mind.”
The werewolf scoffed. His gaze was gentle, and that almost hurt the most. “Fine. This isn’t how the courtship is supposed to go. But for you, I’ll do anything.”
Your heart skipped and you had to avoid his eyes to keep from blushing. “You don’t need to go that far,” you replied. “But, I’ve not had company over since I moved. Aside from Mrs. Locklear anyways.”
“How are you liking it?” He asked.
“Oh, it’s wonderful.” You went on to talk about your love of the town. That then led to some idle chat about childhood and the like. You discussed your favorite toys as kids. Both of you had at one point collected Pokemon cards. Yours was sold while you were away at summer camp one year.
When you woke up in the morning you were in bed. Clothed but comfortable in bed. “Must have fallen asleep talking,” you grumbled. You got out of bed and changed out of your old clothes.
After a quick shower, you went into the kitchen. Through the glass door, you saw a cardboard box sitting on the porch.
“Did he leave something else?” You murmured as you stepped outside. You opened the box, finding an old binder covered in various stickers. Inside was a large collection of pokemon cards.
“Oh my gosh!” You gasped.
You spent the Saturday morning going through the cards, reminiscing and genuinely enjoying yourself. You had so many of the same cards, even a special page just for rares to show off. There were also old toys that you went through, happily setting them up in a line on your coffee table.
“I can’t believe he gave me these. This is amazing!” You squealed with excitement, still finding another binder at the bottom. Then your stomach began growling and you made something to eat, having got lost in the nostalgia of everything.
“One last thing,” you sighed, content with a fresh pot of tea and a steaming mug. You took out the last binder, finding it had a bunch of old drawings inside with the cards. The werewolf had attempted to make his own pokemon cards, which was amazingly cute.
One drawing had a signature. Your heart pounded. The werewolf’s name. You were used to reading and translating kid scratch, it wouldn’t be hard for you to make out. You looked away for a moment processing if you wanted such knowledge. You looked back, because of course now you wanted to know.
“You’re kidding!” You yelled to yourself as you held the childhood picture up. You made a quick call to Mrs. Locklear while getting out of pajamas. You then raced out of the house, following Mrs. Locklear’s directions.
Soon, you were standing outside a bright red door of the A frame. The place looked small, even smaller than your place.
Then the door opened.
Kayden sleepily blinked at you a few times. “What are you doing here?” He had on an open hoodie and not much else.
You handed Kayden the drawing from his Pokemon collection. “I really like Mewtwo too.” You stiffened your shoulders, trying to avoid eye contact with his hairy masculine chest.
“Shit,” Kayden grumbled as he looked at the page. “This uhm…this isn’t how the courtship is supposed to go.”
You held up the second thing you brought with you, coffee from the local cafe. “You could have told me!”
“Yeah but tradition is-”
“I like you Kayden!” You blurted out, unable to contain it anymore.
Kayden was silent then again, he was usually always that way so it shouldn’t have been a surprise.
“I like you,” you repeated, slower and softer. You realized it was your first time admitting that to anymore. You always held it in, always happier to be protected from anything too strong. Attachment was hard.
“On my first day at the daycare,” you continued, wanting to keep that strength up. “One of the hamsters died. It was hard and I was given the task of dealing with it while the others talked to the kids. You helped me make a little grave for it. Even though it was really silly.”
Kayden shook his head.
“You didn’t say a word. You helped me. You even found the most perfect little box-” Your voice caught in your throat. “You didn’t need to court me or hunt or anything. I just…I just like talking to you.”
Kayden’s expression changed. For the first time since you met him, his brows moved, his mouth changed. He had this sweet, youthful puppy dog look. His eyes melted your heart. He brought you into a tight embrace against his bare chest. Right! He was practically half naked. Despite that, you hugged him in return.
“Sorry,” he pulled away reluctantly. “I’ve barely slept at all.”
“I kept you up. And you went and got your pokemon collection.” You smiled at him, hoping he knew how much it meant. “If you’re tired. I can go.”
He shook his head. “No. I want to spend time with you. Come in, please.” He stepped aside, letting you into his home.
The A frame had a high ceiling, but there was a loft at the top. The entrance led into a kitchenette and laundry room where dark clothes were shoved and piled into a basket.
“I haven’t had a chance to really clean yet today.” Kayden tried hiding the mess in the sink.
“It’s okay. I came over uninvited.” You blushed, smiling up at him.
“The living room is nice. I did fall asleep in there though.” He took you to the next portion of the main floor where a living room was set up. His television was on, but quiet, displaying a rather cutesy looking anime. He quickly turned that off.
“Your place is cozy.”
“That’s how I prefer things,” he muttered. He cleared off a blanket from the couch. “Sit down.” He then took the little carry case of drinks from you. “I can make something to eat if you’re hungry.”
“I’m fine,” You replied.
You never expected to see Kayden of all people flustered. But he was. He looked so much more boyish now.
“I guess it is late in the day for most people.” He took a seat beside you.
Warmth spread up through your cheeks. “Thanks for putting me to bed last night. Sorry I fell asleep on you.”
He had a smile on his face. “Actually it was nice. I held you for a little bit when you fell asleep on me.” His cheeks got darker. “I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable though.”
“I’m surprised how much I-” You hesitated, realizing now how close you both were. You looked up into his eyes. “How comfortable I am around you.”
He smiled again. Reaching out and touching your face, cupping his large, warm hand over your cheek. That smile was almost too much. After seeing him steel-faced for so long, it was like meeting a new person. He didn’t look any different, but he felt like a fuller version of the Kayden you came to like.
“Is it okay if I kiss you?” He asked, his cheeks growing even darker. “And, if I do kiss you, just know, there may be more than one.”
Your insides squirmed with excitement. “Sure.”
His lips were gentle at first, soft and light. He smelled like pine trees and cold air with a hint of spicy deodorant. Your lips parted with a gasp and he pressed closer. His lips were firmer, his grip was tightening. His hands moved down, caressing your neck and shoulder before resting on your hip.
Something was happening to you. It was sudden and powerful, claiming a tight hold of your senses. It was like hunger, but much deeper. You gasped again and his arm coiled around your waist, pulling you in even more to his body. Your palm grasped his chest and his heartbeat was hammering into your palm.
Your eyes met for the briefest of moments and then, next thing you knew, you were bent over the back of the sofa, your clothes disheveled and pushed up, your hair pulled from the messy bun. Kayden’s hands were fiercely gripping your hips while his nose and tongue were buried inside you, slurping, feasting.
Oh my god! You thought loud in your mind. How did you get here?
Kayden snarled, nipping your thighs. “So soft.” he kissed. “So wet for me.” He let out a raspy chuckle. “This perfect little ass.” His fingers groped, squeezing you. “I can’t believe I’m touching it.” He nibbled on your cheek, licking then biting again.
You got there so fast. It was like your body took over and acted on it’s own accord, overriding any overthinking your brain might have had. You were shocked, but you were enjoying it more than you thought.
“Pretty girl.” Kayden was rising up, kissing up your bare back. “Beautiful.” He kissed along your spine then bit your ribs. There was fur against you, powerful claws holding your hips. The werewolf was out.
“Hmm.” Kayden moaned as he stood up. “Spread your thighs a little more for me.”
You did so, meekly glancing over your shoulder to see if he approved. You watched him shiver, his tongue dart along his sharp teeth.
“Good girl,” he growled. “You’re so obedient.” His grin grew. “I like that, especially here.” he came closer to you, petting your rear. Something warm and hard grinded up against your thigh. “Fuck, I love how soft you are. You smell so good too.”
Oh! Oh! Your mind was spinning. Whatever was against your thigh was…big! Maybe too big? You’d not really gotten to try anything…big. But this was-
Trying to glance back to see what was there, you were greeted by another kiss. Kayden bit and nibbled your lip, lapping your tongue with his. “You taste good everywhere,” he snarled between heavy breaths.
“Kayden,” you whimpered.
“I know, I know.” His hand curled around, groping your breasts. “You need me right?” he moaned, his cock slipping between your thighs. “This usually happens out in the woods. But I can’t control myself. You’re too cute. Too sweet. I need to fuck you now. You make me crazy and I love it so much.”
His words were too much. You buried your face against the couch pillows as Kayden’s cock slipped in and he appeared surprised by the ease at it.
“Fuck, how did you get even wetter?” He moaned into your ear. “How did you know I love a wet pussy like that? Good girl. Perfect girl.”
What was he trying to do to you?
“Can I breed you?” he growled into your ear, his grinding growing more intense. “I want to come in you. Fill you up. I want to see my seed dripping from that perfect pussy of yours.”
What? Your mind was screaming.
“Please,” he whimpered. “Let me breed you, my good girl.”
Your lips parted, mouth dry. “Come in me!” Who was that?
Kayden chuckled in your ear. “I knew you were going to be my good girl.” The tip of his cock tickled along your lips, then it was there, pressing inside. It was easy for him to slide in, to fill you, to make you cry out from surprise.
“Like that?” Kayden whispered. “Did it feel good?”
You whimpered, nodding.
“Werewolf cock, you can get addicted.” He pressed in deeper, reaching parts inside you that felt undiscovered.
“You whimper so cutely. Do it more.” He thrust so suddenly, almost knocking the breath out of you.
You moaned into the pillow, gasping for breath right after.
“Good girl,” he moaned. “There.” he grinded inside you and something was pressing at your mound. “Feel that? Feel my knot?”
His what?
“Once I thrust my fat knot into you, there’s no going back,” he growled. “Until I spill all my come inside you and breed that adorable pussy, there’s no stopping.”
Did you want to?
Kayden leaned into your ear. “Tell me, do you want that?”
“Yes,” you whined.
Kayden kissed you, turning your head back. “Good girl.” He pushed you down, pressing closer, tighter. His knot was thick as it slid in you. At first you weren’t sure it would fit. There was no way! Then pop. It was in place inside you.
Kayden’s fingers tensed on your body and he shuddered. “I’ve never knotted someone before. Fuck. It’s amazing! Your pussy makes me feel so good!”
He was deep inside, making your head spin and core pulse. It was too much, it wasn’t enough at all. He had you crying out, making you climax before you could even think. How he was able to keep going after that, you weren’t sure. But his stamina was unmatched.
The werewolf had you all over his ground floor. His couch, table, on the kitchen counter, even the washing machine. When it was his time to erupt you were balanced on the very edge of the washing machine, legs wrapped around his waist. He was snarling, grunting, his face contorting.
“Hurry,” you whispered. “Come inside me.”
He gnashed his teeth.
“Come for me,” you whispered again.
He locked eyes with you, thrusting harder and harder until he went still. His whole body tensed. He pulsed inside. The jerk of his cock made you shudder.
“Yes!” he hissed. “I’m breeding my mate!”
You were on the pill, it was all just for show. But holy hell was that even better than you expected!
Kayden panted, pulling you off the washing machine and laying you on the clothes below. He was still stuck to you as he cuddled you, nuzzling your soft hair then kissing your cheek.
Could you do a Tonowari x fem!Metkayina reader where she’s chosen to be Tsahik and his mate, but he thinks she only wants the title—then slowly realizes she genuinely cares in little, quiet ways?
Summary: You were chosen by Tonowari’s mother to be Tsahik and his mate but he never gave you a chance. Until he began to see the quiet ways you loved him.
Part I: The Choice
The reef glowed in the early morning light, beams of sun slipping through the water’s surface and catching on coral outcroppings, painting the village in soft cyan. You stood with your feet planted in the sand, arms at your side, the sea breeze brushing your braids back from your face.
You had never expected this.
“The Great Mother guides my choice,” the current Tsahik said solemnly, her voice echoing around the gathering space. “And she has whispered a name to me.”
A quiet hush settled over the Metkayina clan as eyes turned toward the platform. Beside you stood Tonowari, tall and composed, arms crossed over his broad chest. He didn’t look at you. He hadn’t since you’d stepped onto the dais.
Tsahik continued. “My son, the future Olo’eyktan, must walk beside a woman not only of strength but of deep heart. One who knows the sea, and its silence. One who will care for our people as surely as she cares for what is unseen.”
You swallowed, throat dry despite the salt air.
“I name her,” she said, reaching out and placing her hand on your shoulder, “as the future Tsahik of the Metkayina and as the one chosen to walk beside my son, Tonowari.”
Gasps spread through the gathered clan like ripples from a stone. Some were pleased. Some surprised. Some clearly… less than thrilled.
“She’s so young.”
“I thought it would be Neyla.”
“Tonowari will never agree.”
But it was done. The choosing was sacred.
You bowed your head in reverence, then dared to glance at Tonowari beside you.
His face was impassive, carved from stone. Not one flicker of surprise. No joy, no protest. Just a tight nod as he stepped forward and said, “As you wish, Mother.”
And then he stepped back again.
That evening, the firepit roared with celebration. Fish roasted. Elders sang old songs. Dancers wove across the sands in spirals of movement. You sat at the edge of the feast, untouched fruit in your lap, watching Tonowari.
He was surrounded by others warriors, friends, elders but somehow still apart. Like a reef too sharp to swim near.
You didn’t speak to him that night. And he didn’t seek you out.
The days that followed were quiet. At least, for you.
The clan welcomed you with the smiles they saved for duty. You were trained under the Tsahik, taught rituals, healing, the ways of Eywa. You excelled quietly, without need for praise. But whispers followed your shadow wherever you swam.
“She is clever, yes, but was she the right choice?”
“She doesn’t speak much. Perhaps she is unsure.”
“I hear Tonowari avoids her. Maybe there will be another choosing.”
You bore it all. Silently. Stoically.
Even when you passed Tonowari on the way to the reef, and he barely nodded at you. Even when he walked behind you during rituals but never beside you. Even when he allowed others to flirt and laugh and touch his arm as if you did not exist.
He was never cruel. But kindness? That was something else entirely.
You thought, once, of asking him outright: Why do you hate me so? But the words died on your tongue each time you met his distant eyes.
Still, you did what you were meant to do.
You watched. You learned. You remembered.
Tonowari liked grilled fish, not boiled. He dipped his sea fruit in crushed shell spice, never salt. He preferred silence after long swims, not chatter. His armband had three beads carved with his father’s crest he rubbed them when he was anxious.
So you cooked how he liked. Served him during communal meals without fanfare. You replaced the fraying sash of his wrap before he noticed it was worn. You wove a new loincloth for him and left it quietly on his platform, stitched with small green spirals the same pattern as the tattoo near his collarbone.
He didn’t thank you.
But he wore it.
Tonowari was a leader before he was a man. At least, that’s what the elders always said.
You watched him from afar more often than not giving orders before a storm, swimming at the head of every migration, holding the young warriors’ gaze with a kind of gravity that could pull stars from the sky.
And yet, he rarely looked your way.
The absence of hatred wasn’t kindness. It was just emptiness. A space between you wide as the ocean, made wider by every day you stood at his side in ritual but never in spirit.
You stopped expecting warmth from him. You started giving it anyway.
It began with a small basket of food.
The clan had returned from an exhausting dive, hunting large, armored reef beasts. You’d watched from the shore, preparing herbs and bandages in case someone came back wounded. When Tonowari emerged from the sea last, his face was drawn tight, and his shoulder bore a ragged slice along the deltoid.
You didn’t speak. You just approached, cleaned it with practiced hands, and rubbed in a cooling salve from sea anemone roots. He watched you in silence but didn’t flinch.
Later that evening, you prepared his meal separately. Not as Tsahik. Not as some ceremonial gesture.
But as a woman who’d watched him enough to know what calmed his nerves.
Grilled fish, citrus-glazed seaweed, fruit sweetened with crushed shells everything he favored, wrapped in soft cloth and left by his sleeping mat. No note. No fanfare.
The next morning, the basket was returned to your platform. Empty. Clean. Carefully folded.
And not a word was said.
You noticed small things after that.
He didn’t leave the communal fire as early anymore. Sometimes he lingered near where you sat with Tsahik, listening quietly.
He started walking closer beside you. Never touching, never lingering too long but no longer avoiding you either.
One night, a young woman from the weaving groups placed her hand on Tonowari’s arm, laughing brightly at something only she heard.
You expected him to allow it. To remain cold and still as always.
But he gently removed her hand. Said, “Respect the future Tsahik.”
The girl paled. Apologized. Walked away.
You were too stunned to speak. But Tonowari looked at you for the briefest of moments.
And nodded.
That evening, you sat alone by the reef, braiding sea thread into long cords for children’s charms. Your fingers moved from memory, your thoughts drifting like foam on the waves.
You didn’t hear him approach.
“You sit alone often,” came his voice, low and calm.
You blinked. Looked up.
Tonowari stood there, arms at his sides, expression unreadable. The moonlight carved soft lines into his cheekbones, his tattoos catching the blue hue of the night tide.
“It is quiet here,” you answered.
He sat down beside you. Not too close but not far, either.
After a moment, he said, “You knew I liked citrus.”
Your fingers paused in their braid. “Yes.”
“You made the fish perfectly. Even the texture.”
“I listen,” you said simply.
He turned to face you. “Why?”
The word struck deeper than it should have.
You met his eyes. “Because I care.”
He stared at you. Really looked. As if seeing you not as a duty or a name but as a person flesh and thought, desire and devotion, waiting patiently on the other side of silence.
He looked away then, brows drawn. “I thought… you only wanted the title. Like the others.”
You could’ve laughed. Or cried.
Instead, you said, “I never asked for this. But I never asked to be overlooked, either.”
The wind picked up. His fingers twitched on his knee.
“I see that now,” he said, quietly.
In the weeks that followed, the space between you began to close.
He didn’t become someone new overnight. But Tonowari started seeking your counsel more during clan meetings. Asked your opinion before the Tsahik had a chance to answer for you.
Once, he brought you a carved comb made of reefbone. It wasn’t fancy. But the teeth were wide enough for your thick braids, and it had a wave motif carved into the handle one you’d painted onto your sleeping mat as a child.
“How did you know I like this design?” you asked him, genuinely curious.
He shrugged. “I listen.”
You smiled, and this time, he saw it.
There were still bad days.
Tonowari was under pressure. From his people. From his own fears. You learned to recognize the way his shoulders tensed before a council meeting or how his jaw flexed when someone questioned his authority.
But on those days, you made sure his meal was waiting. You touched his arm briefly before a ritual. You whispered, You are enough, once, just before he walked onto the central platform.
He didn’t say anything.
But he took your hand in his when the chants began.
One night, a storm blew hard over the outer reef. Warriors were dispatched to anchor structures and bring in supplies from drifting platforms. Tonowari returned soaked to the bone, bleeding from a coral scrape on his thigh, his hair plastered to his face.
You were waiting.
You didn’t ask. You simply pulled him into your platform hut, dried his arms, and dressed the wound in silence.
He watched you the whole time.
Finally, his voice cracked the quiet. “I do not deserve this from you.”
You tied the last knot in the bandage. “Why not?”
“I doubted you.”
You met his eyes. “You’re not the only one who has.”
“But I was the one who mattered.”
He exhaled sharply. Reached for your wrist stopped. Then, slowly, he brushed your fingers with his.
“I see you,” he whispered.
You froze.
But your heart leapt. Because it wasn’t the formal greeting, the rote phrase of ceremony.
It was real. Raw. His voice broke on the words.
“I see you,” he said again, this time steadier.
You curled your fingers into his. “I’ve seen you every day, Tonowari.”
He bent his forehead to yours.
And for once, there was no sea between you.
Tonowari didn’t kiss you that night.
But something in the air shifted between you. A thick, unseen thing. Like the pause between waves soft, expectant.
After that storm, he no longer hovered near you like someone fulfilling a duty. He sought you. Sought your presence, your thoughts, your quiet eyes.
And for the first time, he gave in return.
It began with a cloak.
You’d woven him many garments before shawls, wrist wraps, satchels. But he’d never made you anything. Not because he was selfish. Because he didn’t know how.
So when he approached you holding a seafoam-colored wrap, edges uneven and clearly stitched by someone still learning, you nearly dropped the basket of dried herbs in your arms.
“I wanted you to have this,” he said, voice low and careful. “You get cold when the wind shifts.”
You took it with trembling fingers. The fabric was rough in places, but warm. It smelled like reef and him.
You pressed it to your cheek.
“Thank you,” you said softly. “This means more than you know.”
His throat bobbed with an unspoken word. But he only nodded and walked away.
That night, you slept wrapped in it.
Time passed gently.
Tonowari began joining you during morning meditations. Once, he helped you carry herbal satchels to the tidepool children. Another time, he braided your hair while you rested from a long healing ceremony, his fingers slow and reverent.
He didn’t speak much. But when he did, his words lingered like whale songs low and warm, felt more in the chest than the ears.
You began to laugh with him. To smile more openly. To touch his wrist when he looked tired, and not worry he would flinch.
And in turn, he looked at you like you were no longer just the Tsahik who was chosen for him
But the woman he would’ve chosen himself.
The clan noticed.
No one dared say anything too directly, but you heard it in their tones.
“Did you see how Tonowari looked at her today?”
“They speak without words now.”
“She softened him.”
And perhaps you had. But more truthfully, he’d let himself be softened. Like sea rock worn down not by force but by constancy.
One afternoon, while helping a young diver with her first healing session, you felt a presence at your back.
You turned and Tonowari was watching.
He hadn’t interrupted. Just waited.
When the child left with her parents, Tonowari came closer.
“You are gentle with them,” he said. “Even when they are frightened.”
You smiled. “They are still learning.”
He nodded. “So was I.”
Your eyes met. His meaning sank into your bones.
So was I.
That night, he kissed you.
It wasn’t planned. There was no ceremony, no prelude.
You had just returned from a healing outpost on the far reef. Exhausted, muscles sore, your hands still dyed with leaf pigments.
You climbed the platform where he stood, waiting.
“I heard you returned late,” he said. “I was worried.”
You looked up at him, too tired to speak, too full of love to hide.
And he kissed you.
Not hard. Not fast. Just sure.
The kind of kiss that said, I am no longer afraid.
Your hands curled into his waist wrap. His cupped your jaw like something fragile and sacred.
And when he pulled back, his forehead pressed to yours, he whispered:
“You were never a duty.”
You cried. A little. Quietly.
He held you through it.
From that day on, the world softened around you.
There was still war. Still storms. Still hard days. But now there was him. And he was no longer just someone you loved in secret.
He was someone who loved you back.
It bloomed slowly like everything between you had.
Tonowari was not loud in love. He didn’t make speeches or shout his feelings across the village. But you felt it in every gesture.
In the way he warmed your meal when you came home late.
In the way he carved a small water dish for your pet ilusa.
In the way he waited for you each night, only sleeping once he knew you were safe beside him.
He whispered I see you against your shoulder when the stars were high. You whispered I see you back, with hands curled over his heart.
One morning, you woke to find him gone from your sleeping mat.
He’d left something in your hands woven cloth, carefully folded. A ceremonial sash.
You opened it and gasped softly.
It bore the mark of Tsahik but also, stitched beside it, the symbol for mate.
Tonowari had made it himself.
He’d been learning in secret from the elder weavers. Practicing when you were away. You could see the imperfections, but you could also see the care. The patience. The intention.
When he returned, salt still in his hair from a dawn swim, you rushed to him.
You didn’t speak. Just held him.
He murmured, “I want you beside me. As my mate. As my equal. As the woman I love.”
You said yes before he could finish the sentence.
The Metkayina clan gathered at the edge of the reef beneath the setting sun. The tide was low, the sand damp and warm under your bare feet, and the sky was streaked in soft rose and gold.
The waters whispered to the shore, carrying gifts of foam and fragments of coral. And before the entire clan before Eywa, before the Great Mother’s sacred eye you and Tonowari stood across from one another.
He wore the ceremonial paint of Olo’eyktan, freshly renewed, but this time his chest bore something else: a small spiral inked above his heart. It matched your own. A symbol of the tide’s endless return.
You had drawn it for each other the night before. With his hand steadying your wrist. With yours trembling when you painted his.
Tsahik, his mother, stood between you, her voice strong, clear.
“Eywa hears all hearts. She knows when love is chosen, and when it is earned. She watches over those who walk beside one another not only in duty, but in truth.”
Her eyes met yours.
“You have walked this path with patience. With grace.”
Then she turned to Tonowari.
“And you, my son, have found what it means to love not from pride, but from seeing.”
You felt his fingers brush yours.
The final chant began. The clan joined in, their hum rising like a rising tide, resonant and deep. And when it faded, the old Tsahik stepped back.
Now it was your moment.
You and Tonowari stepped forward.
And he spoke first.
“I once believed you were chosen for me. That I had no choice,” he said, voice firm and low, carrying across the water. “But I was wrong. I see now that Eywa did not trap me. She gifted me someone I was too blind to understand. And now, I choose you. Not because I must but because I cannot imagine a single day without your hand in mine.”
The clan was silent. The reef wind stilled.
You swallowed the lump in your throat. “And I choose you,” you said, voice shaking. “Because even when you did not see me, I loved you. And now that you do there is no end to that love.”
His hands took yours.
Foreheads pressed.
And the wave rolled in behind you both, warm and gentle, lapping over your feet like Eywa’s blessing.
The clan cheered.
But all you could hear was the sound of his breath against your cheek, and the quiet, precious words that followed:
“You are my home now.”
Your joining was not grand, not ostentatious.
But it was true.
And in the days that followed, you found a rhythm in your lives that was soft and sure.
You slept together now, wrapped in the same woven cloths, his heartbeat under your ear at night.
He kissed your temple every morning before diving. You left small offerings fruit, polished shell, ocean stones by his weapons rack.
He brought you shells that looked like stars. You sang to him while brushing the salt from his braids.
Once, he surprised you by carving a small talon flute one you’d told him you used to play as a child, long ago. He had asked no questions then. But weeks later, the gift arrived on your mat, smoothed and tuned.
“I remember everything about you,” he said, brushing his fingers over your knuckles.
And he did.
Every day, Tonowari showed you that love did not have to roar to be strong. It could be steady. It could be patient. It could be quiet and still move the world.
You found joy in mundane things.
Helping children mend their fishing nets. Dancing in the tide pools when no one was looking. Singing while preparing salves.
Tonowari watched you in those moments like you were a prayer answered.
He laughed more now. Full, open. A sound you rarely heard before.
When the other clan leaders visited and commented on how much more grounded he seemed, he only said, “I have someone who reminds me what matters.”
One evening, after a long training day, you found him half-asleep on your shared mat, shoulders sore from leading dives.
You sat beside him, fingers working the tightness from his muscles, humming gently.
“You work too hard,” you said softly.
He cracked one eye open. “I work to make you proud.”
You leaned down and kissed his temple. “You make me proud when you rest, too.”
He smiled, slow and sleepy, and reached for your hand.
“Then stay,” he murmured.
You curled into his side, his breath deepening as sleep overtook him.
And for a long time, you simply lay there, the reef winds outside your home, the warmth of his body against yours.
A life not of ceremony or status.
But of belonging.
Of quiet, sacred love.
The seasons turned gently after your bonding.
Not with fanfare or sudden change but with the subtle certainty of the tide. The reef warmed. The young ones grew bolder in the water. Storms came and went, leaving the coral stronger in their wake.
And so did your life with Tonowari.
You became Tsahik not all at once, but gradually. The old Tsahik never stepped aside abruptly; she guided you, corrected you when needed, and most importantly trusted you. You learned to read the currents not just of the sea, but of people. To feel when a child’s fear was deeper than scraped skin. When a warrior’s anger hid grief. When silence meant more than words.
Tonowari watched you step into the role with a kind of reverence that still startled you.
He never interrupted your rituals. Never spoke over you in council. And when others questioned your decisions, he did not defend you loudly.
He simply said, “She knows what she is doing.”
And that was enough.
You learned, over time, that Tonowari carried guilt like a second spine.
Sometimes it came out in quiet ways how he lingered in doorways watching you work, how he reached for you at night as if afraid you might vanish, how he would grow unusually silent during celebrations meant to honor you.
One evening, after a long council meeting, you found him standing alone at the edge of the water, staring out into the dark sea.
“You’re carrying something,” you said gently, coming to stand beside him.
He exhaled slowly. “I think about how close I came to losing you.”
You frowned. “You never lost me.”
He turned to you then, eyes dark and honest. “I almost did. When I thought you were something you were not. When I let my pride speak louder than my heart.”
You reached for his hand, threading your fingers through his. “But you learned.”
“Yes,” he said. “Because you taught me. Without demanding anything in return.”
He lowered his forehead to yours. “I will spend my life being worthy of that.”
You smiled softly. “Then spend it with me.”
The first time a child ran to you instead of the elders for comfort, something settled in your chest.
The first time a wounded warrior thanked you with tears in his eyes, you understood the weight of your calling.
And the first time Tonowari introduced you to visiting clan leaders as my mate, my Tsahik, you realized how far he had come.
He was proud of you not because of your title, but because of who you were.
Your home filled with small rituals.
Morning swims together before the village woke. Shared meals eaten cross-legged on woven mats. Quiet conversations before sleep sometimes deep, sometimes silly, sometimes nothing at all.
Tonowari learned the rhythms of you the same way you had learned him.
He noticed when you needed solitude and guarded it fiercely. When you were overwhelmed, he pressed his forehead to yours and breathed with you until the world slowed.
Once, during a particularly heavy season, you broke down quietly while preparing herbs hands shaking, tears slipping free.
You hadn’t meant for him to see.
But he did.
He took the bowl from your hands, set it aside, and pulled you into his chest without a word. Held you while you cried. Kissed your hair. Stayed until the storm passed.
Later, you whispered, “I’m supposed to be strong.”
He answered, without hesitation, “You are. And strong people are allowed to rest.”
Years later, children sat at your feet during evening fires, wide-eyed as you told stories of the reef and the Great Mother.
They loved Tonowari’s stories best the ones where he pretended to be fierce but always smiled too soon.
And when one small child asked, “Tsahik, how did you and Olo’eyktan fall in love?” the whole circle leaned in.
You glanced at Tonowari.
He raised a brow, amused. “Tell them.”
You smiled. “It wasn’t loud. Or fast. It didn’t arrive like a storm.”
You reached for his hand.
“It came like the tide. Slowly. Patiently. Again and again. Until we realized it had always been there.”
Tonowari squeezed your fingers.
“And I was a fool,” he added, “for not seeing it sooner.”
Laughter rippled through the group.
But when the fire burned low and the children drifted off to sleep, he pressed a kiss to your temple and whispered, “Thank you for waiting for me.”
You answered softly, “I would do it all again.”
On the night you fully assumed the role of Tsahik, the sea was impossibly calm.
The old Tsahik placed her hands over yours, eyes warm with pride. “You were always meant for this,” she said.
Later, when the ceremony ended and the village quieted, you stood alone at the water’s edge.
Tonowari joined you, slipping his arm around your waist.
“I was wrong about many things,” he said quietly.
You tilted your head. “And right about one.”
He smiled. “Choosing you.”
You leaned into him, watching the moonlight ripple across the reef.
And there beneath Eywa’s stars, with the sea breathing steadily around you you understood something deeply, truly, finally:
Summary: Stranded on a hostile planet, you and Dek survive by relying on instinct, trust, and silent understanding.
The planet is not meant for you.
The air is thinner than Earth’s, sharp in your lungs with every breath, tasting faintly metallic on your tongue.
The ground beneath your boots is cracked and blackened, split by old impact scars and creeping veins of heat that pulse like something alive. Nothing here grows gently. Everything survives by force.
Dek moves ahead of you, tall and silent, his frame blending with the jagged rock as though the planet itself shaped him.
His dreadlocks sway lightly with each step, armour catching dull light from the overcast sky. He does not look back often, but when he does, his golden eyes flick to you with a brief assessment.
Alive. Upright. Still following. Good.
You do not know how long you have been stranded together.
Long enough that fear has turned into something steadier.
Long enough that you trust the sound of his breathing more than the silence of the terrain.
Long enough that when something moves in the distance, you instinctively move closer to him rather than away.
Communication between you is light but effective.
A raised hand means stop.
A clenched fist means danger.
A slow tilt of his head means stay behind me.
You have learned these things without words.
The creature you are tracking is fast. Too fast for you, really, but Dek adjusts his pace, matching yours.
Every so often, he slows down when the terrain becomes treacherous, offering a hand when the ground crumbles under you.
His grip is firm, careful, as though he knows exactly how much pressure a human body can take.
The first time he touched you, your heart nearly beat out of your chest.
Now, it steadies you.
A shift in the air.
You feel it before you see it. A vibration underfoot.
Dek stiffens instantly, his body going tense as his hand snaps up in warning. His attention locks forward, entirely focused on the ridgeline ahead.
You follow his gaze.
The creature lunges from above.
It is larger than expected, all bone plating and serrated limbs, dropping from the ledge with terrifying speed. Its claws flash, aimed straight for Dek’s unprotected flank, moving too fast for him to fully turn.
You do not think.
You move.
You shove him hard, every ounce of your weight and fear behind the push. His massive body stumbles just enough that the strike misses him entirely.
It does not miss you.
Pain explodes through your side as the creature slams into you instead, the force knocking you off your feet.
You hit the ground hard, breath ripping from your lungs in a soundless gasp.
Something cracks. You are not sure what. You only know that the world tilts violently and then blurs.
Dek roars.
The sound is deafening, raw and furious, nothing like the controlled hunter you have travelled with.
The creature does not even have time to react before Dek is on it, blades flashing, strength unleashed without restraint. The fight is brutal and brief. When it ends, the body lies broken and still.
Dek turns back to you immediately.
You are curled on your side, gasping, one hand pressed uselessly against your ribs. Warmth seeps through your fingers, sticky and wrong.
Every breath sends knives through your chest. Your vision swims.
Dek is beside you in seconds.
He drops to one knee, scanning you rapidly, hands hovering before finally settling at your shoulders.
His touch is frantic now, careful but urgent, his clicking vocalisations low and distressed as he examines the damage.
You try to speak. Nothing comes out but a thin, broken sound.
His head lowers until his mask is close to your face, his gaze locked on yours. You see something there that makes your chest tighten even more than the pain.
Fear.
For you.
He presses a large hand over your wound, applying pressure with controlled precision.
His other hand taps something on his wrist, summoning his ship. You barely feel the lift as he gathers you against his chest, holding you far more gently than someone his size should be capable of.
Your cheek presses against the cool metal of his armour. His heartbeat is fast, powerful, steady.
You cling to it.
As consciousness begins to slip, you feel his grip tighten just slightly, as though he is afraid you might disappear if he loosens it even for a moment.
You do not hear the words he murmurs, spoken in his own language, thick with meaning and urgency.
But you feel the promise in them.
You surface in fragments.
Sound comes first. A low, rhythmic hum that vibrates through your bones. Then warmth. Not natural heat, but something controlled. The smell of metal and unfamiliar antiseptics fills your lungs when you finally manage to breathe deeply.
Pain follows immediately after.
It coils through your ribs and chest, sharp enough to steal the breath from your lungs again.
A whimper escapes you before you can stop it.
There is movement at once.
Dek is there before you can open your eyes fully, his massive form lowering beside the medical platform you are strapped to. His mask is off. You realise that instantly, because his face is the first thing you see when your vision clears enough to focus.
His mandibles are tight, pulled close in a way you have learned means stress. His eyes burn with focus as they track every small movement you make.
You try to shift. A mistake.
Agony flares and you cry out, the sound thin and broken.
Dek clicks sharply, one large hand pressing down gently but firmly against your shoulder to keep you still.
You do not understand the words, but the intent is unmistakable.
Straps hold you in place across your torso and legs, securing you to the platform. You become painfully aware of the bandages wrapped around your side, thick and warm, faintly glowing with some kind of alien medical technology.
Dek adjusts something on the console beside you, his movements fast but precise. The hum deepens slightly, then settles.
He looks back at you.
You see something change in his expression when your eyes meet his. Relief flickers across his features. He straightens slightly, as though remembering himself.
You lift a trembling hand, stopping halfway when the effort becomes too much. He notices immediately.
Dek reaches out and gently holds your hand in his own.
His palm is warm, rough but warm.
His grip is careful, as though he is afraid of hurting you even with the smallest pressure.
Your throat tightens.
You try to speak. Your voice barely works.
“Did… we…?”
You do not finish the question.
Dek nods once.
The creature is dead. The hunt is complete.
You let your head sink back against the platform, exhaustion washing over you.
The relief is short lived as the pain comes again, making your vision blur.
Dek makes a low sound in his chest, something that vibrates through his grip on your hand. His thumb brushes over your knuckles in slow motion.
He turns away briefly, retrieving something from a compartment before returning to your side.
A thin injector presses against your neck. There is a sharp pinch, then a spreading numbness that dulls the pain enough for you to breathe again.
Your eyelids flutter.
Dek watches you closely, his gaze never leaving your face. When you begin to drift, he does not pull his hand away.
Sleep takes you in waves.
When you wake again, time has lost meaning.
The straps are gone. You are wrapped in layers of unfamiliar fabric and soft furs, the medical platform adjusted so you are reclined rather than flat. The ship is quieter now, lights dimmed low.
Dek sits nearby, armour partially removed. His weapons are set aside within reach, but his attention is entirely on you.
He is cleaning his gauntlet.
A knot forms in your chest that has nothing to do with your injuries.
“You should have let me take it,” you whisper, the words barely audible.
Dek’s head lifts sharply.
He looks at you for a long moment, eyes unreadable. Then he stands and approaches, setting the gauntlet aside. He kneels beside you, bringing himself closer to your level.
His hand comes to rest over his chest, fingers splayed. Then he reaches out and places it over your heart instead.
The gesture is deliberate. Heavy with meaning.
He speaks in his own language, slow and measured, his voice low enough that it seems meant only for you.
You do not understand the words. But you understand the weight.
He shakes his head once, firmly.
No.
You see it clearly now. In his eyes, in the way his posture curves protectively around you.
You did not make a mistake.
You honoured him.
You suddenly realise what this meant, and that realisation almost stole your breath away.
You are no longer just surviving together.
You are connected.
Your body gives out before your thoughts can catch up. Your eyes slip closed again, and this time, when sleep takes you, it is deeper.
Dek does not move from your side.
He remains there throughout the journey, hand never straying far from you, guarding you as the ship turns away from the dead planet and sets a course for home.
You wake up to unfamiliar gravity.
It presses differently against your body, but it was nice. You found comfort in it.
The pain is still there, dulled but there, a constant ache along your ribs and chest that reminds you you are not healed.
The air smells different too.
Richer. Warmer. Earthy, threaded with something sharp and clean.
You open your eyes slowly.
The ceiling above you is curved and high, carved from dark stone etched with symbols you do not recognise. Soft light glows from embedded crystals, casting the room in a muted amber.
Furs line the platform underneath you, layered thickly, their textures varied and carefully arranged.
You are not on the ship anymore.
Panic fills you for a moment, but it disappears almost immediately when you see him.
Dek stands near the far wall, his back to you as he speaks with another Yautja.
This one is older, broader through the shoulders, their skin marked with pale scars and ritual paint. They carry themselves differently. Not like a warrior preparing for battle, but like someone accustomed to authority.
A healer.
Dek’s posture is tense. Formal.
His hands are clasped behind his back, head bowed slightly as he listens.
You try to sit up.
Pain flares instantly and a soft sound escapes you before you can stop it.
Dek turns at the sound.
He crosses the room in three long strides, dropping to one knee beside you.
His hand braces your shoulder, steady and grounding, while his other adjusts the furs to keep pressure off your injuries.
Do not move.
Again, you understand without words.
The healer approaches slowly, golden eyes assessing you with open curiosity rather than hostility. They crouch at the other side of the platform, long fingers hovering above your bandages before finally making contact.
Their touch is cool, precise.
They make a low clicking sound, contemplative. Then they look at Dek.
“You live because of her.”
The words are spoken in his language, but something in their tone makes your chest tighten. Dek inclines his head once.
“She took a death meant for me.”
The healer’s gaze sharpens. They straighten slightly, studying you.
“A life saved during the hunt.”
The room feels heavier suddenly.
The healer places a hand over their chest, then gestures between you and Dek.
“Then the bond is already forged.”
Dek exhales slowly through his mandibles.
“It is.”
You frown weakly, confusion cutting through the haze of pain and exhaustion. You look between them, trying to follow the exchange.
“What… are they saying?” you ask, your voice rough.
Dek stills.
For a moment, he does not look at you. His gaze drops to the floor, jaw tightening as the healer gives you a translation device, it is a small thing which he places behind your ear.
The healer answers your question.
“By our law, when one gives their life so another may live, their spirits are tied. Your fate is bound to his.”
Your brow furrows, confused.
“Tied how?”
Dek finally meets your eyes.
“You are under my protection. My life answers to yours. Your safety is my honour, you saved me.”
That alone would have been overwhelming.
But the healer was not finished.
“You are his mate.”
The word lands like a physical blow.
“What?”
The healer gestures calmly, as though stating a simple fact.
“Lifetime bond. Recognised by clan and law.”
Your heart pounds painfully against your ribs. You look back at Dek, searching his face for denial, for hesitation, for anything that suggests this is a misunderstanding.
You find none. He nods once.
“You saved me. This is the truth of what that means.”
Your thoughts spiral.
Fear, disbelief, something dangerously close to warmth all collide in your chest. You saved his life because it was instinct. Because leaving him to die was unthinkable.
“I did not agree to this,” you whisper.
Dek’s expression tightens, but his voice remains calm.
“Among Yautja, the act is the vow. If you reject me, the bond remains. I will still protect you. I will not force you.”
Something in his words cracks through your panic.
He is not claiming ownership.
He is offering devotion.
The healer nods approvingly and steps back.
“She will heal better here. Among those who honour her sacrifice. You are brave. Few would choose death for another. You will be respected.”
The healer leaves, and silence settles over the chamber.
Dek remains kneeling beside you.
Carefully, he reaches for your hand, giving you time to pull away.
You do not.
His thumb brushes over your knuckles, warm and grounding.
“Rest. You are home now.”
You do not know when that became true.
But as sleep pulls you under once more, wrapped in warmth and guarded by something far stronger than before, you think you might want to find out.
Healing is not quick.
The healer’s treatments knit bone and muscle faster than any human medicine could, but your body is still human. It demands rest. It demands time.
You sleep often, drifting in and out of awareness as days blur together.
Dek is always there.
Sometimes he sits beside you, sharpening his blades with slow, rhythmic movements that fill the silence without breaking it. Other times, he stands watch near the entrance, his presence a constant.
When you are awake, he tends to you with quiet diligence.
He learns quickly.
He adjusts the temperature of the room when he notices you shiver. He dims the lights when your head aches. He brings you food suited to your body, watching closely to make sure you can eat without pain.
You begin to recognise the way he listens to you, not just to your words, but to your breathing, your posture, the small sounds you make when something hurts.
His home is carved into the stone of a cliffside, overlooking a vast valley where other structures rise in the distance, solid and ancient. Inside, it is warm and enclosed, the walls lined with trophies and symbols of past hunts.
Yet one space is different.
The sleeping area.
The first time you are strong enough to walk, Dek is at your side.
You sit up slowly, waiting for the dizziness to pass. He notices immediately, stepping closer, one hand hovering near your back without touching.
You plant your feet on the floor. The stone is cool.
Carefully, you stand.
Your legs shake, pain flaring briefly, and Dek’s hand closes around your arm at once, steadying you. His grip is firm but gentle, his body angled protectively in case you fall.
You do not.
You breathe through the ache.
Dek makes a low sound that you think might be approval.
He guides you forward, slowly step by step, until you reach the sleeping area.
The bed is large, far larger than any you have seen before, built low to the ground and layered thick with furs.
Not hunting trophies. These are chosen for softness, for warmth, for comfort. You see variations in colour and texture, arranged deliberately.
“This is for you,” Dek says.
You stare at it, something tight forming in your throat.
“For me?”
He nods.
“Humans lose heat easily. You require warmth to heal.”
You lower yourself onto the bed, fingers sinking into the furs. They are soft, carrying the faint scent of clean air and something distinctly him.
“This is more comfortable than anything I have ever slept on,” you admit quietly.
Dek’s mandibles shift slightly.
A small thing. But you are learning his expressions now.
He is pleased and proud
Days pass.
Your strength returns slowly.
You learn pieces of his world in fragments. How his clan values honour above all. How mates are chosen not by convenience, but by deeds that prove worth.
“You did not hesitate,” he tells you one evening as you rest together near the hearth. “That matters most.”
You look at him then, really look at him, the scars etched into his skin, the strength in his posture.
“I was scared. But leaving you there was never an option.”
Silence stretches between you.
Then he says, “Nor was leaving you.”
You had tried not to name it before.
The feeling that took root when he lifted you from the ground on that dead planet. The warmth that lingered when he held your hand on the ship. The safety you feel here, wrapped in furs, guarded by someone who would give his life for yours without question.
Love is a dangerous word.
But it is the right one.
You reach out, hesitating only a moment, and rest your hand against his arm. His muscles tense under your touch, then relax.
“You know, when you told me what the bond meant… I was afraid.”
He nods.
“I know.”
“But I think, I was only afraid because I already cared.”
Dek turns to you fully then.
Carefully, he cups your face in both hands, his thumbs brushing lightly along your cheeks.
His touch is warm, grounding, and gentle.
“You are not bound to me by fear. You are honoured. And cherished.”
Emotion swells in your chest, overwhelming and bright.
Outside, the sounds of the clan carry through the stone. Voices. Preparation. Anticipation.
You glance toward the entrance.
“They are… busy lately.”
Dek’s mandibles lift slightly.
“They prepare for the joining.”
Your heart skips.
“Our wedding.”
He inclines his head.
“When you are healed enough to stand beside me.”
You smile and lean into his touch.
For the first time since the crash, since the hunt, since everything changed, you feel certain.
You did not lose your life on that planet.
You found where it belongs.
The healer declares you healed.
It is not done lightly.
They press their hands to your ribs, to your chest, to your spine, murmuring approval as the last traces of pain finally fade into memory. When they step back, they incline their head toward you with unmistakable respect.
“You stand as one who survived. You may now be bound.”
Word spreads quickly.
By the time you return to Dek’s home, the clan is already waiting.
The women come first.
They enter quietly, a group of them, carrying bundles wrapped in hide and cloth. Their presence is not threatening. If anything, it is respectful. They look at you not as something fragile, but as something rare.
One of them touches her chest, then gestures to you.
“You are honoured,” she says, her voice rough but sincere. “Today, you are made visible.”
They guide you to sit, careful but efficient, and begin their work.
The gown is unlike anything you have ever worn.
Bone polished smooth and pale is woven together with strong cords and dark beads, each piece shaped by hand. When they lift it for you to see, your breath catches. You recognise the craftsmanship immediately.
“These are from his hunts,” one of them explains. “Those taken with skill. Those taken with honour.”
They fit the gown to you with surprising gentleness, adjusting it to your shape.
It is strong, protective, but beautiful in a way that feels intentional rather than ornamental.
When it settles against your skin, it is cool at first, then warms as your body adjusts.
They place a headpiece next.
It rests against your brow, crafted of bone and beadwork, marked with symbols that echo those carved into Dek’s armour. When it is secured, the women step back as one.
“You are seen now. No longer guest. No longer outsider.”
Your throat tightens as they speak. You are nervous.
But who wouldn't be on their wedding day?
They lead you outside.
The clan has gathered in a wide stone circle carved into the plateau, open to the sky. Fires burn low and steady, casting flickering light over armour, scars, trophies.
Dek stands at the centre.
He is unarmoured, marked instead with ceremonial paint across his chest and shoulders. Bone adornments hang from his braids, each one a testament to a life taken in honour.
When he sees you, he stills completely.
For a moment, the world narrows to just the two of you.
His gaze moves over you slowly, reverently. Pride radiates from him, fierce and unmistakable.
You step forward.
The elder who presides raises a staff carved with ancient symbols. Their voice carries across the circle.
“She gave her life without hesitation.”
A murmur ripples through the clan.
“He accepted her sacrifice.”
Silence falls.
“By law and by honour, they are bound.”
Dek reaches for you then.
He takes your hands in his, pressing his forehead briefly to yours in a gesture so intimate. His voice is low, meant only for you.
“I stand for you. Always.”
You swallow hard and answer honestly.
“I choose you.”
The elder marks your wrists with dark pigment, then marks Dek’s to mirror it. A cord is wrapped gently around your joined hands, binding you together.
The moment the knot is tied, the clan erupts.
Roars of approval echo through the stone circle. Drums begin, deep and rhythmic, vibrating through your bones. You are pulled into celebration before you can fully process it.
Food is brought. Fires burn higher.
Clan members approach you one by one, touching your headpiece, your hands, offering respect and welcome.
You are no longer the human who crashed onto a hostile planet.
You are the one who saved their hunter.
Later, when the fires burn low and the clan’s voices fade into the night, Dek leads you home.
Inside, the home is quiet and warm. The bed of furs has been freshly arranged, layered thicker than before. Soft light glows low, casting gentle shadows.
Dek removes his adornments first, setting them aside with care. Then he turns to you.
“May I?” he asks, gesturing to the gown.
You nod.
His hands are careful as he helps you remove it, as though each piece is sacred. When it is done, he rests his forehead against yours once more.
“You are bound to me. But not owned. Not silenced.”
“I know,” you reply softly.
He guides you to the bed, settling beside you rather than over you, his presence warm and solid at your back.
One arm wraps around you, protective.
You breathe together.
For the first time since everything began, there is no danger waiting beyond the walls.
No hunt to survive. No pain to endure.
Only the certainty that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
Thankfully, Shinsou didn't have to experience the full brunt of being in an abusive home with two alpha parents. His parents were not happy to have an Omegan son, and they made it known not to allow him to nest, not letting him fall into his instincts. It got worse when his quirk developed at four years old, and they kept muzzling him. It was so annoying, and he was scared all the time. When he was six years old, he was found by a young Aizawa and Hizashi, who were already a mated pair, and they took him in. His parents gave no fuss about it, handing him over with no qualms, which hurt a lot, but he never looked back since then. He grew up in a loving home, calling the hero Eraserhead his mom and hero Present Mic his dad, and three cats. He was allowed to talk, eat, make noise, cry, and have a nest. They gave him stuff with their scent, and they weren't mean. It was the best thing in the world. Surprisingly, about six months after he was adopted, they came home with a little black-haired boy with red eyes and shark-like teeth. Judging by his smell, he was an Omega as well.
"I know we talked about adopting another child...."
"I think having another kid for Toshi would be perfect. They're both Omegas, so they'll bond over that as well."
That was when Hitoshi met Ejirou, and he was now his brother. He loved having a brother, especially one who was an Omega like him. Together, they grew up unapologetically themselves and protected each other in elementary and middle school. Thankfully, they went to schools that took harassment very seriously, so whenever Alpha's got too pig-headed, the teachers or other students would put an end to it quickly. It made them both feel safe, and Hitoshi felt like he could be himself. Of course, he had to deal with kids calling his quirk villainous, but his family and two teachers always believed in him, so it was more than enough. The two of them decided to apply for U.A training together as well as with their parents. Came exam day, and the two of them took the practical and the written portion. Shinsou had his own capture weapon since he knew the exam was unfair towards non-physical quirks. Fast forward two weeks, and the two of them got their letters in the mail, only to celebrate that both of them got into the heroics department. Hitoshi definitely thought he was going to get into the General Studies department, but this was luck. He was going to make his family proud.
The first day of classes, and he knew he was fucked. Not only did he find the cutest Alpha in the world, but his mom thought it would be an amazing day to scare the shit out of everyone to do their best or else face expulsion. He and Ejirou knew it was bullshit, but no one else did, if the influx of hormones was any sign of that. Thankfully, his mom took no one's shit and silenced them all with his quirk and a growl. Fast forward to the end, and he exposed it was a test that upset a lot and relieved a few. The day continued with him watching the green-haired Alpha scamper away from the loud blond Alpha. He rolled his eyes to look over at Ejirou, who was looking at the loud blonde one. Great. They were both fucked. Mom's number one rule was no loud blondes. At the end of the day, on their way home, he walked with Ejiro to talk with him about their predicament.
"You know me, and you are both in trouble, right?" At least he didn't pretend to be innocent. He looked behind and to the side to make sure they were alone. Hitoshi grabbed his hand like he always did. It's a habit that the two of them developed as kids, and it just never broke.
"Judging by the way you were staring at Izuku, and I was staring at Katsuki? Yeah, we are both in trouble." The two of them shared a laugh, continuing their conversation until they got to the grocery store to pick up some stuff for their parents. They agreed to grab it while their parents went home to get ahead on an early dinner. The two of them stayed glued together, playing and shopping at the same time. They paid for the stuff and walked home in comfortable silence, linking pinkies. It was a safety thing and comfort as well. The two of them got home in one piece, greeting their parents.
"Hey, guys! Did you get the stuff?" Hitoshi nodded his head, handing the bags over as Eji ran to the bathroom. No one at school knew that their teachers were their parents or that they were brothers. It would come out eventually, the brother thing, but their parents being their teachers would stay a secret for as long as possible. He gave his dad and mom a kiss and a hug before heading to the second bathroom, giving the cat's attention as well on his way. The rest of the day went by smoothly as the two of them ate, talked for a while, and did their homework. Hitoshi had insomnia, so he had a regimen of sleepy time tea, 50mg melatonin to help, and 9/10 it worked. The rare times it didn't, he would just sleep between his parents. He still sleeps with them or Eji when he can't sleep or if he feels like it. There was fluffy stuff all over the house in all the rooms, considering 3 of the 4 people who lived here were Omegas. Hizashi was the only Alpha who took care of all of them. Whenever their mom went through a heat, they would stay with Aunt Nem until it was over. They didn't mind because his heat could trigger theirs to come early, which can be very painful. The rest of the day went by pretty fast.
"Are we going to tell them?" Hitoshi shook his head at Eji, ain't no way in hell he was going to tell them. Not yet anyway.
"Let's wait a few months, yeah? Make sure it's not just because they're pretty." Both of them agreed on that, but they didn't expect all the shit that happened to happen. They didn't expect the USJ attack, and for them to almost lose their mom. That's when everyone found out Aizawa was their mom and that he was an Omega. They didn't mean to out him like that, but they were frightened. Then, to make things worse, about two months later, the Kamino Ward Incident happened when the LOV attacked us at the camp, and Bakugo ended up kidnapped. It was horrible, and somehow Hitoshi ended up going with Kirishima, Izuku, Todoroki, Momo, and Iida to save said Bakugo. Their parents were not happy, both scared and angry, understandably. That was only 3 months, and between the beginning of the year and now, the class had already begun to form as a pack. It was so strange to see a bunch of students decide to become a pack, but it couldn't be helped. Once again, he and Izuku got a lot closer since then, especially after finding out that Aizawa was his mom. He will admit he was drowning under the attention Izuku gave him, but he couldn't have it all. Ochako and Shoto made sure to have his attention most of the time, which irritated him.
"Is it me, or every time you come around, Izuku, Ochako, and Shoto always flank him?" Oh, thank God he wasn't going crazy or letting his hormones convince him of something that wasn't happening.
"You have no idea what a big relief that was for you to say." He was leaning completely on Eji. He might as well be in his lap at this point, like he somehow always ended up doing back at home. He always wondered where he would have been if his parents had never gotten him, and never bothered to help him.
"Stop thinking about the past. I can smell the change in your scent." Hitoshi reeled it back in, looking at Eji sheepishly. He and Eji were the same height at '5"7, but he was more lanky and soft, whereas Eji had muscles but a soft tummy. The Omegan genes were disrespectful.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop, but I have noticed that Ochako and Shoto make sure to always be there when Izuku comes to talk to me. It's annoying, really, especially when I'm trying to have a private conversation." Eji nodded as the two of them took up the loveseat in the common room like they always do. "How's it going with Katsuki?" They both were whispering, not wanting other people to hear their conversation. Eji was excitable and loud, but he could be quiet when he wanted to be.
"Surprisingly well, he's loud and obnoxious, but it's just a front. I know he's a nice guy beneath all of that." He had nothing to say to that. If anyone could tame a beast, it was going to be Eji Sunshine Kirishima. The two of them talked a bit more, scenting each other lightly since it was the weekend. They did most of their homework, but they each left some of it as an excuse. Kirishima wanted a one-on-one session with Bakugo, and he was working on getting it, but Mina and Denki kept getting in the way. For Hitoshi, it was Ochako and Shoto.
"How are things going with Mina and Denki?" Mina was an Alpha who had her eyes on Eiji since middle school. Kirishima saw her more as a close best friend.
"The same way things are going with Ochako and Shoto." Touche. They both were being cock-blocked.
"Why can't we just get what we want? Why must things always be in our way? Life was unfair, and both of them knew that answer. They said nothing else about the situation, opting to talk about the TV show they saw and sharing memes and videos. It was like this for half an hour until Eji was taken away by Bakugo, ushering him to his room before 'raccoon eyes' saw them. Hitoshi winked at Eji behind Katsuki's back. He hoped he had good luck. They would make a really cute couple. He looked around the common room, considering who he might cuddle with when he caught the attention of Izuku. He blinked and froze for a second before smiling and waving. He looked around and didn't see his two lackeys with him. Maybe he was given a chance?
"Hey, Toshi-kun!" He couldn't even fight the smile if he wanted to. Hearing the endearing nickname gave him butterflies and a warm feeling in his chest. God, he had it bad for him. "How are you? Do you have time for that study session? I-if you want that is-" His scent was tinged with nervousness, but Hitoshi will be damned. He grabbed Izuku and made a beeline for his dorm. He was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Your two bodyguards don't mind me borrowing you, right?" He didn't mean for it to come out as bitter as it did. Hopefully, he didn't notice. He watched the boy blink before looking to the side.
"Well, I may or may not have told them I was going to spar with Kacchan." Hitoshi blinked, surprised. Clearly, this was to keep their friends off their backs for some time. "So, you have nothing to worry about." He smiled gently with all his teeth, which made Hitoshi's heart flutter and pound at the same time. Hitoshi almost lost his resolve when trying to open his dorm. Once inside, he made a beeline for his nest, gesturing towards his bean bag chair for Izuku.
"You can sit there if you like." Izuku hesitated, shifting from foot to foot before entering and closing the door, locking it. Hitoshi tried not to think too much about those implications. Izuku took off his slippers and sat comfortably on the bean bag chair while Hitoshi took the time to look him over. He was gorgeous. At first glance, you couldn't tell, but he was rather muscular and stocky. His stretch marks from the muscle growth had him drooling, and his scent. His scent was so alluring. He smelled like Green tea and nutmeg. It was such a weird scent, but it brought Hitoshi so much comfort.
"Toshi-kun?" He jolted, realizing he was staring. Damn. Not wanting to make a fool of himself, he sat up and grabbed the TV remote to turn on a random show. "I thought we wanted to study." Hitoshi was frustrated. He didn't want to study; he wanted quality time.
"I didn't want to study, I wanted to spend time with you by yourself." He was definitely being pouty, and he thanked God he had his hoodie to cover his face and blanket as well. Izuku blinked and blushed as realization dawned on him. Something must have transpired in his brain because his face set into determination as he got up and loomed over Hitoshi at the edge of the bed.
"Can I come in?" Hitoshi blinked, not sure if he heard him right. "Your nest. Am I allowed to come into your nest?" Hitoshi felt his mouth dry as he looked at him in shock. He couldn't believe his luck. Not trusting his voice, he nodded, watching as Izuku took a breath, climbed gently over him, and lay down behind him. It was quiet for a minute and a little awkward until Izuku grabbed Hitoshi around the waist and pulled him flush against him. Hitoshi's heart was pounding a mile a minute, but his happy scent of lavender permeated the air. He even let out a purr. "I see I made the right decision." Hitoshi didn't even bother to answer. He grabbed Izuku's arm, holding it as he purred louder. They can talk later, right now, he was enjoying having Izuku so close to him in his comfort zone.
Summary: Taken by the Yautja at twenty years old, you have spent years working quietly as a maid within the household of an honoured hunter. Your days are spent caring for the home and its younglings. Life is controlled but predictable. That changes the moment Vorkath’ren, the clan’s feared Enforcer, returns from a hunt.
You woke before the suns rose, as you always did.
The house was still and cool, the walls humming with the noise of Yautja technology that you had learned to live beside.
You gathered water, prepared food for the younglings, and tidied the common room before the first of them padded sleepily into the halls.
The children of the clan always found you amusing. You were small to them, soft, and fragile.
They adored you for it.
One clung to your leg as you tried to sweep the floor. Another demanded to be carried.
You obliged, lifting the smallest and settling him on your hip. His low purr vibrated against your shoulder.
This was your place. This was your life. It was not easy, but it was safe enough.
Until today.
The rumble of returning hunters echoed through the compound long before the door slid open.
The heads of the younglings snapped up. Their eyes widened with excitement.
“They are back,” one chirped, hopping from foot to foot.
The returning party always presented themselves to the tribe's Elder, and you were expected to greet them as part of your duties. You steadied your breathing and stepped into the main hall.
The air grew heavier as the hunters entered. The first few were familiar to you, masked warriors you had tended to after training sessions.
They smelled of iron and smoke, their hides marked with fresh paint and newly earned scars.
Then he stepped through the doorway.
Vorkath’ren.
You knew his title long before you ever saw his face.
The Enforcer.
The executioner of the Elder.
The one even seasoned hunters whispered about in low tones. His armour was plated in obsidian metal and decorated with bones from creatures you could not name.
His dreadlocks were bound with trophies, each one telling a story of violence and dominance. His presence filled the hall like a storm rolling in from distant mountains.
He carried the skull of a slain bad blood in one massive hand and dropped it into the centre of the room as proof that his task had been completed.
The warriors roared their approval.
You should have been able to stay invisible. You never made noise, never drew attention.
Yet as the Elder stepped forward to praise the returning party, Vorkath’ren’s gaze moved.
It landed on you.
For a moment, your body forgot how to move.
His mask turned fully in your direction, the glow of his eyes sharp and focused.
He had been looking at the Elder a moment before. Now, every line of his towering form faced you, as if pulled by an instinct he did not understand.
You lowered your eyes.
It was improper to hold a hunter’s stare for too long, especially one like him.
It was considered rude and a challenge between Yautja.
The weight of his attention. The force of it.
Your pulse quickened at the way he stood utterly still, observing you as though you were the only living thing in the hall.
Another hunter approached him, speaking of the fallen bad bloods. Vorkath’ren did not respond.
His focus rarely lingered.
The Elder noticed and followed the line of his sight, landing on you. His expression tightened with curiosity.
“You.” The Elder called out.
Your steps were quiet as you approached. You kept your hands folded, your head bowed.
“Offer greetings to the hunters,” the Elder instructed.
You did, voice steady despite the tremor beneath your ribs.
“Welcome home. May your hunts continue to honour the clan.”
A respectful sentence. One you had spoken many times.
Vorkath’ren tilted his head as though memorising the sound of your voice. His mask retracted with a sharp click.
You had never seen him unmasked.
His mandibles framed a mouth full of sharp, gleaming teeth.
Scars crossed his lower jaw. His eyes were a molten shade of amber, intense and almost strange in their depth.
He looked at you. He really looked.
Your breath caught.
Something flickered in those eyes.
He inhaled, sampling your scent.
You were not supposed to react, yet your heart thudded so loudly that you feared every hunter in the hall could hear it.
The Elder spoke again, addressing Vorkath’ren.
“Your hunt was successful, Enforcer. The clan is safer with the bad bloods destroyed.”
Vorkath’ren did not answer.
His gaze remained locked with yours.
The Elder’s eyes narrowed with thought.
“Does something interest you?”
A low, rumbling sound left Vorkath’ren’s chest. Not a threat. Not entirely. It was something far more complicated.
You took a small step back.
That was when he moved.
Only an inch forward, barely noticeable to anyone who did not know Yautja body language. But you knew enough. He was closing distance.
The Elder lifted a hand, halting whatever shift had started in the air.
“Return to your quarters, Enforcer. We will discuss the hunt later.”
Vorkath’ren hesitated.
A feared executioner. A brutal enforcer whose word was law to the lower ranks.
He hesitated.
But eventually he obeyed, turning away.
As he passed you, he looked down at you one last time, pupils wide, breath warm and heavy.
You felt it like a touch. A warning. A promise.
Something you did not yet have a name for.
You were supposed to return to your duties. You were supposed to forget this moment.
But long after he left the hall, you could still feel the burn of his eyes on your skin.
And deep in your chest, something answered.
You tried to tell yourself that nothing had changed.
You tried to believe it.
But from the moment Vorkath’ren returned from the hunt, the walls of the house felt different, as though something had awakened in the shadows and refused to rest again.
He watched you.
You first noticed it the very next morning.
You were carrying herbal infusions to the balcony to dry in the weak sunlight when you sensed it.
A shift in the air. A weight. The unmistakable feeling of being watched.
You lifted your head.
Vorkath’ren stood on the far side of the balcony, silent as a carved idol. His arms were folded behind him, skull trophies hanging across his broad chest. His eyes were fixed on you with that same intensity from the hall.
You almost dropped the tray.
He did not move. He did not speak. He watched.
You gave a small bow, unsure what else to do, and hurried away.
The moment you stepped inside, your skin prickled again. You looked over your shoulder.
He followed you.
Not close. Not enough to appear threatening. But he stood at the next doorway, gaze anchored to your retreating form.
You felt heat rise in your face.
He continued like this for days.
Everywhere you went, he was there.
In the training yard, standing against a pillar as you passed by with supplies.
By the nursery, observing quietly as you soothed a crying youngling.
In the market corridor, his towering form blocked a group of rowdy hunters from brushing too close to you.
The first time he did that, the younger hunter attempted to challenge him, puffing his chest and hissing a complaint.
Vorkath’ren turned his head slowly.
The young hunter froze. Whatever he saw in those amber eyes made him drop his gaze and step back at once.
No one bothered you after that.
You should have been relieved, but your heart raced whenever Vorkath’ren was near. Sometimes you caught him scenting the air when you walked past, a low inhale that made something stir deep in your stomach.
You had never been so intensely noticed in your life.
One afternoon, while trying to stack storage crates, you lost your footing. You braced for the impact, but it never came. A huge hand caught your arm, lifting you upright as though you weighed nothing.
Vorkath’ren.
He crouched, bringing his face level with yours. His eyes scanned you from head to toe, checking for injury.
“I am fine. Thank you.”
He did not release your arm immediately. His grasp was warm, steady, careful.
When he finally let go, his fingers traced lightly across your wrist as though reluctant to break contact.
He rumbled something in his own language. A sound low and soft. You had heard Yautja hunters speak many times, but none of them ever used a tone like that.
Then he rose to his full height and walked away, leaving you breathless.
Later that night, when you returned to your quarters, something waited on your sleeping furs.
A charm.
Bone carved into the shape of a curved talon, polished to a soft shine. A traditional token used by Yautja males when they wished to express interest.
Your breath stopped in your throat.
You lifted it with shaking fingers.
The air carried a faint scent that did not belong to you.
Him.
Footsteps echoed down the hall outside your door. Heavy. Controlled. You knew the sound now.
He paused outside your quarters.
Waiting.
Listening.
You clutched the charm to your chest, unsure whether to hide it or cherish it.
The footsteps moved on.
You sank onto your bed, the charm still resting in your palm, glowing faintly in the dim light.
You should fear this. You should return the token immediately.
Yet warmth bloomed in your chest. A slow, hesitant flutter that made you press your other hand to your heart as if you could calm it.
The Enforcer watched you. Protected you. Desired you.
And no matter how much you tried to ignore it, a part of you felt strangely safe when his shadow fell over yours.
A part of you wondered what it meant to receive a token from a male like him.
A part of you wanted to know what he would do if you kept it.
The gift weighed on your mind for days.
Every time you tucked the carved talon beneath your tunic, every time your fingers brushed its polished surface, you felt the same gentle ache in your chest. You should have returned it. You told yourself that many times. Yet each morning you found it still resting above your heart.
You noticed changes in Vorkath’ren too.
He no longer lurked in distant doorways. He approached you with deliberate steps, closing the distance inch by inch until there was no ignoring his presence.
He found you by the feeding hall one morning, sorting through herbs for the younglings. His shadow covered the table before you realised he was there.
“Enforcer,” you greeted softly, bowing your head.
His mask was clipped to his hip today. His face was bare. His eyes studied you with the precision of a hunter tracking something precious.
“Vorkath’ren,” he corrected, voice deep and gravelled.
You startled. He had never spoken his name to you before.
“I mean no disrespect,” you murmured.
He lowered himself until he was crouched at your level, movements slow and deliberate, as if approaching something fragile.
“You do not disrespect,” he said. The words were heavily accented, but the meaning was clear. “You speak. I listen.”
Your stomach fluttered. You had spoken to many hunters before, but Vorkath’ren was different.
His attention felt heavy, purposeful. His gaze tracked your eyes, your hands, the subtle rise and fall of your chest when you breathed.
You cleared your throat. “I should return to work.”
He tilted his head, mandibles flexing faintly in what you were beginning to recognise as curiosity.
“If I am too near, you speak. I move.”
The offer stunned you. Yautja were not known for yielding to humans. Yet here he was, offering you the ability to push him away.
You hesitated.
“I will tell you if I need space.”
He nodded once. A promise.
True to his word, he respected every boundary you set. When he stepped too close, you gently lifted your hand. He backed away immediately. When his looming presence became too much, you told him, voice shaking.
He bowed his head and stepped aside.
Each time he listened, something inside you softened.
But even with distance, he watched.
He watched you braid a youngling’s hair.
He watched you carry a basket of fruits across the courtyard.
He watched you walk home at twilight, standing sentry on the rooftop above as if guarding your path.
You should have been frightened. Yet somehow, every time your eyes found his towering silhouette, your heart steadied instead of racing away.
The change came on the night of the storm.
The world outside the house raged with thunder. The walls shuddered with each strike of lightning, the sound echoing in your chest.
You hated storms here.
The atmosphere felt different, heavier, more violent than storms on Earth.
You sat curled on your sleeping furs, arms wrapped around your knees, fighting the urge to hide beneath the blankets like a child.
A crash shook the compound so violently that you flinched and covered your ears.
Something moved outside your door.
Footsteps. Heavy, steady, unmistakable.
Your breath hitched.
The door opened with a quiet hiss.
Vorkath’ren stood in the doorway, his silhouette framed by flashes of white lightning.
He looked at you, then at the trembling doorframe, then back to you. A low hum vibrated in his chest, something warm and unthreatening.
“Fear. Your scent.”
You swallowed hard.
“The storm is loud. That is all.”
He stepped forward slowly, giving you time to refuse. You did not.
He lowered himself to sit beside your bed, his back against the wall, arms resting on his bent knees.
“I remain here. If you wish.”
Your heart fluttered.
“You are not needed.”
“No. But I remain.”
Another crash shook the house. You jerked, breath quickening. Vorkath’ren glanced at the ceiling, then back at you.
“You rest, I watch.”
There was no demand in his tone. Only quiet certainty, as though protecting you had ceased being a choice.
You lay back on your furs, though sleep did not come easily. The storm raged. Thunder cracked.
Lightning flashed.
But beside your bed sat the Enforcer of the clan.
Silent. Still. Watching the entrance with unwavering focus.
Your eyes traced the outline of his form.
The breadth of his shoulders. The slow rise and fall of his breath.
His profile was illuminated by every lightning flash.
You loosened your grip on your blankets.
He felt your stare and turned his head, eyes meeting yours through the dim light.
“Sleep,” he murmured.
Something in his tone unravelled the knot inside your chest.
For the first time since childhood, you fell asleep during a storm.
And when you woke, he was exactly where he had been, guarding your dreams with the patience of a creature who had claimed a place he would never relinquish.
The days after the storm settled into a strange rhythm. Vorkath’ren appeared everywhere you went, but no longer hid behind distance.
If you walked through the courtyard, he followed at a respectful pace. If you tended the younglings, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, protective eyes tracking every movement around you.
The clan noticed.
How could they not?
Whispers echoed through the corridors, hunters murmuring to one another in disbelief.
The Enforcer watches the human.
Why her?
Does she have a hold on him?
Some were curious. Some were unsettled. A few were openly displeased.
One of them was Jatruk.
He was younger than Vorkath’ren, ambitious, arrogant, a hunter who thought status made him untouchable.
You had always avoided him. His gaze was too bold. His voice is too sharp. He disliked humans and made no attempt to hide it.
You should have been more cautious when you passed through the storage hall alone.
You were gathering medicinal moss for the elder’s mate, head bent, arms full of herbs. No one else stayed in the long corridor. It should have been a simple task.
“I have been watching you. The Enforcer gives you his time. His attention. His silence. You must know what that means.”
Your pulse sped. You stepped back, but he followed.
“I have wondered what you did to earn it. Did you beg him? Offer him something? Humans use tricks. It is known.”
“That is not true. Please let me through.”
He smiled, mandibles flaring faintly.
“Perhaps I should inspect you myself. See what he finds so interesting.”
You moved back again.
He trapped you between a support beam and his towering frame. Panic rose in you.
You clutched the herbs against your chest.
“Move,” you said, voice shaking.
“No,” he answered, leaning closer.
A low sound rumbled from your throat.
Not a cry. Not a scream. A sound of fear so raw it echoed through the corridor.
Jatruk’s hand reached for your arm.
He never touched you.
A shadow dropped behind him with the weight of a falling mountain.
Vorkath’ren.
His roar shattered the silence.
Jatruk spun, but it was already too late.
Vorkath’ren struck him hard enough to send him skidding across the floor. Skulls rattled on the Enforcer’s armour, teeth bared, mandibles wide with fury. Rage radiated from him in waves.
The entire compound seemed to freeze.
Jatruk scrambled to his feet, sputtering.
“She is a servant. A human. She has no claim.”
Vorkath’ren advanced one step. The floor trembled beneath his weight.
“You will not approach her. You will not speak to her. You will not breathe near her.”
Jatruk bared his teeth, refusing to yield.
“You break our customs for her. You shame the clan. Has she enthralled you? Has she made you weak?”
Vorkath’ren’s eyes darkened.
“No. She makes me choose.”
Jatruk lunged.
It was foolish.
It was the end of him.
Vorkath’ren moved with a speed you had never seen.
The collision sent Jatruk crashing into a stone pillar, air leaving his lungs in a single pained gasp. Vorkath’ren pinned him with one massive hand, claws pressed lightly against his throat in warning.
He did not kill him.
But the message was unmistakable.
The Enforcer chose restraint only for you.
Hunters gathered at the edges of the corridor, drawn by the noise, silent witnesses to what came next.
Vorkath’ren released Jatruk, who collapsed to the floor, panting and humiliated.
Without looking at him again, Vorkath’ren turned to you.
His voice softened in a way that stunned everyone present.
“Did he touch you?” he asked.
“No,” you whispered.
He stepped closer, towering above you, but his posture was low, submissive in a way Yautja rarely displayed.
He reached out, paused, and waited for your permission. You gave a small nod.
His hand came to rest lightly against your arm, warm and steady.
“Good,” he said, voice thick with relief.
The gathered hunters exchanged shocked looks.
A murmur rippled through them.
The Enforcer protects the human.
The Enforcer claims her.
The Enforcer chooses.
You swallowed hard, the realisation sinking in.
“What you did, you declared something.”
His eyes met yours, dark and burning.
“I declare truth. You are under my protection. My watch. My choice.”
The words were not casual. Not symbolic.
Among Yautja, such a declaration was the first step toward a mate bond.
“Vorkath’ren, you cannot simply claim me.”
He lowered himself until his face was inches from yours. His mandibles brushed your cheek in the faintest touch, the contact so gentle it barely existed.
“I do not claim your body, I claim your safety.”
His hand lifted to your chest. Not touching.
“As for more, you decide. Not I.”
Your heart ached at the tenderness hidden beneath so much power.
Hunters still watched, stunned, uncertain, afraid to speak.
But Vorkath’ren did not care for their eyes.
He stepped to your side, standing as your shield. He looked at the hall, at Jatruk, at the hunters gathered, and his voice thundered through the corridor.
“She belongs to my guard. My watch. My protection. Any who threaten her are my enemy.”
Silence fell like a closing door.
Your life changed with those words. Yet, you still choose to act as if nothing happened.
Even if you were no longer just a maid. You were the Enforcer’s chosen.
And nothing in the clan would ever be the same again.
Later that night
You help put the younglings down for sleep, soft humming drifting through the stone hall, blankets pulled up, little claws clutching at your sleeves as they nestle in.
Once the final one is tucked in, you step outside for a moment of quiet, breathing in the night air.
The village glows with dim bioluminescent lanterns.
The jungle sings in its endless voice of insects and distant beasts. Cool wind wraps around you.
You close your eyes.
A branch cracks.
Your heart jumps.
Then you feel it, the shift in the air, heavy and unmistakable.
You turn.
Vorkath’ren stands in the shadows between the huts, half-lit by the soft glow. His mask is removed now, hanging at his hip.
His bare mandibles flare slightly, breath deep and steady, eyes burning like molten amber.
He does not speak.
He simply watches.
You know in your bones he does not stumble upon you by chance.
He came for you.
Slowly, he steps into the lantern light. His trophies clink softly with each movement.
His muscles ripple with controlled violence under the dim glow, but his eyes… his eyes soften when they land on you.
A shock hits your chest.
This creature, who executes traitors without hesitation is looking at you like you are something delicate.
Something important.
You take a step back.
He takes a step forward.
“Why… why are you here?” you whisper.
He gives a low chirr.
So soft it sends heat down your spine.
Then he does something you have never seen him do with anyone.
He kneels.
One knee to the ground. Head bowed. Eyes locked on yours.
A gesture of intent.
A vow.
Your breath catches.
You don’t understand it.
You’re not ready to understand it.
He rises slowly, towering once more.
His claws lift, hovering near your face again, but he stops himself, pulling back with a frustrated growl.
Restraint.
You realise with a shiver:
He wants you.
Deeply.
And he is trying very, very hard not to take what he wants.
He steps back into the shadows.
Watching.
Guarding.
Obsessed.
You shiver.
Not from fear.
But from the dangerous flutter low in your stomach that whispers you might want him too.
For almost a full week, Vorkath’ren becomes a shadow stitched to the edges of your world. He doesn’t approach you directly.
He doesn’t speak.
He simply appears.
Everywhere.
When you fetch water, you sense him crouched on the rooftops, silent as a panther.
When you walk the younglings to their lessons, he lingers at the far edge of the training grounds, trophy bones clinking in the breeze.
When you sweep the family hearthstones, you catch glimpses of him through gaps in the walls, mask glinting as he watches.
He never moves toward you unless you look away first.
He never touches you again.
And somehow that makes it worse.
That makes the air between you tighter.
Sharper.
Hungrier.
The matron of the house notices the way you startle at every heavy footstep, every distant growl.
She tuts, as if amused.
“The enforcer’s interest is unusual. He shows no tenderness. No fondness. Not to anyone.”
Her mandibles twitch in what you’ve learned is a smile.
“My dear, that hunter is watching you as if you were a wounded animal he wishes to guard, and a mate he wishes to claim.”
Your cheeks burn.
She continues, voice softening.
“Be careful. His kind love fiercely… but when they choose, it is with absolute possession.”
The bowl in your hands suddenly feels too heavy.
You wake to the sound of metal striking stone.
Clang.
Scrape.
Clang.
You sit up in your small sleeping corner, heart thumping. The household sleeps deeply, but something outside calls to you.
You push aside the cloth covering the doorway and step into the cool night.
The moonlight spills silver across the training yard.
And there he is.
Vorkath’ren
Mask off. Standing before a tall stone pillar engraved with ancient glyphs. His dreadlocks hang in wild black ropes, some tied with the skulls of creatures you’ve only seen in nightmares.
In his hand, he holds a blade nearly as long as your torso.
Clang.
Scrape.
He drags the tip along the stone in slow, deliberate strokes.
Marking something.
A symbol.
A vertical slash followed by three cross-strokes.
Your breath catches.
You’ve seen that symbol before.
On armour.
On huts.
On weapons.
It is the sigil of a Yautja’s chosen mate.
You freeze.
He pauses, sensing you, head lifting slightly.
Very slowly, he turns.
His eyes glow gold in the moonlight, burning like twin suns. His chest rises with a deep, deliberate inhale, as if tasting the air you displace.
He doesn’t speak.
He doesn’t have to.
You can feel the weight of the gesture.
He has carved the sigil, knowing you would see it.
Knowing you would understand.
You step back, breath shaking.
“Vorkath’ren… I… I don’t…”
You don’t know what.
What to feel.
What to say.
What to do with the wildfire building between you.
He takes one heavy step toward you.
Then another.
Not fast.
Not aggressive.
Just steady.
Sure.
Like gravity itself has chosen you and refuses to let go.
Instinct takes over, and you brace to run.
He stops instantly.
His head tilts, mandibles tucking tight with frustration, almost fear. As if even the idea of frightening you rattles him more than any hunt.
He lifts one clawed hand.
Very slow.
Palm open.
Showing he means no harm.
The gesture steals your breath.
You’ve seen him lift that same hand to crush skulls.
To cut down traitors.
To silence those who disobey the Elder.
But to you…
He shows his empty palm.
His voice rumbles out, low and rough, shaping your name with surprising clarity.
It sounds different in his mouth.
Possessive.
You step forward before you even realise you’ve moved.
He inhales sharply.
Your closeness affects him, visibly, intensely. His pupils blow wide, his mandibles twitch with restrained hunger, and his claws flex as if begging to touch but refusing.
Slowly, he lowers himself to one knee again.
The enforcer.
The executioner.
The tribe’s monster.
Kneeling. For you.
Your throat tightens.
“Vorkath’ren… why are you doing this?”
He rumbles deep in his chest, a sound you feel in your spine.
Then he lifts one claw and taps the newly carved sigil on the stone.
Your breath stutters.
“You cannot, I’m human. I’m not… I can’t be that to you.”
He tilts his head again, amber eyes narrowing with a certainty that chills you.
He isn’t asking. He’s telling you.
Claiming you in the only way he knows.
He stands slowly, towering over you, body radiating heat, breath heavy with want he can barely contain.
His claws gently brush the air near your shoulder.
Not touching.
As if he’s waiting for you to choose first.
Waiting for permission.
You take the tiniest step closer.
He shudders.
Then he exhales a low, trembling sound you’ve only ever heard from wounded Yautja.
Vulnerability.
Need.
He backs away into the shadows before he loses control.
But you know now what he wants.
And what you are becoming to him.
Not prey.
Not property.
Not duty.
Something far more dangerous.
Something he would kill for.
Something he would die for.
Something he has already begun to claim.
---
The threats that once stalked your nights, bad blood hunters, political tension within the tribe, challenges to Var’kah’s authority, fade, conquered one by one beneath his claws.
His savage reputation remains, but there is a softness now that only you ever see.
And it starts every morning.
You wake to the warmth of his chest pressed behind your back, his arm coiled around your waist like an unmovable band of iron and affection. His mandibles rest lightly against your shoulder, a habit he formed the first time you shared a sleeping mat. The rumble he makes when he feels you stir vibrates through your ribs, low and content.
You turn to face him.
His eyes open.
He has never slept deeply unless you are beside him.
“Good morning,” you whisper, brushing a hand over the scars on his jawline.
He answers in a gentle click, then lowers his forehead to yours.
A gesture you once feared, now one that unties your heart a little more each day.
He lifts your hand to his mouth and presses a slow kiss to your palm. His tusks scrape softly, deliberately careful.
Once, he was the tribe’s executioner.
Now, he is the male who warms your feet at night, who wakes before dawn to hunt your favourite fruit, who growls possessively when anyone looks at you too long.
And no one challenges it.
Not anymore.
The tribe accepts you.
Respects you.
Some even adore you.
The younglings, greet you each day with chirrs and small carvings they insist on giving you.
When the matron grew too old to keep the nursery, you took her place without question.
Vorkath’ren rebuilt the sleeping hall himself, larger and sturdier, so you would be safe, though everyone knows he meant “protected by walls built with my own hands.”
He watches over you even now, but the obsession that once frightened you has softened into something deeply loyal. Intensely warm.
Still possessive, always, but no longer tangled in pain.
One evening, you sit together at the edge of the jungle, watching the twin moons rise. Var’kah crouches beside you, his size dwarfing your own, his arm brushing yours as if he cannot bear even an inch of distance.
He holds something in his hand.
A bone carving.
Small, elegant, shaped into a sigil you know very well: his.
You lift it with gentle fingers.
“For me?”
He nods, mandibles lifting in a subtle smile.
“Mine,” he rumbles softly.
Not a claim.
A promise.
You lean into him, resting your head against his arm. He shifts so you can settle more comfortably, pulling you against his chest with a tenderness that would shock anyone who once feared him.
“Yours,” you reply quietly.
His entire body warms at the word.
He wraps both arms around you, holding you as if you are the axis of his world, the thing he orbits. You feel the soft vibration of his contentment, a sound that settles into your bones like sunlight.
The moons climb higher.
The night grows still.
And for the first time in your life, the future feels simple.
Safe.
You reach up and brush his cheek.
“Are you happy?” you ask, though you already know the answer.
He presses his forehead to yours, eyes burning softly, voice low and sincere.
“With you, always.”
You smile, closing your eyes as he pulls you into the circle of his arms, the hunter’s moon glowing white above you both.
Here, in this life you built together, there is no fear.
this is blunt as fuck, but i mean it with all my heart. write whatever the fuck you want. write about whatever ships/character you enjoy. write whatever tropes you love the most. write for comfort. write for pleasure. write for pain. write what you want, not what others want to read. if they want fics so badly, they can write it themselves
Note: pt2. inspired by this post by @makoodles. MDNI!
The Omatikaya had long since grown accustomed to my presence. I no longer felt the weight of wary stares or the hesitation in shared glances. Now, when I walked through Hometree, voices greeted me, hands reached to guide me, and laughter echoed in my ears. They had accepted me, a daughter of another clan, into their midst.
Even Tsu’Tey.
Especially Tus’Tey.
He had been distant at first—watchful, assessing, always carrying himself with the quiet authority of a warrior. But now, his presence followed me like a shadow. He was always near: guiding my steps during ceremonies, placing food in my hands before I could reach for it, bringing me the finest cuts of meat from his kills. I thought it was kindness, the generosity of a leader to an outsider.
I was wrong.
One evening, after a long day of gathering, I returned to my sleeping space within Hometree to find something waiting for me. A necklace—woven with careful hands, strung with beads of bone and glass, inlaid with the iridescent shimmer of a banshee’s feather. The intricate knotwork was unmistakably Omatikaya, but I knew the hands that had crafted it. Tsu’Tey’s.
I turned the piece over in my hands, running my fingers over the smooth wood beads and the tiny carvings that marked them. Some bore patterns I recognized from his own armbands. Others were unfamiliar—perhaps added by his kin. A gift, but not just any gift.
I should have known then.
The next time I saw him, I held it up. “This is beautiful,” I said. “Who is it for?”
His ears flicked in what I thought was amusement, but now, looking back, was probably frustration. “For you,” he said simply. “It is yours.”
I smiled, thinking it was a gesture of friendship. “Thank you, Tsu’Tey.” I slid it over my head, unaware of the weight of meaning behind it. His eyes lingered on me, something warm and unspoken in their depths.
Over the days that followed, his attention grew more… insistent. He would brush past me unnecessarily, the side of his face grazing my temple, his forehead pressing briefly against my shoulder. His scent clung to my skin, wild and earthen, and I found myself returning the touches absentmindedly—cheek to cheek, forehead to forehead—never realizing that with every nuzzle, every exchange of warmth, I was allowing him to claim me.
I only understood when Neytiri pulled me aside one evening, watching me with the mix of exasperation and amusement only a sister could wear. “You wear his gift,” she pointed out.
“Yes,” I said, running a hand over the beads. “It was kind of him.”
She gave me a look. “He courts you.”
The words struck me silent.
“He has made his intention clear. He gives you gifts, he brings you his hunts, he marks you with his scent. And you…” She tilted her head, lips curving. “You do not push him away.”
The weight of the necklace grew heavier around my throat. The offerings, the presence, the touches—it was all there, plain as day, if only I had known to see it. My heart stammered in my chest.
Did I want this?
I found him later that night, sharpening the blade of his knife beneath the glow of bioluminescent flora. He looked up as I approached, ears perking in quiet acknowledgment.
“Tsu’Tey,” I said, voice softer than I intended. I lifted the necklace in my hand. “I understand now.”
His expression did not change, but his tail flicked behind him, betraying anticipation.
“I have been blind to your ways,” I admitted, stepping closer. “But if this is truly your wish, then…” I reached up, pressing my forehead to his in the way he had done so many times before. His breath hitched, then steadied.
He did not need words. Instead, his hands came to rest at my waist, his cheek brushing along mine, slow and deliberate, as if savoring the moment. A purr rumbled deep in his chest.
I leaned into him, breathing him in.
I would learn his ways.
And I would learn him.
It was different after that night.
I saw it in the way Tsu’Tey looked at me, in the way he touched me, the way his scent lingered on my skin long after he had left my side. Now that I understood, I couldn’t unsee it—the devotion in every glance, the way his tail curled when I was near, the way he always, always made sure I had what I needed before I even realized I needed it.
And the clan saw it too.
They knew.
And they approved.
The gifts kept coming. Small things—a hand-woven sash, a carving of an ikran, a finely braided cord meant to tie my hair back. I never saw him making them, but I knew they were from him. And every time I accepted one, his ears would flick just a little, his tail swaying in satisfaction.
It was almost embarrassing, how obvious he was.
And how much I liked it.
A Different Kind of Claim
One night, after a long day, I was sitting by one of the fires, absentmindedly running my fingers over the beads of the necklace he had given me. It had become a habit, touching it whenever I thought about him—which, annoyingly, was often.
I didn’t even hear him approach.
“You wear it often.”
His voice was deep, familiar, settling into me like a warm current. I looked up to find him standing over me, his expression unreadable, though his tail betrayed him, flicking lazily behind him.
I smirked, tilting my head. “Should I not?”
His ears twitched. He crouched beside me, his gaze never leaving mine. “It pleases me,” he admitted.
I hummed in response, feeling the weight of his stare. The fire cast shadows over his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, the piercing focus of his eyes. I swallowed. I should have looked away, but I didn’t.
Instead, he leaned in, close enough that his scent wrapped around me, warm and earthy. His cheek brushed against mine, slow and deliberate, and I felt a shiver trail down my spine.
It wasn’t the first time he’d done this.
But something about this moment felt different.
His touch lingered. His breath was warm against my skin.
And then—his lips, grazing the curve of my jaw.
I stiffened, my breath catching in my throat. My fingers curled into the fabric of my woven sash, heart pounding. His hands—strong, steady—settled on my waist, pulling me just a little closer.
The movement was instinctual, my own hands coming up to press against his chest. His skin was warm beneath my palms, the steady drum of his heartbeat matching my own.
“Tsu’Tey,” I murmured, barely recognizing my own voice.
He made a low sound, something deep and pleased, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “You accept me.” It wasn’t a question.
I swallowed hard. I had, hadn’t I? With every touch, every gift, every moment spent in his presence, I had already made my choice.
I nodded.
And that was all he needed.
The Final Step
The forest was quiet that night, save for the distant calls of nocturnal creatures and the gentle rustle of the leaves. The soft glow of bioluminescent plants lit our path as Tsu’Tey led me away from Hometree, his grip firm around my wrist.
I followed without question.
I trusted him.
When we reached a secluded grove, he turned to face me, his hands finding my shoulders, then trailing down my arms in a slow, reverent touch. His expression was softer than I had ever seen it.
“This is sacred,” he murmured.
I nodded, my throat tight.
Na’vi mated for life. There were no second chances, no taking it back.
This was forever.
And I wanted forever with him.
He must have seen my answer in my eyes, because his lips curved, something warm and certain settling in his gaze.
Then, slowly—almost hesitantly—he pressed his forehead to mine.
I exhaled, my hands rising to grip his shoulders.
His cheek brushed against mine, his scent enveloping me completely, claiming me in a way that went beyond words. I felt his fingers slide over my waist, my hips, pulling me flush against him.
There was no rush, no urgency.
Only quiet reverence.
Only us.
When our queues met—when I felt the first rush of connection, of knowing—I gasped, my fingers tightening on his skin.
Tsu’Tey let out a shuddering breath, his grip on me fierce.
And then—
Nothing else existed.
As Tsu’tey hovered above you, the intensity in his gaze made your breath hitch. The anticipation pulsed between you like the energy of Pandora itself. He leaned in closer, his warm breath ghosting across your skin, and you felt every nerve in your body come alive.
With deliberate slowness, he began to enter you. An electric thrill coursed through you as he pushed inside, stretching you in a way that made your body ache for more. You gasped at the sensation; it was a heady mix of pleasure and a hint of discomfort as he filled you completely. “Are you okay?” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly, filled with concern.
“Yes,” you managed to breathe, the word escaping in a soft gasp as you instinctively arched your back, urging him to go deeper.
Tsu’tey paused for a moment, allowing you to adjust to his size. His eyes were fierce, filled with a hunger that matched your own, yet there was a gentleness in his touch that grounded you. His hands slid possessively to your hips, fingers digging slightly into your flesh, and when he began to move, it was agonizingly delicious.
He thrust slowly at first, his movements measured, each stroke deliberate. You felt every inch of him as he pressed deeper, drawing soft gasps from your lips. Tsu’tey watched you intently; the way your body responded to him fed his desire, and you could see that he was enthralled by what he was doing to you.
“Feel me,” he urged, his voice a soft growl, sending shivers racing down your spine. His pace quickened, and you felt the heat coiling tighter within you. Every thrust was powerful, sending waves of pleasure radiating through your body. You moaned softly, lost in the sensation, your body responding eagerly to him.
As the rhythm intensified, Tsu’tey leaned down, capturing your lips in a heated kiss. His tongue slid against yours, deepening the connection as you became more lost in the moment. The taste of him, mixed with the intoxicating breath of the foreign world around you, was almost overwhelming.
“More,” you gasped, your voice barely a whisper, but he heard you, responding instantly by thrusting harder, deeper. You could feel the coil in your core tightening, the edge of pleasure growing closer with each powerful stroke.
“Let go for me,” he urged, his words laced with primal need, his grip tightening around your hips. His movements grew more fervent, your bodies moving in perfect harmony as the world outside faded into nothing.
You felt the wave building, cresting toward a peak you were desperate to reach. Tsu’tey’s breath was ragged as he lost himself in you, his powerful frame driving you higher and higher. You clung to him, nails digging into his back as the sensation spiraled, your body tightening around him, pulling him in impossibly closer.
“Just like that,” he growled, his voice a raw edge of desire. “You’re doing so well.”
As he pressed deeper, Tsu’tey’s queue—a long, delicate braid—fell gracefully over your shoulder. He hesitated for only a moment before connecting it to yours, the soft strands intertwining. The moment his kelku touched yours, a rush of shared energy surged through you, sparking something primal and deep.
The bond was intoxicating. You could feel his emotions, his desires, and every aspect of what it meant to be one with him. Your bodies moved as a single entity, every thrust synchronizing with the rhythm of your hearts. You were no longer just two beings; you were connected in a way that transcended the physical.
With one last deep thrust, the dam finally broke. You let out a cry of ecstasy as pleasure washed over you. Stars erupted behind your eyelids; it felt as if your very souls were entwining. Tsu’tey groaned, burying himself deeper as he followed you into bliss, the connection of your queues amplifying the waves of ecstasy that consumed you both.
The world seemed to stand still for a moment, caught in the aftershocks of your shared pleasure. Tsu’tey collapsed beside you, drawing you into his embrace. You felt the rhythmic thump of his heart against your skin, the world around you bathed in the soft glow of Pandora.
As you both reveled in the aftermath, a deep sense of connection settled over you. It was more than a physical union; it was a melding of souls, a promise of something profound and enduring in the magical landscape of Pandora.
The morning after, everything felt different.
The air smelled richer, the sounds of the forest sharper, the warmth of his skin still lingering on mine. I wasn’t sure if it was just me, if I was imagining it—but then I shifted, stretching against the soft moss beneath me, and felt him move beside me.
Tsu’Tey was awake. Watching me.
I turned my head, finding him propped up on one elbow, his gaze steady. His ears flicked at my movement, tail twitching behind him in that slow, lazy way that told me he was content.
“Mawey,” he murmured, reaching out to brush his fingers over my cheek.
I didn’t pull away. Didn’t want to. Instead, I leaned into his touch, my own hand covering his.
Last night was still heavy between us. The bond, the knowing, the weight of what we had done.
We were mated.
Forever.
My chest tightened at the thought—not with fear, but with something more. Something I didn’t have words for yet.
Tsu’Tey must have sensed it, because his expression softened. His fingers trailed down to my jaw, then lower, tracing the curve of my throat where his scent lingered strongest. A quiet hum rumbled in his chest, deep and pleased.
“You are mine,” he said simply.
I swallowed, my fingers tightening on his wrist. “And you are mine.”
His eyes darkened, his tail flicking again, sharper this time.
Then, without another word, he leaned in, his nose brushing against my cheek before rubbing slow, deliberate circles into my skin. He worked his way down my neck, his scent marking me all over again.
It was instinctive. Possessive.
And I let him.
I turned my head, doing the same—nuzzling into the curve of his shoulder, the line of his jaw, breathing him in until I was covered in him.
His grip on me tightened.
When we finally pulled apart, I saw it in his face—that quiet pride, that knowing that we belonged to each other now in a way that could never be undone.
It was a truth.
A promise.
And the clan would know it, too.
The Clan’s Approval
By the time we returned to Hometree, the sun was high, and the whispers had already started.
The Na’vi were not subtle. They knew what had happened.
Eyes followed us as we walked through the village—some teasing, some approving, some simply knowing. I could feel the shift in their gazes, the quiet acceptance that came when a bond was made official.
Tsu’Tey walked beside me, his chest lifted, shoulders squared. Proud.
He wanted them to see.
Neytiri was the first to approach, her expression unreadable as she took me in. She glanced at Tsu’Tey, then at me, then at the way I still wore his necklace around my throat.
Then, after a long pause, her lips curled into a smirk.
“So, you finally see,” she teased.
Heat rushed to my face. “I—”
She held up a hand, cutting me off. “It is good.” Her tone was softer now, approval clear in her eyes. “You are one of us now. Truly.”
I swallowed, something warm blooming in my chest at her words.
One of them.
Omatikaya.
Tsu’Tey exhaled beside me, and when I looked up at him, his expression had softened.
Acceptance.
This was more than just our bond. This was my place here, solidified not just by him, but by the clan.
By family.
A New Life Together
That night, the celebration was small but meaningful. The elders spoke blessings over our bond, and gifts were given—new beads for my necklace, fabrics for our shared sleeping space, wooden carvings of Pa’li and Ikran, symbols of strength and unity.
Tsu’Tey accepted them all with quiet reverence, his hand never straying far from mine.
And later, when the fires burned low and the others drifted into sleep, he pulled me close, his forehead pressing to mine.
“We begin a life together,” he murmured.
I nodded, my fingers tracing the beads of his necklace—one that I would now add to, as was tradition for mated pairs. “Together.”
His tail wrapped around mine, and as he kissed me, slow and deep, I knew—
Sero had always felt that he wasn't the most...desirable or ideal omega. First of all, from first glance he didn't have any Omegan features unless you saw him naked. He was lanky for sure, but the lack of ability to build muscle like Kirishima, Bakugo, Midoriya and a few others left him with a sour taste in his mouth and was proof of his secondary gender. With all the swinging he did with his quirk the most he got was lean and, that was just disrespectful. He wasn't loud and boisterous either plus, his scent was a dead give away of what he was when he didn't have scent patches on. It just wasn't fair and, most days it didn't bother him but, sometimes it did. He had to watch Bakugo get with Kirishima, Midoriya and Shoto, Tokoyami and Tsuyu, Mina and Denki, Ochako and Iida, Ojiro with Toru, Momo and Jirou, it was just ugh. It bothered him that he was the only single one in his group and they literally started their third year today. Over the summer he spent his whole internship surprisingly with Shoji, Koda, Sato and a few others from 1-B stating some bullshit excuse he couldn't even remember. All he knows is he spent 2 months with Shoji on the literal other end of Japan - which was like 9 hours away or 10- and he had to prevent his-self from jumping him. Not only did the already gentle giant grow from '6"2 to '6"8 -like who needs all of that height- he was strong and the biggest sweetheart he knows to ever exist. When Sero went into heat, not only did he buy him supplies and snacks, he made sure he was in a room with no windows and he slept outside the door to assure no one else tried to get to him. One foreign Alpha tried it - he was big himself well over 6 feet- and the moment Shoji stood? He high-tailed it out of there. He went through heat twice and Shoji was just as kind during both of them and when Sero asked for hugs? He received them until he fell asleep and he found himself back in his makeshift nest smelling like Shoji which calmed him down a lot. During those two months he was always with shoji and got to know the quiet gentle giant even more. More than anyone in the class really besides maybe Tokoyami and Koda. That was besides the point though. The point was that he had the biggest crush on Shoji and he didn't know what to do or how it act.
"sero-kun! Come join us over here!" Sero looked over at Toru who was waving her sleeves around violently. He got the hint. He grabbed his comfort blanket and went to the couch where surprisingly Ojiro, Shoji and Tokoyami were. He froze up a bit but forced himself to breath and to keep on going. They normally kept to themselves but, today they decided to stay here. At least they weren't like the bakusquad and wave around their pheromones to assert dominance or whatever the fuck.
"What are you guys doing anyway?" He got comfortable in the corner of the couch wrapping himself like a cocoon. He forced his eyes to focus on the T.V instead of the person of his affections on the other end of the couch.
"We finally got a chance to play without your friends hogging the TV" He huffed not denying the statement. They were hoggers. He looked over at a tap and was face to face with Dark Shadow.
"Hi Dark Shadow." He pet the quirk giggling at the way he purred under the attention
"Behave yourself Dark Shadow." Sero laughed as Dark Shadow started bickering with Tokoyami. His eyes wandered landing on Shoji. Sero waved shyly at the tall boy who waved back with a smile. His heart did a swan dive and then swooped right back up into his heart. He had it so bad for him it wasn't even funny. If he wasn't careful he was going to start scenting the air.
"You smell good Sero-kun!" Sero jumped at how close Toru was and -oh shit she smells him. Was he scenting the air? Did he do it? He did a tentative sniff to the air and un-surprisingly his scent was permeating the air. Now it was going to be tinged with embarrassment. Great. Maybe he should go.
"T-thank you Toru." He buried deeper in the blankets wanting to run and hide but, he couldn't because he will have to pass everyone including Shoji and he had no nerves whatsoever. He tried to focus back on the TV on the call of duty game they were playing. Dark Shadow was a great spokesman as he voiced all the actions and was rooting for everyone. Then, of course, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow started bickering again. Maybe now, Sero can escape? Or at least move from his position without bringing attention to his-self. He sat up and scooted over on the couch to an empty space that had all of his attention. Maybe if he was a little more aware and, not so caught up in his head he would have noticed that he was currently moving across Shoji's lap. The only reason he noticed was the slight cough. He froze all the way up slowly looking up at a amused and blushing Shoji
"Comfy?" He didn't seem upset about the position but, Sero was panicking and his scent permeated the air. He couldn't think straight and was mortified that he was unintentionally brave. Shit. Where this bravery come from? This was reserved for hero work only.
"U-uh, u-um" He looked to see the others weren't really paying them no mind. "I don't know where this bravery came from, but it's out of pocket. I'm sorry." He squeaked it all out in one voice and hurried his ass away from Shoji straight to his dorm room where he can panic in peace cause he was not ready to face Shoji again at the moment. Shoji watched as Sero scampered away to hide before turning to a cough
"I think us being here made him more nervous than anything." Toko was the voice of reason,, his best friend.
"I don't know..." He looked longingly in the direction that Hanta had gone and was trying to decide if he should go after him or let him be to calm down. He really liked him, always did but the summer internship solidified his crush and he will be damned if another Alpha tried to come in and swoop him from under his feet. He saw the subtle way Hitoshi would flirt with him, unless Shoji was getting ahead of his-self cause of his crush. Maybe. Maybe not. It was better safe than sorry.
"You said the two of you got really close during the internship right?" He looked at Dark Shadow who decided to join the conversation. "Then you shouldn't have no problem talking with him or even being in his space!" He thought about it and they did have a point. He helped him through two heats- nothing sexual just cuddling and scenting things from him- and he found out a lot about each other's family life. Sero during his heat saw his face without a mask and said he looked pretty and shouldn't wear a mask. He chalked it up to the heat talking but, it never stopped him from thinking about it. The way he felt so perfect in his arms as he cradled him to his chest, and the way he smelled was of baked pastries. Shoji thought he was perfect but, his shyness despite his secondary gender prevented him from ever making a proper move. He had to change that. He needed to build up the courage or go head on in it. He was going to ask Sero to be his properly. He will traditionally do the courting if that's what he will like but, he needs and wants Hanta to be his. It's about time he puts himself first and go for what he wants.
"I'm going." Toko nodded in that pleased manner and Dark Shadow squawked wrapping itself around Shoji in a comforting hug
"I don't know what you told yourself but, you got this! I promise nothing bad is not going to happen you guys would be so cute together!" Dark Shadow receded back into Toko and with a newfound confidence he got up and marched his way to the stairs not willing to slow down because he knows he will not go through with checking up on Sero, Hanta, if he stops. One foot in front of the other, keep going straight, calm your hormones, release soft calming and comforting pheromones only. Shoji was normally a level-headed individual, always had control of his emotions but, he had to prep himself since he was nervous about all of this. What if Sero rejected him? He was used to being disliked, scared of and whatever else, he was used to it but, it never hurt any less. Too busy in his musings he didn't notice he was standing in front of Hanta's door until he almost crashed into it. Shit. He heard him on the other side of the door so tentatively he knocked listening to the shuffling before the door slowly opened. He peered down to see Hanta looking back up at him.
Hanta was panicking slightly, just a bit. He didn't expect Shoji to actually be here in front of his door but here he is in all of his '6"8 glory taking up the entire doorway. Damn he actually had to duck to get in. "Not that I don't love your company but, um, what are you doing here?" Hanta was shocked that he didn't stutter and his voice sounded pretty clear. He watched as Shoji looked around before clearing his throat
"May I come in?" Hanta didn't see why not so he moved back leaving the door open for Shoji. He watched as he came in and gently closed the door behind him and now it was a bit awkward, or was it? "I'm sorry if I make you nervous." He was apologizing! For what? He didn't even say or do anything wrong! He scented the air and smelled burnt pastries. Shit, he was giving Shoji the wrong idea, he got to fix it
"NO! No, no, you don't make me uncomfortable at all. I trust you the most actually out of anyone in this class. You helped me a lot during our internship and you were so sweet, and kind and just ugh so perfect. You are actually really pretty too, I don't know why you wear a mask, but I can understand maybe people aren't kind but, I think you are really pretty." He was straight babbling getting redder by the moment but his scent was the opposite. It was the sweetest it's ever been and even he heard Shoji take a healthy whiff. Ah shit, the cat is out the bag now. "I-I-I guess y-you can u-understand t-t-that I, uh, like you, you know like the whole courting- but only if you want-" His babbling was cut off by Shoji grabbing him with four of his arms and hugging him close. He was confused as hell but, hugged regardless because who wouldn't.
"I'm not great at words...but um, I would love to date you... You know the whole traditional courtship, dating thing...If you would like." Shoji's voice was a soft baritone that brought a shiver down his spine. Now who would deny that.
"I would most definitely like it." This might be a little bit of a rough ride but, he knows it'll be worth it at the end.
A/N: I'm going to start posting my smut I wrote from my Demon pets story that you could find on wattpad under destiny_x17 and AO# under destiny_will_domo
You were confident that the rest of your family heard or at the very least know that you have engaged in frivolous activities with Muzan and Kokushibo. Honestly, you would rate the experience 10 out of 10, and you will most definitely be doing it again with both of them. You had a feeling that Kaza was definitely a little jealous, but he would not show it. You feel that none of them should be feeling jealous because you have no problem having sex with the rest of them, you will not be initiating it the first time because you wish for them to come to you so that you can be sure that that is what they want and it does not seem like you are forcing yourself on them. This is not something that you should be thinking about right now. At the moment, Kaza was trying to get your attention to hang out with him.
"Y/N please come with me, it's been so long since me, and you have been together alone. I miss you." He was giving you the puppy dog-eyed look, and you swear everyone in this castle knew the right things to say to you, so you will fold. That is beside the point that you love all of them.
" Lead the way, my love." He smiled big at you and grabbed your hand walking down the hallway to who knows where. You have gotten used to not being told what is going on so you are just going with the flow. You guys went down numerous hallways and went through a couple of doors until you got to what looked like one of the smaller libraries, but he kept walking with a mission in mind.
" Remember when I and you were on a date, and we were painting and watching a movie, but it got interrupted because of the surprise?" You wrecked your brain for a minute, trying to think of what he was talking about, and then it hit you. It was the day that they drew the party at the top, and that horrible hoard of demons attacked you guys. You quickly shook your head, yes to answer the question while simultaneously trying to get rid of those mental images of you bleeding in your family fighting a whole bunch of feral beasts. " Good because I wish to finish our date now that we have more time to be together." You smiled at him as he continued to take the two of you to the room where, once you went inside, he locked the door behind you. You were excited to spend time with your Kaza after all.
"Do you have a movie in mind?" You watched as he nodded at you, and he went to the projector, or the computer really, to play a movie that the two of you have seen numerous times.
"I know we have seen this movie already, but I thought it would be good background noise for when we are talking or painting or doing whatever." You were not silly and had an idea of what he might be planning, but you will not jump the gun, nor make the first move because you made a promise that for their first time having sex with you, you will not start it. You wanted them to be comfortable enough with you to start it first. All of the other times that will follow are different stories.
"I have no issue with that. I enjoy being in your company after all, regardless of what we may or may not do." You took the initiative to sit down on the sheets and comforters he had in a makeshift bed on the floor. It was definitely fluffier and more comfortable than when you guys were first here, which meant that he had planned this return of the date.
"I am glad." He took a seat beside you, and the two of you started talking about anything and everything that came to mind. He was basically on top of you, and you love the feeling of his skin against yours you were only in a pair of shorts and a crop top since you were home, and it tended to get pretty hot in the castle due to central heating and air conditioning. It got quiet once the two of you stopped talking for a bit, and you turned to him only to see that he was already staring at you with a soft smile. "Can I kiss you?"
" Of course, you can." No more words were said as your lips touched but, this time it wasn't a peck, it wasn't a chaste kiss. He put a hand behind your head to hold you in place as he devoured your mouth. He maneuvered without breaking apart your lips to where you were on your back against the sheets and comforters as he hovered over you. He pressed his lips fervently against yours swiping his tongue along your bottom lip and asking for entrance. You opened your mouth in invitation moaning as he mapped out every tooth and massaged your tongue with his. How was he so good at this?
"My beautiful Y/N..." He pulled away licking at the string of saliva that connected your lips, leaning down to nuzzle his face in your neck before kissing and nipping knowing he was going to leave a mark. You shuddered at the feel of his hands roaming across your side before stopping at your top. He lifted his head from your neck making eye contact with you. "Can I take this off?" You nodded your head but, he shook his head softly bringing a hand up to hold your cheek "Use your words, sweetheart." You felt yourself flush squirming a bit under him.
"Yes, you can." He hummed with a smile and never broke eye contact with you as he grabbed the bottom of it and lifted it over your head and arms in one move. You were not wearing a bra so once he saw your breasts out of his peripherals that's when he looked away and in one swift movement engulfed your right boob in his mouth while his left hand pulled, twisted, and flicked the nipple of your other one softly. Low moans escaped your mouth that you didn't even bother hiding. He altered between both of them making sure to leave a hickey on each breast.
"You're so beautiful. You're so perfect for me. I love you." You were panting softly as he trailed kisses down the valley of your breasts to your stomach and stopped when he got to your shorts. You already knew what he was waiting for.
"You can take it off, Kaza. I trust you and I love you." You saw how his eyes dilated and with haste, he ripped off your shorts grabbing both of your legs to throw them over his shoulders. Before you can even breathe properly he flattened his tongue against your pussy.
"FUCK!" He didn't give you any reprieve as he focused on your clit with his tongue looking up at you making sure his tongue never left the spot. You weren't quiet at all and you found yourself humping his face but, he encouraged it. He moaned at the taste of you on his tongue, the vibrations going up your spine. Holy shit he was eating you out like you were his last meal. You almost screamed when you felt him slide in two fingers and curled them. "Kaza-AH! RIGHT THERE!" He found your G-spot faster than you thought. Fuck, he was so good at this, he was so strong as he sat straight up the angle causing his fingers to abuse your G-spot.
"There we go, baby. That's it. Enjoy yourself, I'm here to please you." He said nothing else keeping a steady pace that was bringing you to an orgasm fast. Your voice was pitching higher and faster, reaching up with one hand to grab at his hair to hold him there. His pace never faltered or sped up, it was steady and within a minute you were almost shouting grinding your pussy against his face as your orgasm took over you. "There we go baby, there goes my sweet, gorgeous Y/N. Ride it out, my love." He dragged out your orgasm with soft licks and slow plunges of his fingers before removing himself completely and taking your legs from his shoulders to wrap around his waist while he massaged your calves and thighs to bring you back down from your high. You can both see and feel how hard he was. He was panting softly, hair falling from his ponytail where you had a grip, eyes dilated with a grin that mirrored yours. The two of you stared at each other before chuckling softly. "We can stop if you-" You shook your head vehemently.
"I want you...please my Kaza" You did not think it was possible for his pupils to completely overtake his eyes but, they did. With swiftness, he took off his pants giving you a chance to panic because he was huge watching as he drooled using the spit and pre-cum to lube up his cock. He leaned down grabbing your left leg to move up and rest in the crook of his elbow. You felt the head of his dick probing at your entrance.
"Look at me Y/N" You did as told noticing that he was looking at you with unabashed adoration and love. "I'll be gentle, let me know if it's too much and I'll stop." You said a soft okay as he watched your face for any signs of discomfort. You took a deep breath relaxing your muscles and feeling him slide in much easier. Once to the hilt, he stopped pressing light kisses across your face waiting for you to get adjusted. You gave an experimental thrust up feeling him meet your thrust unconsciously. He was gripping your waist tightly with his forehead pressed against yours with his jaw clenched.
"You can move. I'm okay." He opened his eyes going slow first and finding a rhythm. Once he had one he grunted sitting up a bit and angling his hips searching for something that you were about to ask him. "What-OH MY, SHIT, Kaza!" Wow, it felt like you were cumming without cumming. You were not going to last long, that's for sure.
"Look at you, my precious. Fuck, I wish you could see yourself right now. My pretty flower." You knew you had to be a sight with your mouth dropped, eyes rolled back, breasts bouncing and legs wrapped around him. "Fuck, you're mine, all mine. I'll be the first one to knock a baby in you too when you're ready. You'll have my baby first." A sex demon possessed him or maybe it was the inherent breeding kink that most demons had but, he started going harder keeping the same pace. You felt yourself about to cum "Oh, you're squeezing me so tight, you wanna cum baby? Wanna cum all over my dick like the good girl I know you are? Come on my love, you can do it. Cum for me." He was rubbing rapid circles on your clit watching in awe as you screamed and squeezed him in a vice grip. "Fuck I won't last if you keep squeezing me like that." He never stopped, dragging out your high and making you scream.
"OH! MY!" That's all you were able to get out hoping he understood and by the grace of God, he did. As if he couldn't get more excited you felt his dick pulsate inside you as he slowed down a bit. He was excited about making you cum twice but, he took pity on you being a little over-stimulated.
"Shhh Y/N. Almost done. Hold on for a bit longer" He knew he wasn't going to last so he bent down, forcing your legs to your chest, pressing his lips against yours as he went hard and fast swallowing your screams with open-mouth kisses, your pleasure bringing him closer and closer to cumming.
"AKAZA!" The way you screamed his name made him hiss as he cummed deep inside you, rolling his hips forward to prolong both of your guy's pleasure. Once he was sure every drop was out, he pulled out slowly and collapsed beside you bringing you into a cuddle. The two of you caught your breath, you snuggling more into him as he chuckled a bit grabbing a thin blanket to cover both of you up. You were already half-asleep with him rubbing his hand up and down your back.
The last few months have been stressful for everyone, not just you. Once the sky people were driven from your home, you had many people that needed to be buried... It was harrowing and sad, and you mourned deeply having to bury friends and family, the children and the elderly... The only comfort was knowing they would be with Eywa, safe and happy.
"Y/N, we need your help over here." You were brought out of your thoughts and made your way over to the warriors carrying stuff, so you lent a hand, working effortlessly, which allowed you to get lost in your thoughts again. During this time, Jake has taken to being Olo'eyktan, dare you say, even better than Tsu'tey. He took all of the teachings to heart, and even though he was to blame for the sky people attacking, he more than made up for it. He and Nei'ko had bonded under the eyes of Eywa, who accepted their mating with open arms. You knew she would; she was not cruel and kept the balance of life.
"Start bringing the supplies to the west side where our Olo'eyktan and the warriors are." You nodded your head and grabbed a stack with a grunt. It was rather heavy, and you found yourself envious of the muscles on Jake and Nei'ko. What kind of training did they do? You found yourself blushing when your mind went in a sexual direction, so you shook your head, needing to focus on the task at hand and not your useless crush on the two. You walked along the dirt path, trying not to trip, and you made it safely to where you needed to place the supplies, dropping them with a huff. They were heavy for no reason; what kind of weapons and stuff were there?
"Thanks for the help." You turned around, smiling at Nei'ko, who smiled back tensely. He was always tense, but understandably so. He lost his father, his brother Tsu'tey, and so many friends, all while having to be Tsakarem and helping to heal the injured. He's very strong.
"No worries, Nei'ko. Since you and Jake have found this new home for us, there is much to do, and it will not be done in one day. You deserve to relax even if it's a few minutes." You stared at him as he began protesting that he was not done, so you rolled your eyes and grabbed his wrist to tug him along.
"What are you-" You turned your head to squint at him and frown.
"Don't be like that. I'm taking you to Jake; I might go in my head a lot, but I've noticed how you haven't been together much. You're both freshly mated still; you must relax and be together. Don't fight me on this." You both had a stare-off, but he huffed and maneuvered his hand to hold yours instead.
"Fine, but just hold my hand instead of my wrist. You're stronger than you think." You playfully rolled your eyes but obliged as the two of you walked while conversing lightly until you saw Jake in the distance, and you picked up the pace. His ear twitched, and he turned with a smile, greeting both of you, his arm reaching out to grab Nei'ko as you let go of his hand.
"Ma Nei'ko, hi baby." You looked off to the side as they kissed, ignoring how your heart twisted at the open display of affection. You wanted to be in the middle of them. "What are you doing here? Is something the matter?" You hummed, taking that as your chance to speak.
"He has been tense, and I told him that he needs to relax and be with you. You two are mated and need to be together." Your tail waved languidly as you watched them talk with their eyes. It was always so...interesting to see. You want to be able to do that and have that close connection with them. You wanted to bond with them and feel and understand each other on a deep level that no one else would understand.
"Thank you, Y/N, for watching out for him; I think I have the perfect idea of what we could do." Jake's eyes finally left him to look at you with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" You felt your tail wave with anxiety and excitement when he grinned at you with all his teeth. You wanted to lick them.
"What ma Jake is trying to get out is if you want to join us on a walk...I know the perfect spot." Nei'ko was staring at you with a sneaky grin that had you looking at both of them in excited confusion. Jake and Nei'ko were so similar, yet so different.
"Are you sure I will not intrude on your time together?" You really hoped you weren't because that would be just a shame. You'll take any time you can get to be with them. They looked at each other again before facing you with matching grins.
"You already know that we won't mind, or else we wouldn't have invited you." You chuckled lightly at that and nodded your head in agreement.
"That is true." You looked around at the stuff you were doing, but it could wait and be done by someone else since Jake and Nei'ko wanted you to come with them. "I don't mind going with you two. The work can be done by someone else." They nodded, and Jake wrapped an arm around Nei'ko's waist and the other around your shoulder as the three of you started talking lowly and heading out to the trees where your Ikrans were. You followed obediently, getting your Ikran, climbing on her, and flying with them for a few to an unknown destination. As you flew through the trees, letting the breeze hit your face, you were unaware of the lovestruck looks both men were giving you. Soon enough, the three of you landed on a cliff edge, and the three Ikrans disappeared behind you in the trees.
"It's beautiful, isn't it." You turned to answer Jake, but he was already in your space, crowding you. You found yourself smiling at him and wrapping your arms around his shoulders as his hands landed on your waist.
"The view or me?" You were teasing him, and your smile grew as hands landed on your hips in that tight grip you loved.
"You know who we are talking about syulang." You looked down, grinning to yourself as the two men held on to you and squished you in between their bodies. You loved this; this was all you wanted, but...it was sad that you couldn't act like this in public because neither of them had claimed you. You knew it wasn't the right time, but it still upset you.
"What are you thinking so hard about, sweetheart?" It was Jake asking this. He moved a hand to your chin, forcing you to look at him. "Talk to me, sweetie." You took a breath, never breaking eye contact.
"I'm just wondering how it would feel to be open about us...but I guess we're just friends." You looked off to the side, missing how his eyes darkened and mouth twisted in indignance. He didn't wait for you to turn him; he squeezed your waist and used his free hand to grab your face to turn to him.
"We're not just friends, and you fucking know it." You blinked, going to say something, but gasped at the feeling of teeth sinking into your shoulder. It was Nei'ko who bit you and pulled away to lick and kiss the wound he had just made. You went to scold him but hissed at the feeling of teeth sinking into your other shoulder. That was Jake! They both just marked you, and it felt...good? It felt good to be claimed.
"Friends don't hold and mark each other Y/N." You felt Nei'ko wrap a hand around your throat, forcing your head back. "Or do this." He brought his lips onto yours, swallowing your soft moans as Jake took the opportunity to leave love bites on your neck, humming every time you jolted. When they both pulled away, you were breathing heavily and confusingly aroused. This was not what you saw happening today.
"I think we've been hiding her too long ma Jake. She needs a reminder that she's wanted, and...once everything settles down, we will announce you as our third. It's not uncommon within the Omaticaya anyway." You felt your eyes widen in hope, looking at Nei'ko, smiling gently at you, his pupils enlarged.
"You mean it?" He grinned, pressing a kiss to your forehead.
"Of course I do." You smiled serenely at him, bringing your attention to Jake, whose eyes were wide with fondness.
"I can't wait to announce you are ours...but, first, let's make it up to you, yeah?" He didn't wait for your answer; he got it when you hugged him and moaned into the kiss. All you could think about was their hands and mouths on you as you thought about your future with them.