#sully!reader

[tsahik-cherry]

[one-shot] I see you, brother 𓏲ּ𝄢

This is Pt.2 of i see you,sister

Pairing: female!Sully reader x Sully family, female!Sully reader x Neteyam

Warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, grief, war themes.

Summary: Loss of the eldest daughter and big sister had been difficult for sully family, especially her twin brother, but what happens when eywa decides that it’s not the end for her?

Words: 5.3k

જ⁀➴

…Weeks later after your death…

The Marui was shrouded in the deep blues of the eclipse. The rest of the family was asleep, or pretending to be. Neteyam was staring at the roof of the tent, Lo’ak was curled tight in a ball, and Jake sat by the entrance, keeping watch with a hardened stare white stripe of paint covering middle of his face and chest.

Neytiri sat in the corner, the light of a single bioluminescent lamp illuminating her hands.

In her lap lay the Songcord.

It was long, winding through years of memories. She traced the beads of her own life, then moved to the smaller cords attached to hers her children's. Her fingers trembled as they found yours. She touched the first bead. The birth. She remembered the chaos of it, the double heartbeat. Her two babies You and Neteyam.

She moved her fingers down. Your first steps,First hunt,The time you fell from the tree, The time you caught your first fish. And then, her fingers stopped at the end.

A new bead was added,It was a pearl, dark and iridescent, harvested from the depths of the Cove of the Ancestors,She brought the cord to her chest, rocking slowly back and forth. The melody started low in her throat, a vibration before it became a sound. It was the melody she had hummed to you when you were inside her, and the melody she sang when she held you for the first time.

“Zola’u nìprrte’ ma y/n”(Welcome, my Y/n)

“Ngati oel munge soaiane “(I welcome you to our family)

“Lie si oe atanur”(I experience the light)

“Pähem parul, tì’ongokx ’awtuta”(The miracle arrives, a birth out of one person)

“Lawnol a mì te’lan”(A great joy ,which is in the heart)

“Ngaru irayo seiyi ayoe, tonìri tìreyä Ngaru irayo seiyi ayoe, srrìri tìreyä”(We give thanks for the nights of life ,We give thanks for the days of life)

"My fierce heart... my warrior true."

She squeezed the pearl tight, her eyes closing as she pictured your face the smile that was exactly like Neteyam's, but sharper, wilder.

"A father protects and A mother protects..."

"But the water calls and the spirit connects."

"You faced the fire... you welcomed death."

Her voice hitched, turning into a low, keening wail that she quickly stifled, forcing it back into the melody.

"Where are you now?... My beautiful child, my light?"

"With Eywa you sleep.. with Eywa you stay."

"Until I come... to guide your way."

Neytiri stopped singing. The silence that followed was louder than the song.

She looked down at the Songcord one last time. In the past, she sang to celebrate your life ,but tonight, she sang to acknowledge the end of it.

And actoss the tent, Neteyam turned over. He hadn't been sleeping. He had been listening. He let out a shaky breath, pulling his knees to his chest.

જ⁀➴

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving Pandora bathed in the bioluminescent glow of the eclipse. The ocean was a mirror of the stars, but tonight, Neteyam wasn't looking up. He was looking down.

He sat on rock that jutted out over the Cove of the Ancestors. Below the surface, deep in the trench, the Spirit Tree pulsed with a rhythmic, ethereal light,It was a heartbeat,your heartbeat, now joined with Eywa.

Neteyam ran a hand over his chest. The white ochre paint felt dry and tight against his skin, cracking as he breathed. He felt phantom pains in his chest. You two had been twins. You had shared a womb, shared a childhood, shared a rhythm of existence and now, there was just silence on his right side. A void where your presence used to hum.

The sound of footsteps scuffing against rock broke his trance. He didn't turn , He knew who it was . Heavy, hesitant, dragging with guilt.

"Bro?"

Neteyam exhaled smoke into the cool air. "Hey, little bro."

Lo'ak moved slowly, as if afraid he was intruding. He sat down a few feet away, pulling his knees to his chest. His eyes were red-rimmed, the dark circles under them stark against his blue skin. For a long time, neither spoke,The only sound was the gentle lap of water against the stone and the distant chittering of night creatures.

"I can't see her down there," Lo'ak whispered eventually, his voice thick. "But I know she's there."

"She's there," Neteyam confirmed, his voice flat. "With the ancestors. Probably telling them how to run things."

Lo'ak let out a weak, wet chuckle that died quickly. He picked at a loose piece of moss on the rock. "It should have been me, Neteyam."

Neteyam’s jaw tightened. "Don't."

"I'm serious," Lo'ak insisted, the tears finally spilling over, cutting tracks through the white paint on his cheeks. "I’m the one who wanted to go back. I’m the one who got us pinned down on that ship. She...was hit because of me…that bullet... it was for me."

"It was chaos, Lo'ak," Neteyam said, turning to look at his younger brother. His own eyes were burning, but he refused to let them fall. “”We all were targets."

"But she was covering me." Lo'ak wiped his nose aggressively. "She was always covering me,and you and she never stopped moving Even when she was bleeding... she pushed me onto the tulkun first."

Neteyam looked back at the glowing water. The memory of that moment was painful shard in his mind ,the way the light faded from your eyes so terrifyingly fast. As a twin, he had felt the exact moment the cord was cut. He had felt his soul tear in half.

"I was the oldest," Neteyam said softly. "By five minutes. But I was the oldest. It was my job,Dad said... protect the family. That’s all I had to do." He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "I was right there,I was right next to her,I should have been faster."

"You couldn't have—"

"I should have taken the hit!" Neteyam snapped, his voice cracking, the soldier facade finally crumbling. "She was my other half, Lo'ak! You don't understand... it’s like walking around with one lung. Like I failed her."

They sat in the heavy silence of their shared guilt. The weight of it was suffocating, enough to drown them both right there on the rocks.

Then, a sudden breeze swept through the cove, ruffling their braids

Neteyam took a shuddering breath then He looked at Lo'ak, who was burying his face in his knees.

"You know what she’d say if she saw us right now?" Neteyam asked quietly.

Lo'ak sniffled, looking up. "What?"

"She’d kick our asses," Neteyam said. The corner of his mouth twitched upward, a painful, tiny smile.

Lo'ak blinked, and then a genuine, albeit watery, smile broke through. " yeah,Yeah, she would."

"She’d walk right up to you," Neteyam continued, his voice gaining a little strength as the memory of you washed over him, "and she’d flick that spot on your forehead.

"And she’d call me a skxawng," Lo'ak added, letting out a breathy laugh. "She’d say, 'Baby brother, stop crying and load the damn magazine.'"

"She’d tell me to fix my face," Neteyam laughed, the sound rusty but real. "Remember when we got caught sneaking out to the Hallelujah Mountains? And Dad was losing his mind?"

"And she stood in front of us," Lo'ak remembered, shaking his head. "She told Dad it was her idea. That she wanted to see the ikran nests,She tried to take the grounding for both of us."

"And then she hit us both in the back of the head as soon as Dad walked away," Neteyam chuckled, wiping a tear from his cheek. "She said, 'If you two idiots get me grounded during the eclipse festival, I will skin you alive.'"

Lo'ak laughed, leaning back on his hands. "She hated it when we got mopey,Remember when I crashed the ilu during training? I was sitting on the beach feeling sorry for myself, and she literally threw a fish at my head."

"A live fish," Neteyam corrected, grinning. "It slapped you right in the face."

"She said, 'The ocean doesn't care about your feelings, Lo'ak. Get back in the water.'" The laughter faded into a comfortable, warm silence. It wasn't the heavy silence of before. It was filled with your presence.

"She wouldn't want this," Neteyam said, gesturing to their slumped postures, the despair radiating off them. "She wouldn't want us sitting here, blaming ourselves for something she chose to do."

"She chose to save us," Lo'ak whispered.

"Yeah," Neteyam agreed, looking down at the spirit tree one last time. "She was stubborn like that. She never let anyone else have the last word. Including the Sky People."

Neteyam stood up, his legs stiff. He reached a hand down to Lo'ak.

"Come on," Neteyam said. "Mom needs us. And if we stay out here looking like wet feral cats, she's going to haunt us."

Lo'ak took his brother's hand and pulled himself up. He looked at the water, then at Neteyam. "Sullys stick together?"

Neteyam gripped Lo'ak's hand tight, pulling him into a rough embrace, resting his forehead against his brother's.

"Sullys stick together," Neteyam whispered.

જ⁀➴

The woven walls of the Marui blocked out the wind, but they couldn't block out the cold that had settled in the center of the room.

Neytiri sat on the floor, surrounded by the small, tangible remnants of a life cut short and In her hands, she held a woven top one of yours,that she made for you. It was stained with sea salt and dried blood ,She ran her long fingers over the stitching, tracing the pattern where the beads had been sewn in. She wasn't crying crying anymore , her face emotionless, eyes staring at a spot on the fabric as if trying to conjure the warmth of the skin that used to be underneath it.

Across from her, Jake sat cross-legged, his movements sharp and precise.

He was working on her arrows ,He was meticulously binding a small, explosive charge to the tip of a long reed shaft, his hands were steady, but his jaw was clenched so hard a muscle feathered beneath the white stripe on his cheek.

They hadn’t spoken since he returned from the beach, The air was thick with the words they were too afraid to say. If they spoke her name, she was truly gone,If they stayed silent, maybe she was just sleeping in the other room.

Jake finished the binding and picked up the heavy blackened bow, Neytiri’s bow, the one Lo'ak had retrieved. He had restrung it.

He moved across the mats, his knees cracking slightly. He set the bow down gently in front of her, placing the explosive tipped arrow beside it.

"I know you won’t give up your bow" Jake said, his voice rough, sounding too loud in the quiet space.thhen he put arrows in front of her. "Keep a good distance when you hit it"

Neytiri finally looked at the weapon. Her hand trembled as she reached out, picked up arrow ,but slowly dropped it closing her eyes.

"You bring fire to a house of water," she whispered.

"I bring you a way to kill them," Jake said, the desperation leaking into his tone. "When they come back. Because they will."

"Is that all there is, Ma Jake?" Her eyes rose to meet his, and they were endless pools of grief.

"It’s my job," Jake snapped, the guilt flaring up like a struck match. He sat back on his heels, running a hand through his hair. "I’m supposed to keep this family safe. That is the one thing... the one thing I am supposed to do. And I failed."

"We fought," Neytiri said softly.

"We ran!" Jake’s voice broke. "We ran from the forest to save them, and I just brought the war here. I put her in the line of fire." He looked down at his hands, seeing blood that wasn't there. "I look at Eywa... I look at this spirit tree... and I don't see a plan, Neytiri. I see a grave. Where was she? Where was the Great Mother when our daughter was bleeding on that deck?"

Neytiri’s posture stiffened. She dropped the shirt and grabbed Jake’s wrist, her grip iron-tight.

"Do not," she hissed. "Do not speak of Her with that poison in your heart."

"She took my child!" Jake yelled, the sound echoing off the water outside. "She took our baby!"

"She is holding our baby!" Neytiri screamed back, her voice shattering the stillness.

The anger drained out of her as quickly as it had come, replaced by a wave of agony so profound she doubled over,She clutched her chest, right over her heart, gasping for air.

"Faith..." Neytiri sobbed, her voice crumbling into broken pieces. "Faith is all I have right now, Ma Jake. If I do not believe she is with the Great Mother... if I do not believe she is safe within the eywa..." She looked at him, tears finally cutting through the white paint on her face. "Then she is just gone. And if she is just gone, I will die."

She picked up the shirt again, burying her face in it, inhaling the fading scent of you. "I cannot hear her," she wailed, a sound of pure, maternal torture. "I listen to the shell, I listen to the wind... my baby,My first daughter,She was part of me.“

Jake stared at her, his composure turning to ash.

He moved forward, collapsing the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her shuddering body against his chest.

"I know," Jake choked out, burying his face in her neck, his own tears finally falling, hot and fast. "I know, baby. I know."

Neytiri clung to him, her fingers digging into his back, wailing into his shoulder. They rocked back and forth on the woven mat, the deadly bow forgotten on the floor beside them, two parents drowning in the ocean of their loss, holding onto each other to keep from going under.

જ⁀➴

The sky was the color of a bruise a swirling mix of smoke, storm clouds, and the unnatural orange glow of burning ships. The Metkayina village of Awa’atlu was in ruins. The RDA’s new fabrication modules, bolstered by the terrifying aggression of the Ash People clan lead by their tsahik Varang , had pushed the reef clans to the breaking point.

Jake fired his last magazine, the recoil jarring his exhausted shoulder. He threw the empty rifle down and drew his axe. Beside him, Neteyam was fighting like a demon, He moved with a reckless speed, cutting down Ash warriors who tried to board their commandeered skimwing.

But there were too many of them.

"Fall back!" Jake roared, his voice hoarse. "Get to the rocks! Loa’k stay with your sisters!"not knowing he was already out in the sky.

Neytiri was screaming in rage, her bow singing death, but even she was being forced back. The RDA Recoms were advancing, their heavy machine guns tearing through the cover. The Ash People, coated in gray dust and wielding obsidian edged spears, surged forward like a tide of darkness.

"Ma jake It’s over," Neytiri gasped, holding onto her ikran.

They were trapped against the cliff edge. The ocean raged below, churned up by the engines of the demon ships,Hope was a dying ember ,They had fought for weeks, fueled by grief and vengeance, but vengeance could not stop bullets.

In the center of the chaos, Kiri dropped to her knees. She didn't pick up a weapon. She grabbed her queue, her hands shaking, and slammed the neural connection into a patch of bioluminescent moss clinging to the rock.

"Ma Eywa," she screamed, and walked towards light , trying to resist the powerful wind ,which was holding her back. "Hear me! You took my sister! You took our heart! Do not take our home too! HEAR ME!"then spider and joined her , to walk towards light. The battlefield went silent for a split second, a vacuum of sound.

Then, the planet answered.

It started as a vibration in the teeth, a hum in the bones, The water erupted. Hundreds of Tulkun breached the surface simultaneously, their armored bodies acting as living shields against the RDA ships. They weren't just the outcast Payakan this time,it was the pod. From the sky, the clouds broke. A screeching wall of sound descended as thousands of Ikran, storm gliders, and even the smaller stingbats dived. They were wild, and they swarmed the Ash People's aircraft, clogging the rotors with their bodies, tearing at the cockpits with talons.

"Eywa..." Kiri breathed, watching a massive payakan launch itself onto the deck of a Sea Dragon, crushing a squad of soldiers. "She answered." The tide of battle shifted violently. The people on RDA shops panicked. The Ash warriors looked to the sky in fear.

But the greatest miracle wasn't happening on the surface. It was happening deep, deep below.

The water here was usually still, but today, the Spirit Tree was thrashing. Its glowing tendrils, usually a soft calming violet, were pulsing with a blinding, golden white light.

You floated there, suspended in the roots. You had been dead for weeks,Your skin was pale, your eyes closed, your chest still. The sea life had begun to claim you,tiny luminescent barnacles dotted your arm guards, and sea grass was woven through your hair.

But Kiri’s scream had traveled through and It had hit the Spirit Tree like a lightning bolt.

Eywa, the Great Mother, does not give and take in the way humans understand. She maintains the balance,She holds all energy,But sometimes... sometimes the energy is too fierce to be held and Sometimes, a warrior's song is not finished.

The roots wrapped tighter around your waist and chest,the golden light intensified, becoming searingly hot.

The bullet wound in your chest the dark, ugly hole that had stolen your life began to glow and heal,The tissue knitted together. The blood, stagnant in your veins, was suddenly charged with bio-energy.

Just then your heart gave a single, violent kick.

The water around you vibrated,the energy transferred from the Tree into you,It was a jolt, a shock of life more painful than the death had been.

Your eyes snapped open.

જ⁀➴

The sky above the was a churning cauldron of black smoke and screaming engines.

Neteyam urged his Ikran, into a steep dive ,the wind roared in his ears, tearing at his braids,He was exhausted. his quiver was down to his last three arrows, and his heart was hammering against his ribs ,not with fear, but with a hollow, desperate acceptance.

He was fighting like a man who had nothing left to lose. Since you died, a part of him had been trying to find a way to join you without dishonoring the family.

"Break right!" Lo’ak’s voice crackled over the comms, breathless and panicked.

Neteyam banked hard, narrowly missing a burst of machinegun fire from an RDA SA-2. He returned fire, his arrow piercing the cockpit glass, sending the pilot into a spin.

But the Ash People were different. They didn't fight with machines,they fought with hate and fire.

An Ash warrior, riding a massive, scarred mountain banshee with skin the color of charcoal, surged up from the smoke below,He was painted in grey and ochre.

Neteyam pulled back his bowstring, but his fingers slipped on the sweat and blood. The shot went wide.

Damn it.

He tried to reload, but his banshee shrieked, barrel rolling to avoid the Ash warrior’s spear. The maneuver disoriented Neteyam for a split second.

In that second, he lost the advantage and the Ash warrior banked sharply, disappearing into a cloud of thick, oily smoke. Neteyam scanned the horizon, his chest heaving. "Where is he..."

The Ash warrior had pulled a silent loop and was now hovering directly at Neteyam’s right, the warrior raised a modified RDA rifle a heavy, ugly thing meant to tear through a bone.

Neteyam yanked on the neural queue, trying to dive, but he knew he was too late ,He stared down the barrel of the gun. The Ash warrior grinned, a cruel expression.

Time seemed to slow down. Neteyam squeezed his eyes shut.

But bullets never came, instead a piercing cry shattered the air,It wasn't the guttural roar of the Ash banshees. It was a high, musical, terrifyingly familiar shriek.

Neteyam’s eyes snapped open From above, a streak of blue and yellow appeared. It was your Ikran. It had been missing since your death, vanished into the wild, but now it was here, diving with a speed that defied physics.

And it wasn't empty.

You sat there, effortless in the saddle. You were soaking wet. Your hair was loose, loating in the wind. Sea water dripped from your nose and chin But the most terrifying, beautiful thing was your eyes. They were burning with a fierce, electric gold energy, the same energy that flowed through the Spirit Tree.

You lowered your bow, resting it on your thigh. A small, crooked smirk the one you used to give him when you beat him in a race tugged at the corner of your mouth.

"Hello, big bro," you said, your voice raspy from the water but undeniably, miraculously alive. "You look like shit."

Neteyam’s mouth opened, but no sound came out,His hands shook so hard he almost dropped his bow.

"Y/N?" he choked out, the name tearing from his throat like a sob.

"The one and only," you winked, though your eyes softened as you looked at his terrified face. You gestured with your chin toward the battle raging below. "Now, are we going to finish this, or are you going to keep staring at me like I’m a ghost?"

Suddenly, the emptiness in Neteyam’s chest the void that had been there for weeks slammed shut.

He felt your pulse,and let out a wet, hysterical laugh, wiping tears and soot from his face. He gripped his bow, feeling strength flood back into his limbs.

"Let's kill them all," Neteyam said “Sully’s stick together!”

"Lead the way, Ma 'eylan," you replied.

જ⁀➴

The battle had bled out into a smoky, trembling silence, the ash people had retreated, fading back into the volcanic smog like ghosts.

Quaritch, battered and outmatched by the renewed ferocity of the Sullys, had chosen fire over capture, plummeting into a burning ravine rather than facing Neytiri’s blade.

On a large, flat outcropping of rock jutting from the sea, the Sully family reunited. they were a wreck,Jake was favoring his left leg, his chest heaving. Neytiri was wiping black soot from her face, her eyes scanning the sky frantically for her children. Lo’ak was sitting on the ground, holding his head, while Kiri and Tuk clung to each other.

"They're coming!" Tuk squeaked, pointing upward.

Two Ikrans broke through the haze. One was Neteyam’s familiar teal mount. The other was a beast they hadn’t seen in weeks a darker, sleeker creature that had vanished the day you died.

Jake stiffened, his hand instinctively going to his knife,his eyes narrowing. He recognized the mount, but his mind couldn't process why it was here because It should have been in wild. The Ikrans landed heavy and hard, their talons scraping against the stone. Neteyam slid off his mount first, He didn't look like a soldier who had just survived a war,He looked like a man who had seen Eywa,He was grinning a wide, tear-streaked grin that looked manic on his face.

He didn't walk to them ,He turned back to the other Ikran, He reached up a hand, offering it to the rider. "Careful sister," Neteyam said, his voice carrying clearly across the silence. "You're still getting your land legs back."

Neytiri froze,her bow slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly against the rock.You landed on the rock with a soft thud. You were soaking wet, your skin glistening with sea water and a strange, faint bioluminescent sheen that seemed to pulse in time with a heartbeat.

But there was no blood. There was no hole in your chest,Just a swirling, golden pattern of energy where the bullet had been, glowing softly against your blue skin, you looked at them, your golden eyes adjusting to the faces of the people who had buried you.

"Sa’nok,Sempul," you whispered, your voice raspy and small. "I... I think I took a really long nap."

For a span of five seconds, nobody moved, the wind whistled through the rocks. Then, Neytiri made a raw, guttural noise of pure, agonizing disbelief.

"No..." she breathed, stumbling forward,Her hands shook violently. She looked at Jake, as if asking him to wake her from this cruel dream. "Ma Jake...?"

Jake was paralyzed, he was staring at you, his warrior's mask completely shattered. His lower lip trembled. He blinked rapidly, tears spilling over, washing clean tracks through the war paint on his cheeks.

"Baby girl?" Jake choked out, the name barely audible.

You took a hesitant step forward, and that broke the spell.

Neytiri lunged she threw herself at you, She collided with you, dropping to her knees and dragging you down with her, burying her face in your wet, cold stomach. Her hands were everywhere touching your face, your arms, your hair, frantically searching for the wound, checking for the blood that wasn't there.

"Oh, Great Mother... oh, my sweet child... my heart...my daughter " Neytiri sobbed, her voice breaking into wails of hysteria and joy. She gripped you so tight it bruised, terrified that if she let go, you would turn into sea foam and vanish.

"Mom, I'm okay," you cried, tears finally spilling from your golden eyes as you wrapped your arms around her trembling shoulders. "I'm okay,She sent me back,I'm here."

Jake fell to his knees beside you. He wrapped his massive arms around both you and Neytiri, pulling you into his chest. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling the scent of the ocean and the ozone smell of Eywa's energy,He sobbed openly, a deep, heaving sound that shook his entire frame.

"I got you," Jake whispered over and over, rocking you. "I got you,I'm not letting go. I'm never letting go."

"Y/N!"

Lo’ak crashed into the pile next, tackling you from the side and he was crying so hard he couldn't speak, just pressing his forehead against your shoulder, gripping your arm.

"I thought—I thought it was my fault," Lo’ak gasped, his voice wrecked. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry."

"Shut up, skxawng," you laughed through your sobs, freeing a hand to smack the back of his head lightly. "It wasn't your fault. Never your fault." Tuk squeezed in, burrowing into the center of the mass, wailing your name, You kissed the top of her head, feeling the warmth of your family, the solid reality of them.

Only Neteyam stood back, just for a moment, watching. He was crying silently, his chest rising and falling with relief ,He looked at Kiri.

Kiri stood a few feet away. She wasn't crying,She was smiling, a serene, knowing smile. She walked over slowly, crouching down. She didn't hug you immediately,Instead, she placed her hand over the glowing, golden swirl on your chest.

She closed her eyes, feeling the pulse of the Great Mother beating beneath your ribs. "She wasn't ready to say goodbye," Kiri whispered softy. You looked up at Kiri and smiled. "She told me I had work to do."

Jake pulled back, just an inch, cupping your face in his large hands. He looked into your eyes those new, electric eyes and saw the fire of the planet burning in them. He wiped a tear from your cheek with his thumb.

"I see you, my daughter," Jake said, his voice thick with a gratitude he could never express in words.

"I see you, Dad," you replied.

Neytiri pulled you back down, refusing to share you for another second. The Sully’s were whole once again.

….Week later….

You sat on a large, flat rock that jutted out over the drop off, your legs dangling into the cool water.

You were looking down through the clear water, you could see the distant, glowing of the Spirit Tree.

You absently touched the center of your chest the skin there felt different now warmer than the rest of you,The golden swirl where the bullet had been pulsed softly, a second heartbeat against your fingertips.

"Mom says you shouldn't be out here alone."

You didn't jump, because you had felt him coming long before he spoke.

Neteyam stepped onto the rock, He sat down next to you, close enough that your shoulders brushed.

"I'm not alone," you said quietly, your voice still carrying a slight rasp from the seawater. "I'm with you."

Neteyam let out a breath, leaning back on his hands. He followed your gaze down into the abyss.

"Does it..." He hesitated, struggling with the words. "Does it scare you? Looking at it?"

"No," you answered honestly. "It looks like... home. In a weird way. It’s quiet down there, Neteyam, There’s no war there ,no sky people ,no pain”

Neteyam looked at you then, he looked tired, dark circles under his eyes hadn't fully faded, even after a week of peace. "It was too quiet up here," he whispered.

He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. "When the bond snapped... it wasn't a noise,It was just... silence. Like half the world just turned off,I kept reaching for you, out of habit. Every time I saw something funny, or stupid, or dangerous, I’d reach out to push the feeling to you,and there was just...nothing."

He turned his head away, staring out at the horizon,”I thought I went crazy. Mom was quiet and Dad was trying to keep us moving... and I was just standing there, feeling half a person."

You reached out, covering his hand with yours "I heard you," you said softly. Neteyam looked back at you, eyes wide. "What?" "In the tree," you said. "It wasn't words ,It was... feelings and I felt you drowning,I felt your guilt,It was so heavy, Neteyam. It was pulling me back down." You squeezed his hand. "That’s part of why I woke up,You were being so loud, big brother. You wouldn't let me sleep."

A tear slipped down Neteyam’s cheek. He let out a wet, shaky laugh. "So I annoyed you back to life?"

"Basically," you smiled, bumping your shoulder against his. "You and Mom,She was singing and It vibrated through the roots,It tickled."

The humor faded quickly, replaced by a heavy solemnity,Neteyam turned his hand over, interlacing his fingers with yours. He gripped tight, as if checking your pulse through your palm.

"I failed you," he said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper "My one job was to protect the family. And I watched you take a bullet meant for me."

"Neteyam, stop," you said firmly, turning to face him, your golden eyes flared slightly, a visual echo of your emotions. "You didn't fail, You fought, we fought, That's what we do. I didn't jump in front of you because I wanted to be a hero,I did it because..." You paused, searching for the words. "Because a world without you isn't one I wanted to live in anyway."

Neteyam stared at you, his jaw working. "You can't do that again,You can't leave me here to explain to dad why his daughter is gone."

"I don't plan on it," you said,You looked back down at the glowing tree. "Eywa sent me back for a reason, Neteyam. I don't know what it is yet, Maybe it’s just to annoy you. Maybe it’s to fight the enemy,But I know one thing."

"What?"

"I’m not the same," you admitted, your voice trembling slightly for the first time,”I feel... old and I feel the water moving before the waves crash, I feel the Tulkun miles away,It’s a lot of noise inside my head now."

You looked at him, vulnerability cracking your calm mask. "I need you to help me stay grounded, ma Teyam. If I start drifting... you have to pull me back.

Neteyam shifted, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side, resting his chin on the top of your head, right between your ears."I got you," he vowed, the vibration of his chest rumbling against you.

He held you there for a long time, listening to the water lapping against the rock.

"Your eyes are weird now, though," Neteyam mumbled into your hair, ruining the moment intentionally. "You look like a furious owl."

You elbowed him in the ribs, hard. He grunted but didn't let go. "And you look like a skxawng who needs a haircut," you shot back.

"Good," Neteyam exhaled, squeezing you tighter. "You're definitely still you."

"Yeah," you whispered, closing your eyes and leaning into his warmth, finally feeling the cold of the grave leave your bones. "I'm still me."

“I see you ,y/n”

“I see you ,brother”

જ⁀➴

Side note: soo i did what I couldn’t do with movies, i reunited Sully’s🥹

Twin idea came from my younger sisters, they are twins, and growing up with them taught me that there isn’t stronger bond than twin siblings have, they are basically inseparable, and I can’t imagine them being without each other.

And also excuse my poor writing. I searched up lot of words in dictionary 🥲

© 2026 tsahik-cherry

[tinylilacbun]

hi, i was wondering if you could write a toddler!reader avatar, where she’s a big mommas girl and she like loves neytiri and she realizes neytiri doesn’t like spider so she decides she doesn’t like spider either until he helps her with something and she starts to like him. idk if that made sense 😭 if it didn’t feel free to ignore this

You are definitely Neytiri‘s daughter, there’s no mistaking it in the way you cling to her whenever you can, your tail curling around her leg when you toddle beside her.

You love your mama fiercely and grumble when someone gets to close while you’re cuddling, mumbling an adorable 'my mama' as Neytiri chuckles at your possessiveness, especially when it’s directed at Jake.

"What do you mean no touch? She was my wife before she was your mama." Jake retorts after having just received a small hiss from you when he tried to touch Neytiri.

"No, my mama. Daddy no touch." You poke your tongue out at him as your mother chuckles and keeps working on your hair.

"You heard your daughter." Neytiri smiles, seeing Jake’s dumbfounded expression.

You mimic Neytiri in many different ways, loving the things she does, repeating things she says, even disliking the same things she does because what upsets your mama, upsets you in return.

That’s the reason you also don’t like Spider, it’s not that he ever did something to you for you to not like him, but Neytiri just can’t get herself to accept him. He’ll always be a sky-person to her, hence your dislike towards him.

No matter how nice he is, you’ll always glare at him the same way your mother does, watching him closely whenever he’s around your siblings.

Jake crouches down beside you and snaps his fingers in front of your face, pulling your fixated gaze away from Spider, who’s fooling around with your brothers and sisters. "Don’t you want to join them, babygirl?"

You hesitate for a moment and when you see Spider again you shake your head, making grabby hands for Neytiri when she approaches you both. "Mama."

She instantly lifts you into her arms, running her finger along your nose, making you giggle as Jake straightens himself.

"She’s too much like you for her own good." He smirks, receiving a halfhearted glare from her in response before she simply turns and walks off while whispering to you softly.

One day, you reluctantly let Neteyam and the rest of your siblings drag you with them towards a pond where your older brother often fishes and to your dismay Spider is there as well but you try to ignore him, keeping close to Neteyam as you clutch your favorite wooden toy in your hand.

After you spend some quality time with them, you now watch them splash in the water from your spot on a large rock, babbling to your wooden Ikran.

Since the rock is slightly slippery from the water, you couldn’t keep your grip on it anymore at some point, slipping into the water before even a sound can escape you.

You haven’t learned to swim yet and are now flailing in the water, your siblings seeming not to notice what’s happening as they are too busy shouting and splashing each other.

As you start to choke on the water, you feel two hands pull you back over the surface by your armpits, starting to cough as your lungs try to get free from any water that bothers you.

"Whoa, Y/N. Are you okay? Here." You recognize Spider's voice, feeling him pat your back to help you breathe again.

Your siblings now have gathered around you, Kiri wiping the water from your eyes as you start to calm down again, your body shaking from shock.

You then focus your gaze on Spider, realizing he was the one to save you from nearly drowning, suddenly wrapping your short arms around his neck to cling onto him, surprising not only him but your siblings as well.

Neteyam and Lo'ak share a confused look while Kiri and Tuk smile at your interaction with Spider, all of them knowing that a few hours ago you would have hissed at for even being near you.

Spider continues to pat your back awkwardly, still shocked that you’re actually holding onto him. "It’s- it’s okay."

Ever since that day, you start to grow a liking to him over time, feeling grateful yet are still wary of him sometimes and even Neytiri seems to dislike him a bit less, but just a tiny bit.

You’re still a mamas girl through and through but now show a twinge of your father’s personality as you slowly begin to accept Spider.

[junebugonjupiter]

Shy | Tarsem

Word count: 2.2k

Pairing: Tarsem x Sully!reader, Jake Sully and oldest daughter!reader

Description: Jake Sully uses his skills as Olo'eyktan to play matchmaker for his eldest daughter.

Based on this request and these suggestions.

Content Warnings: None? Jake is maybe just a hair out of character. I think he would probably be more protective realistically.

Author's note: This takes place in a AU where the humans never came back to Pandora and the Sully's stayed with the Omatikaya. I have been wanting to write for Tarsem for a minute, so this was so exciting for me!! (Why are there no pictures of him at all!! Like nothing! I know he had only a few scenes, but I need more).

Playlist: Man I Need by Olivia Dean

“Come on, grab your gear, we're going fishing,” Your dad said, clasping his hand on your shoulder as he passed by you. Your mom and Neteyam’s heads shot up at the words, as did yours. 

“Fishing?” you asked, “We already have dinner.” He grabbed his spear and waited at the door as you lagged behind, confused.

“Just get your stuff, babygirl,” he sighed, but a slight smile still played on his lips.

“Can I come?” Neteyam asked, forehead wrinkled in question and Jake’s smile wavered at disappointing his son.

“There’s something we need to discuss. Sorry ‘Teyam. Next time,” he answered.

“Uh oh… you are in trouble big sis,” Neteyam teased, turning to you. Externally, you rolled your eyes, but internally your stomach dropped. Even at 18 years old, you still felt like a child being scolded whenever your parents asked to talk to you.

You grabbed your spear and a basket and followed your father outside.

“What is it?” you asked, anxiety gnawing on your gut as he led the way to the river, passing the other families as you walked through the village. 

“You’ll find out when we get there,” he replied, shaking his head at your impatience.

Your gut dropped even further when you saw him. Tarsem. Your father’s protege and your nearly life long crush. 

He was sitting outside his kelku (home) with his elbows resting on his knees as he braided delicate beads onto his songchord. His little sister played at his feet and made little ikran sounds as she flew a wooden toy around. His mind looked preoccupied as he reached for more beads on the bench beside him.

“Kaltxì Tarsem (Hello Tarsem),” your dad’s voice broke Tarsem’s trance and made you avert your eyes as he looked up. Your dad’s back stopped in front of you to talk to the young warrior.

“Olo’eyktan,” Tarsem said respectfully, standing up and putting his songchord down hastily on the bench. “Oel ngati kameie (I see you),” he greeted your father, signaling the traditional hand gesture to match. 

“Oel ngati kameie,” Jake responded.“Kaltxì, little Se’val,” Jake added, saying hello to Tarsem’s little sister. The second his attention was diverted, Tarsem’s gaze slid to yours and you smiled bashfully, feeling like the little girl who first realized Tarsem was growing up to be kinda cute all those years ago.

“Oel ngati kameie, y/n,” Tarsem greeted you as well, his tail snaking around his knee. His eyes locked to yours so intensely it almost made you want to scream.

“Tarsem, Oel ngati kameie” you nodded, meaning the words with all of your heart. He smiled slightly, the corners of his lips curling up a fraction and it made your heart jump.

“How did the hunting party do?” your dad asked Tarsem and he tore his eyes away from you. It felt like a sudden influx of air hit your lungs.

“Good, sir. Three talioang from the East and several yerik from the North as well,” Tarsem explained, recounting the previous day’s spoils as you turned your attention to the little girl still playing on the ground. You crouched beside her, already familiar with her quirky attitude and kind heart.

“Hello Se’val, what is Yipip up to today?” you asked, referring to the purple ikran in her hands.

“He is flying to his home up in the mountains. He has been out hunting all day like Tarsem,” she said, weaving the toy through the air and making it do a loop. You tamped down a laugh as she squawked like an ikran.

“Wow, he must be tired then, that is a lot of work,” you pointed out and she nodded.

“He is very sleepy, he needs to go to bed,” she affirmed.

“Tarsem,” you heard your dad bark. You looked up to catch the young man already staring at you as you spoke with his little sister. His face flamed purple as his head shot to Jake. “Sorry sir, what did you say?”

Your dad’s eyebrows and ears were lowered as he scoffed. “Where’s your head at? I said I need your help with the ritual tomorrow night. Kalu is doing her dreamhunt,” Jake repeated and you stood up, Se’val was in her own world anyway.

“Right, I will be there,” he nodded, avoiding eye contact with you now as if it would burn him.

“Okay…” your dad sighed, “We better be off then. You two have a good night, get some sleep.”

“Tsìltsan txon (good night),” Tarsem said, eyes finally glancing over to you and there went all the air again.

“Tsìltsan txon, Tarsem, Se’val.” you repeated, gut twisting as you tore your gaze away from his and turned your back on the two.

“Bye!” Se’val called, hand waving as her eyes still stayed locked on her game.

Your dad waved back and you turned around to wave as well only to see Tarsem’s eyes on you again. You were like a magnet drawn to him, you could not escape his eyes. Your body whirled back around to follow your dad and you tried to ignore the embarrassment and hope rising in you.

-

“So, what was that?” Your dad asked, his gaze stuck on the water in front of him, but his words were directed at you. You stood side to side in the stream, water up to your knees as you watched carefully for any fish.

Your stomach dropped, “What was what?” you asked, feigning confusion. You were a bad liar, your voice was far too pitchy for someone supposedly innocent and Jake didn't believe it for a second.

“Come on, that back there with Tarsem,” Jake prodded further. 

“I don't know what you mean,” you lied. Sirens went off in your head, this was a conversation you did not want to have with your dad.

“You think I don't know my babygirl? I see the way you look at him,” He said and your cheeks flamed.

“Sempu! Is it that obvious?” you asked, hand coming up to put pressure on your temple. This was giving you a stress induced headache.

“Only because he’s looking right back,” he snorted and you closed your eyes in embarrassment. Your ears flattened at the threatened feeling taking over your senses.

“Do you like him?” he asked, finally turning to level his eyes at you, wanting to read your reaction.

You sighed, “This is not something a girl wants to talk about with her dad,” you ground out, shooting him a glare.

“Well I’m not just any dad, I’m Olo’eyktan, so you have to tell me. Do you like him?” he teased and you huffed out a laugh at his persistence.

“Yes, Sempu. I like him, I have liked him for many years.” you admitted, your hand gripping tightly to your spear.

Jake hummed, “Ah, now we get into it. He obviously likes you, why has no one made a move?” he asked, a soft smile gracing his lips.

“Because we are duty bound and shy,” you gritted out.

Jake barked out a laugh, somewhat surprised that you had an actual, honest answer. “Well, that will do it. You should talk to him, tell him how you feel,” he suggested.

It was your turn to scoff, “Yeah right, what if he does not like me back? No, I would rather not know,” you said, embarrassment already clouding your mind of just thinking about that.

“If he doesn't like you back then he’s an idiot and I’ll tan his hide into a new cumberbund,” your dad said stoically and you rolled your eyes at his dramatics.

“Be serious, Sempu,” you chided. 

“I am, babygirl! Who wouldn't like you? It’s obvious he does,” your dad said softly, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“I guess I’m just scared. I don't want to have misread him,” you explained, shoulders slumping at the defeated feeling in your gut.

“You’ll never know until you talk to him about it,” he reminded you and you nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it,” you agreed, but you and he both knew that when it came to matters of the heart, you’d never scrounge up the courage unless an opportunity forced you to.

“He’s a good man. No one deserves you and I wouldn’t go that far to say he does, but if someone was to come close, it would be him,” Jake said, looking at his little girl with adoring eyes.

“Thank you, sempu,” you smiled, despite the shame still plastered to your face.

“You know, I could always set up an arranged marriage between you. He'd have to like you then,” he shrugged and you could tell he was joking, or at least you hoped he was.

“That would be just perfect! Why did I not think of that?” You said sarcastically, rolling your eyes as Jake laughed.

“Good, I’ll make it happen,” he teased back.

You sighed looking back down at the water, “We were never gonna do any fishing were we?” you asked as a Pekavol fish finally swam past you and neither of you moved.

“Nope.”

“Figures.”

-

You sat in the grass the next day near the cliffs edge, picking apart blades of grass and staring out into the sky, watching as ikrans dipped and veered. You had been lost in thought all day, so much in fact, that your mother had sent you away after you dropped one too many items and Lo’ak lost it laughing at you. 

Your mind was on your conversation with your dad yesterday. Well, that and Tarsem, always Tarsem. He had occupied every waking thought in your mind and it was driving you crazy.

“I’m so sorry!” the very subject of your thoughts exclaimed, bursting through the tree line and scaring half the wits out of you. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I didn't know,” The words rushed out of him like a river as you gaped at him with wide eyes.

You had shot up to your feet when he emerged. “What are you talking about?” you demanded in shock.

Tarsem’s eyes narrowed, “Your dad said you were waiting for me.”

“I wasn't waiting for you, I was just… Oh. Oh no.” you stopped suddenly, eyes widening.

“What?” he panicked, stepping closer to you.

Your shoulders slumped as realization hit you, “He set us up,” you confessed, and Tarsem’s face opened into one of confusion instead of worry.

“I don't understand, what do you mean?” He shook his head.

You sighed again, “He told you I was waiting for you here so we would be forced to talk.”

“Why would he do that? We talk nearly every day," he pointed out.

You decided to grasp the last thread of courage you had and hold tight to it. You were a Sully after all. Your dad had put you in a difficult position, but you might as well take advantage of it, “Because… he says I should tell you how I feel…” you stammered, the words not coming out how you wished.

“How you feel…” Tarsem stated, staring blankly back at you. “How do you feel? Tell me,” he urged.

“That I… like you.” you continued, covering your face with your hands to hide the deep purple it was turning.

You felt rough hands grasp yours, tugging them away from your face and holding them tightly between your bodies. “You like me?” he asked, bright eyes boring into yours.

You nodded, not possessing the will to speak any longer. You could have shriveled up in embarrassment right then if the Na’vi body was capable of it.

His lips broke out into a smile, “That is convenient.” he said and your heart lept, in fear or hope, you were not sure.

“Yeah?” you asked softly.

He nodded, “Yes, because I like you too.” He smiled softly and you returned it.

“Oh!” You exclaimed brightly, “Yeah, that is fairly convenient, since you know, you will be Olo’eyktan, I am in line to be Tsahik. You like me, I like you. It is all very… convenient,” You rambled uselessly as Tarsem grinned wider. 

“You are very beautiful when you blush,” he said, reaching up to trace a finger over your cheek and your breath hitched.

“Thank you,” you stuttered.

“You are welcome. May I kiss you?” he asked with more confidence than you imagined him to possess.

“Please,” you sighed as he smiled wider and hooked your chin between his finger and thumb.

He lowered his face to yours, pressing his lips against your mouth softly, barely a whisper of touch before you both relaxed, meshing together. Tarsem brought his other hand to your waist as you rested your hands on his chest, coming closer before finally separating for air.

“You’re good at that,” you chimed, a laugh running through your words.

“Thank you, yawnetu (beloved),” he smiled smuggly.

“My dad is gonna freak,” you muttered.

“We will never hear the end of it now,” he agreed. 

“He will probably even threaten to kill you if you hurt me. I might take it seriously if I were you, he has done crazier things,” you explained with a worried grimace.

Tarsem nodded once grimly, “He already did, last week.”

“Oh… and you still like me? That is so sweet,” you cooed.

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[ruya4four]

Eywa, Forgive Me 𓂃⋆.˚ ao'nung x sully!reader

𓂃⋆.˚ synopsis: ao'nung can't stop thinking impure thoughts about one of the sully siblings.

𓂃⋆.˚ content warnings: aged up characters, NSFW (MDNI), pervy ao'nung, innocent reader, explicit & pervy thoughts, hands on learning

𓂃⋆.˚ word count: 1.5k

𓂃⋆.˚ author's note: based on this request!! i had so much fun writing ao'nung's thoughts hehe

part two here!

Aonung stared at the back of your head, his gaze tracing the way your hair floated in the humid, salt-heavy air of the reef. He felt like a predator, though not the noble kind that hunted the skimwings or the ilus. No, he felt like something bottom-feeding, something that lurked in the silt and watched with hungry, wide eyes. It was a rot in his chest, a heavy, pulsing heat that made his palms itch and his throat feel like he’d swallowed a handful of dry sand. 

He knew what people said about the Sully’s—they were half demons, they were outcasts, they were the bringers of war—but to Aonung, you were a feast he wasn't allowed to taste. You were the sister of those two hot-headed forest boys, Lo’ak and Neteyam, and that fact alone should have been enough to make him turn away.

If Lo'ak ever saw the way Aonung’s eyes lingered on the curve of your waist where your loincloth met your deep blue skin, the forest boy would probably try to slit his throat with one of those animal bone knives. If Neteyam ever caught wind of the imagery currently dancing behind Aonung’s eyelids—images of you pinned against the rough, woven floor of a marui, your legs tangled with his thicker, oceanic ones—there wouldn't be enough of Aonung left for the Eywa to reclaim. 

He was the son of the Olo’eyktan; he was supposed to be a leader, a paragon of Metkayina strength. Instead, he was standing here, hidden by a thicket of mangrove roots, watching you practice your swimming and feeling a shameful, agonizing tightness in his loincloth.

I am a monster, he thought, his pupils blown wide until the turquoise of his irises was a mere sliver of light. I want to see her cry, but not from pain. I want to see her eyes roll back while I find out if her skin tastes like the forest or the sea. I want to ruin that look of pure, agonizing sweetness she gives everyone. I want to be the reason she can’t walk straight for a week. 

He didn't care about the consequences. The threat of Tonowari’s scolding or Ronal’s piercing, judgmental stare felt distant and flickering compared to the roaring fire in his gut. The danger actually made the hunger intensify. It added a metallic, electric tang to his obsession. He was a prince of the sea, and he had decided that the most precious thing the ocean had ever spat out was a forest woman with too-big eyes and a smile that made him want to commit sins that he didn’t even know existed.

The sun beat down on the shallow flats, the scent of crushed sea-lilies and sun-warmed kelp rising in thick, sweet waves. Aonung stepped out from the shadows, his heavy tail leave a rhythmic drag in the wet sand. He watched you struggle with the buoyancy of your own body, your tail—thin and twitchy like a lemur's—splashing uselessly against the surface. You looked up, blinking water from your long lashes, and when you saw him, your face lit up with a genuine, guileless warmth that made his stomach do a slow, sickening flip of desire.

"Aonung! You're back," you chirped, your voice like the chime of shells hitting one another in a breeze. "I've been trying to do the rhythmic breathing Lo'ak showed me, but I keep floating up like a cork. Am I doing it wrong?"

He walked into the water until it reached his hips, his thighs cutting through the surf with practiced ease. His skin was cool, but inside, he was boiling. "The forest way is not our way," he said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming a low, vibrating rumble in his chest. "Your brothers are clumsy. They teach you to fight the water. You must learn to invite it in."

I want to invite myself in, he thought, his gaze dropping to the rise and fall of your chest. I want to feel those lungs gasping against my own skin until you don't know where the air ends and I begin.

He moved behind you, the proximity sending a jolt of static through his nerves. You didn't pull away; you simply adjusted your stance, trusting him completely. 

To you, he was the mentor, the friend, the boy helping your family find their place. To him, you were a soft, pliable thing that he wanted to mold to his own dark whims.

"Put your hands here," he commanded softly, reaching around to place his large, three-fingered hands over your diaphragm.

His touch was firm, his palms rough with the callouses of a diver. He could feel the delicate lattice of your ribs, the terrifyingly soft texture of your skin that felt like wet silk. You let out a tiny, surprised huff of air but stayed still. "Now, breathe. Not from the throat. From here. Deep. Slow."

"Like this?" you asked, taking a lungful of air.

As you inhaled, your back pressed firmly against his chest. Aonung’s eyes closed for a brief, tortured second. He could smell you—a musky, floral scent like crushed hibiscus and the damp earth of a jungle floor after a heavy rain. It was intoxicating, a physical weight that pressed against his senses. He leaned down, his chin hovering just above your shoulder, his breath hot against the sensitive curve of your neck.

"Slowly," he hissed, his fingers splaying out across your stomach. He began to knead the muscles there, ostensibly to help you relax, but his thumbs traced the dip of your navel with a lingering pressure. 

She is so small. I could break her. I could wrap my hands around her waist and meet my fingers on the other side. I want to feel her trembling under me while I tell her exactly what I'm going to do to her.

"It feels... different when you do it," you whispered, looking back at him with those wide, innocent amber eyes. You actually smiled, a tiny, dimpled thing that should have been illegal. "Thank you, Aonung. You're a much better teacher than my brothers. They just yell."

He felt a surge of pride. He liked that you were comparing him to them and finding them wanting. He liked that you were leaning into his touch, completely unaware that his mind was currently stripping you bare, imagining the way your tail would curl around his leg as he drove himself into you. He imagined the sound you would make—not a thank you, but a shattered, high-pitched keening as he took everything you had to give.

"Your brothers don't understand the depth of the water," Aonung murmured, his hand sliding lower, his pinky catching the top edge of your loincloth. He lingered there for a heartbeat too long, feeling the heat radiating from your hips. "They only see the surface. But there is so much more beneath, isn't there? Secrets."

You nodded, oblivious, turning back to the horizon to try another breath. "The Way of Water has no beginning and no end. That's what your sister says."

"Guess my sister can say wise things," Aonung said, trying not to think of his dumb sister right now. He stepped even closer, his pelvis brushing against the back of your thigh. He could feel the firmness of your glutes through the thin fabric, the way your body was toned from a lifetime of climbing trees. He wondered if you would be just as strong when you were trying to hold onto him. 

I want to bite that shoulder. I want to leave marks that your mother can see from across the village, so everyone knows you belong to me.

"Try again," he whispered, his hand moving up to trace the line of your throat, his thumb resting right over your pulse point. He felt it leaping, a frantic little bird trapped under your skin. Was it from the exercise, or did some small, primal part of you recognize the predator standing at your back? "Deep breath. Hold it. Feel the weight of the ocean pressing in on you. Let it take you."

You obeyed, closing your eyes and sinking slightly into the water. Aonung watched the way the water beaded on your collarbones, the way your nipples peaked against the cool air as the tide ebbed. He felt a literal ache in his jaw from clenching his teeth so hard. He was drowning in his own depravity, and the most delicious part was that you were holding his hand while he did it.

She’s thanking me, he thought, a jagged, silent laugh vibrating in his throat. She’s smiling at me while I’m thinking about how much I want to hear her beg.

He reached out, his hand dipping beneath the surface to steady your hip as a small wave rolled in. His fingers brushed the soft skin of your inner thigh, a touch that was entirely unnecessary for the lesson. You didn't flinch. You just adjusted your balance and leaned your weight into his hand, trusting him to keep you upright.

"I think I'm getting it!" you said, beaming at him.

"You are doing perfectly," Aonung lied, his voice a gravelly rasp. 

Eywa, forgive me, because I’m never going to stop.

[woozycatz]

➽──❥ the space between us

prompt: the sully family’s middle daughter, long overlooked, fights alone through pain. After nearly losing her, they finally see her and love her fully.

pairings: sully family x reader, jake sully x daughter!reader, neytiri x daughter!reader, sully kids x sister!reader, middle child!reader

warnings: angst, bloody wounds, family angst, hurt/comfort, whump, themes of war.

notes: this was requested by @ray-of-faith11

All your life has been a sequence of standing in the place between. Between brothers and sisters, between peace and war, between a forest that loves you and a family that never quite feels like it was meant for you.

The disconnection began when you and your brothers started to grow up. Jake had begun to shut you out of everything.

Your mother, never really there for you, always focused on your siblings. The only person whose connection to you had not severed was Tuk, and still, you knew that the day would come—because it always did.

It happened with Lo’ak, it happened with Neteyam, it happened with Kiri, and it happened with your parents.

You sit silently slouched over some weapon crafting material, hands skimming the string, testing it. Your father sits just a few feet away, helping your brothers and Kiri craft their own bows. “Dad, can you help me?” you murmur, “i cannot attach the string to the—”

“Y/n— can’t you wait? I’m helping Kiri.”

“Okay,” you say evenly, nodding even though he is not looking. “And when you are done?”

“Sure.” He says, voice rough, lips tight.

One minute passes, then two, he seems to forget that you’d even called out for him in the first place. So you figure it out yourself.

Even Tuk’s glance, soft and slightly knowing, can’t erase the hollow ache curling in your chest. You bury it under the weight of your work, under the sound of strings snapping into place and wood being sanded smooth.

Tuk comes from behind you, hands already on your shoulders, peeking over them to see your work. “Y/n…can I tryyy?”

“Not now, Tuk. I am not finished.”

“Are you having trouble?”

“No.” You say, quicker than you should have. Tuk’s frown is instant, tiny hands loosening around your shoulders.

You set the materials aside and take her little hands in yours. “I am busy.”

“Okay,” she whispers.

Your mother crosses into the large space of your home, eyes skimming briefly over you before focusing on other things.

When her eyes land on Tuk, they narrow slightly. “What did you do?” She asks you immediately, your shoulders tense as everybody looks up from their laps, all eyes falling over you.

“Nothing, I am just crafting the bow—she would not leave me alone.”

“She should not have to. Do not treat her as if she is a burden. Let her try.” Your mother says.

You can only sigh, handing Tuk the crafting materials sharply. “There,” you murmur.

Your mother gathers whatever it is she needed and remains outside, close enough to hear everything being said inside. you take the components of your unfinished bow back immediately and continue to work.

Only, Tuk does not complain this time, she just watches your hands as they skim wood and sometimes tug at the strings too hard.

“You are doing it wrong.” She teases.

“I am not,” despite everything, you smile.

“Seriously, Neteyam showed me-“

“I said I am not!” You snap, your voice cutting louder.

Instantly, your fathers voice echoes across the space. “Hey!” The single word cracks through the air like a whip.

You freeze, Jake is already on his feet, anger flaring quick and hot. “Don’t you talk to her like that.”

Everybody freezes. Tuk flinches slightly beside you. Your chest tightens, legs pulling in at your side. “I told her that I was busy.”

“She’s a kid!” He snaps, stepping closer. “Your sister. You don’t yell at her because you’re frustrated.”

“I did not- I am not frustrated.”

“But you did, and yes you are angry!” he yells, voice rising. “And you’re taking it out on your siblings.”

Something inside of you twists like a vault, sharp and sudden. “I just wanted to finish something without being interrupted,” you murmur, hands shaking slightly as you try to focus.

Before he can respond, a new voice cuts through. “What is happening here?” Your mother stands at the entryway, and before you can say anything, your father steps up.

“She snapped at Tuk.”

“No-” you sigh, “she kept getting in the way of things. I was just trying to finish my bow!”

“So you raise your voice at her?” Your mother asks.

“Yes.”

“She just wants to learn, is that a crime?” Your father chimes in.

“I am learning too!” You snap. “I just want to finish my work!” You stand now, breathing heavily.

“Y/n, apologize. Now.” Your mother crosses her arms, waiting.

You shake your head and crouch to gather your things, brushing past your parents carelessly and moving toward the doorway.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jake asks, but you ignore him., continuing to move.

You find yourself sitting stiff on a smooth rock, fingers still pulling at the stupid string that got you here in the first place.

The noise inside the marui fades slowly, piece by piece, until it is replaced by the low hum of night insects and the distant rush of water.

Jake steps outside, arms crossed, jaw tight. Staring out into the darkness as if it might offer him some answers.

Of course it doesn’t. He exhales through his nose, long and controlled, but the tension doesn’t leave his shoulders.

“Daddy?” The voice is small.

He turns, already softening. “Hey baby girl.”

Tuk steps closer, hands clasped behind her back the way she does when she’s thinking too hard about something.

“What’s up?” He asks, crouching a little so that he’s closer to her height.

She doesn’t answer right away, just looks at him—studying. Then, she speaks, “do you love Y/n?”

The question lands wrong, too direct, and too easy. Jake blinks, caught off guard. “What kind of question is that?”

Tuk shrugs, it is not her usual, playful shrug—this one is careful. “You always say you love us, all of us.” She says quietly.

“I do.” He answers immediately. “Of course I do.”

“But…” she hesitates, eyes dropping for a moment before lifting again. “you don’t talk to her the same, that’s it.”

That hits harder than anything that was said inside. Your father’s expression tightens. “Tuk-“

“You sometimes get bad at her faster,” she continues, words a little quicker now, like she’s afraid she won’t get them out otherwise. “You always listen to Kiri, sometimes Lo’ak, and Neteyam.”

He flinches, barely.

“But you don’t really listen to her.” She finishes with a sharp exhale, as if she’d been holding those very words for decades.

A long pause stretches—then, finally, “I am trying to keep this family together.” Jake says, voice lower.

“Everyone is under pressure, baby…I can’t-“

“Maybe Y/n is as well.” Tuk interrupts, almost a whisper. “You just don’t look.”

That stops him completely, here he is, learning about his middle child from his youngest, learning things he should have already known.

“She tries really hard, I can see it. Nobody else does.”

Jake looks away then, out into the trees again. Trying to avoid what’s sitting in front of him. “I know,” he says after a moment, but it does not sound as certain as it should.

Tuk steps closer, tiny hand reaching for his, he lets her take it. “Maybe you should tell her, daddy.” she says.

He glances down at her. “Tell her what?”

“That you love her.”

Tuk says it so simply, like it should be easy. Jake’s throat tightens slightly, his grip on her little hand shifting.

“I think she forgot.” Tuk adds.

That one lands deep, for a second, he doesn’t speak at all. The sounds of the forest fill the space between them, thick and alive, but it does nothing to ease the quiet weight settling in his chest. “..yeah,” he murmurs. “I’ll talk to her.”

Tuk nods, satisfied in that small way of hers. “Okay.”

She squeezes his hand once before letting go and walking back inside.

Your father stays where he is, still staring into the dark.

You remain silently seated on the same forest rock, fingers curled in the moss, legs dangling—your bow is finished beside you.

Nobody has come looking for you, and that’s all you can think about. Not the bow you finally built, just the fact that your own family forgets you like a story with a torn page.

You are always the one to watch as they share the love you were once a part of. The realization creeps in, you lean forward, your elbows resting on your knee caps, palms squeezing against your eyes.

You gasp sharply, then your cries escape like a weight you didn’t even know you had to bear, now it’s melting into soil. Your hands move away, letting the tears escape—your face is washed in secrets kept too deep, a baptism of everything you cannot say.

Your mind drifts once again, you, as a young girl- held in the arms of your parents, or you, curled up with your siblings, or- “whatever,” you murmur.

You hop off of the large stone, taking your bow, moving quietly through the forest. You test the bow by drawing it as far as possible and piercing right through a woven target—a forgotten one.

You spend the long night hours walking about the forest, drowning yourself with work, it’s not even close to dawn, and you’re still tired. Eventually, you go back to the village on your own, your kelku is quieter than usual when you step inside, not empty, just wrong.

It is the kind of quiet that feels like everyone is aware of something, but no one knows how to touch it. For a brief second, a few heads lift, then they go back down too fast.

You don’t say anything, you just move to your space, set down your bow carefully, and pick up whatever work is closest. Something unfinished, something that gives your hands a purpose so your mind doesn’t have to.

No one stops you, not your mother, or your father, not even Tuk. But your siblings notice the way your tail is unmoving. None of them bother to speak.

The silence stretches, it follows all of you into the night. Sleeping doesn’t come easy, despite your obvious fatigue.

The space feels too tight and too empty at the same time. between breathing, shifting, the faint sound of your family settling in—but none of it reaches you.

So you get up quietly.

By the time morning comes, you’ve already been working. Your hands move without thinking, sharpening, tying, adjusting. Anything that keeps you from stopping.

Anything that keeps you from feeling.

“You’re up early.” Jakes voice.

You don’t look up. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Your father watches you for a moment longer than usual this time, like he’s trying to figure something out—but he says the wrong things.

“You can’t keep doing that.”

He almost reaches for you, almost softens—but that quickly turns into authority all over again.

Your hands still slightly. “Doing what?”

“This,” he gestures vaguely, frustration already creeping in. “Running off every time something doesn’t go your way.”

“I didn’t run.” you cut in sharply, the words quicker than you intend. “I just left.”

Lo’ak, leaning against the doorway, snorts. “Left, ran, whatever. You’re too old to keep acting like this. Everyone else has real things to worry about.”

Your hands freeze on the bow. “Real things?” Your voice is louder now, shaking slightly. “Is it a real problem that I exist here, and you all ignore me?”

Lo’ak shrugs, too casual, almost bored. “Maybe if you weren’t so sensitive-“

“Sensitive?!” You snap, standing up, heat curling in your chest. “I am not sensitive! I am tired! Tired of being invincible to you all. Tired of being treated like I’m nothing until I explode!”

Jake steps closer, tension rolling off of him. “Y/n. I am trying-“

“No!” You yell, spinning to face him. “You’re trying for everyone else! You listen to Kiri, you listen to Neteyam, but not me!”

Kiri, standing at the doorway beside Lo’ak watches closely, eyes rolling. “Well maybe if you weren’t always running away or sulking, people would notice you more.” She says.

The words hit like a whip. Your chest tightens, everything twists inside. “I am done” you murmur, voice low but trembling. “Done trying to matter to people who don’t see me.”

Jake opens his mouth, frustrated, angry, but no words land. You brush past him, Kiri and Lo’ak, ignoring the shocked looks, the unspoken guilt, the tension in the room.

Without another word, you move towards the doorway, shoulders rigid. You don’t even stop to grab anything, you just make your way out.

“Y/n-“ Jake calls after you.

But you don’t stop. The hut is suddenly emptier than it’s ever been.

You don’t notice the hours passing, moving through the forest in a quiet rage, letting the night swallow your footsteps. By the time night is a blue smear over the horizon, your limbs ache, your hands smell of wood and bowstring, but you feel somehow more yourself than you have in weeks.

Your family is seated, together in the hut, spending quality time with one another. Jake’s voice breaks the silence in a soft whisper. “Tuk told me something. Last night.”

Your mother stills, moving closer so that your siblings do not hear. “What?”

Jake hesitates, but not for long. “She thinks Y/n might have forgotten that we love her.”

Neytiri inhales sharply. For a moment, she cannot speak. Her jaw tightens, her ears lowering slightly, the weight of it settling in her chest all at once.

“She did not forget,” Neytiri says at first—quick, instinctive, but it doesn’t sound certain.

Jake looks at her then, really looks—and realizes she’s already further ahead than he is, already understanding what this means.

Your Mother sets the materials in her hands aside, more abruptly than she intends. “All this time..” she murmurs, almost to herself. “She stands there, and we let her.”

Neytiri shakes her head, already moving toward the entrance. “We will not let that be the truth she carries.”

There is urgency in your mom now, emotion pushing through control. “We can remind her now.”

Your father nods, solemn.

The forest still breathes when they leave. Not peacefully, but alive.

Not peacefully—but alive in that quiet, watchful way it gets after conflict. The air is thick, holding onto the last echoes of raised voices, of things said too sharply, too late.

Jake and Neytiri move quickly through the trees, their pace urgent, focused on you. Not the village, or the others.

“She went east,” Neytiri says, voice tight, already scanning the ground, the branches, the smallest disturbances.

Your mother stills, but her body does not fully obey her. Her hands tighten around nothing, fingers curling as if they are trying to hold onto something that is no longer there.

The sounds of the forest blur for a moment, fading beneath something older, something softer.

A memory, it comes uninvited. You are small again. Much smaller than the others ever seemed to be. Your limbs all softness and curiosity, your steps uneven as you try to follow her through the roots of the forest.

“Ma’ite,” Neytiri had called gently, glancing back at you. “Stay close.”

You had nodded quickly, too quickly, determined. Always determined.

A root caught your foot, you stumbled forward with a small cry, hands scraping against the ground. Not hard enough to truly hurt, but enough to startle you.

Neytiri had turned at the sound, but not fully. Because Neteyam had called for her at the same time. “Mother, look!”

Something about his voice.. pride, excitement, it pulled her attention. Just for a moment Just long enough that when she looked back, you were already pushing yourself up.

You did not cry, or reach for her. You were just quiet.

Your little hands brushed the dirt off your palms, clumsy but practiced, like you had already learned that no one would always be there to do it for you.

Neytiri had stepped toward you then. “Are you hurt?”

You shook your head quickly. “No.”

She remembers that now, the way you did not look at her when you said it. The way your shoulders stayed slightly hunched, like you were holding something in.

But Neteyam had spoken again, tugging at her attention, and the moment passed as easily as breath.

She had let it pass.

The memory snaps away just as quickly as it came. Jake nods, jaw set. “She couldn’t have gotten far.”

But there’s something unsettled in his tone.Because deep down he knows you could.

They move faster, the forest parts around them, familiar, guiding—but something feels off. It all felt too quiet and too still.

then a high, distant sound. Your father freezes mid step. Your mother turns sharply toward the sky.

The scream of something tears through the air. “Move!” Jake tries to warn the villagers from where he is, but it is too late. The missile hits.

The explosion rips through the village behind them, a violent bloom of fire and sound that shakes the ground beneath their feet. Light flashes through the trees, unnatural and blinding.

Creatures flee and everything alive reacts. “No!” Neytiri’s voice breaks into something raw, already turning back. Jake doesn’t hesitate this time. “Go!”

They run.

Back at the village, it’s chaos. Flames devour the edges of huts. Smoke coils thick into the sky. The sound of sky peopl weapons cuts through everything—sharp, mechanical, wrong.

People scatter, some fighting, some trying to pull others to safety. And then you arrive at the edge like a shadow.

Silent. still and watching. Your chest rises and falls once, then you lift your bow. Everything else disappears, you move along the outer edges, slipping between trees, using darkness and smoke like armor.

Your arrows fly, clean and precise. A Sky Person drops before they even understand what hit them.

You don’t stop, you shoot many more. Your movements are sharp, controlled—every shot intentional.

There is no hesitation here, no second guessing, no waiting for someone to notice you. This is where you exist.

Inside the chaos, Jake is commanding, pulling people back, redirecting fighters. “Fall back! Move the children now!”

Your mom is already ahead of him—faster, deadlier. Every arrow she fires finds its mark, but neither of them sees you.

You’re too far out like always. A sky person turns, weapon lifting. You draw faster, but the release is too slow. The crack splits the air, you don’t even register the sound properly.

Just the impact, it hits your side hard enough to spin you. Your breath vanishes instantly as you’re thrown off balance, crashing into the ground. The world tilts, blurs.. your bow slipping from your grip before you can snatch it back.

For a second, you feel nothing. No pain, just ringing silence. Then, it comes. Your body folds slightly, a sharp, broken inhale tearing through your chest as something hot and deep ignites in your side.

Your hand moves instinctively, it presses—just enough pressure, but it is wet. You look down, your hand is dark, shaking.

Your jaw clenches tight, you force yourself up, every movement slower now, tighter. You pick up your bow again, and you keep fighting.

You don’t let yourself stop, you don’t even let yourself think. You move through the pain, through the heat, through the way your body is starting to feel heavier than it should.

You hit another demon, another target. Another breath you almost lose. By the time the sky people retreat, you’re barely steady.

But you’re still standing, so it doesn’t matter. You leave before anyone can see.

The village slowly regathers itself. Smoke drifts through what remains. The fires are being put out. Voices are lower now.. shaken, exhausted.

Jake moves quickly, checking everyone. “Tuk?”

“I’m here!” She says, running into his arms. He pulls her in, relief flashing across his face.

Lo’ak, Kiri, Neteyam. He checks them, one by one—everyone is safe and alive. “Where’s Y/n? did anybody see her?" he asks suddenly.

There’s a pause, a long one. Your siblings exchange hesitant looks. Neytiri’s head lifts slightly, eyes closing. “She is not here.” She sighs.

Jake’s chest tightens. “Damn it-” They don’t wait this time, they move to leave again—to find you.

Another distant rumble sounds, not as close.. but enough to make them pause.

Your father looks back. The village is still vulnerable, still recovering. There are injured villagers, children crying.

Not safe, your mother sees it too, Jake’s pull back, his silent choice to stay. He exhales sharply, jaw tightening.

“We secure the village first,” he says, voice firm but strained. Your mother doesn’t argue.. and they turn away.

You come back alone, the village is different now, of course it is, it is quiet, and cold. Your steps are slower, but still steady, your hand never leaves your side, pressed tight and holding everything in.

You move toward your hut, walking in on just your family. You hold yourself together, not crying, whimpering, not even a limp. You just walk to your space and set your things down.

Night falls so fast. The sounds of the village dims into something mute and distant. Soft footsteps, the crackle of what little fire remains.

Inside the hut, your family settles again. Slow and careful, as if everyone is pretending things are normal.

You sit in your hammock, unmoving. Your hand is still pressed to your side and it hasn’t left. At some point, the others lie down. One by one, the shift of bodies, the quiet murmurs, the slow rhythm of sleep beginning to take hold.

No one looks at you long enough to notice that you sit holding yourself together with just your palm. Besides, they are all sleeping.

You lay down gently on your side, knees drawn in slightly. the ache in your side grows sharper and hotter, gnawing at you until it’s unbearable. Try to ignore it at first, thinking you can will it away, thinking no one needs to see you like this.

But it only spreads, twisting deeper, coiling into panic. A strangled gasp escapes, sharp and sudden. You bite your lip, trying to keep it back, but the pain wins. “Dad…!” The cry is desperate, high, cracking in your throat.

It cuts through the quiet of the night, and it shakes your small body. You press your hand harder, sobs breaking through as your body trembles uncontrollably. “Dad, please…”

“Daddy I didn’t mean to- earlier. Dad, I didn’t!” You cry, wondering if he’s hearing you, if he’s awake. “Dad?”

“Yeah?” His voice is thick with sleep, but awake.

Your sobs tear free uncontrollably, raw and unfiltered.

“Y/n..” he murmurs, the sound of him moving fast reaches your ears, the thud of his feet against the woven floor, the rustle of his body as he reaches for you.

Your eyes flutter for one second and he takes your wrist immediately, uncovering the wound. “Oh my- why did you hide this, baby?!”

“I don’t- I’m sorry! I- I thought you’d be angry!”

He frowns deeply, the sounds of your cries rouse your siblings and mother awake, they hesitate for a moment.

“What’s going on” Lo’ak says groggily.

“Who is crying?” Kiri says.

Neteyam is the first to join Jake’s side, hands reaching for your face. “Stay with us.” He says firmly.

You cry, squeezing your father’s arm. Your mother rushes over, brushing carefully past Neteyam and gripping your shoulders, forehead against yours.

Your body is still shaking, breaths breaking apart as pain pulses through your side.

But the pain doesn’t just sit in your side—it pulses through everything, sharp and consuming, stealing the air from your lungs in broken pieces. Your fingers clutch at your father’s arm like it’s the only solid thing left in the world.

“stay with me,” Jake says, but his voice is different now, not sharp, not impatient. It’s unsteady.

He is afraid.

His hands hover for a second like he doesn’t know where to touch without hurting you more—then one settles against your cheek, grounding, warm. “Look at me. Y/n.”

You try but your vision blurs, tears mixing with the haze, but you force your eyes open just enough to find him. “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want to make you mad.” Your voice fractures under the weight of it.

that’s what breaks his heart. “no, hey,” he shakes his head quickly, pulling you closer without thinking, like he’s trying to hold you together himself. “You’re not- I’m not mad. I’m not mad at you.” His voice drops, rough, thick. “Never.”

Your breath stutters again, body curling tighter despite the pain.

Beside him, Neytiri is already moving, fast, precise, hands firm but gentle as she inspects the wound. The moment her fingers press near it, her expression changes.

Fear. “She’s losing too much blood,” Neytiri says sharply, but her voice trembles at the edges. “Why did you not come back sooner? Why did you not tell us?”

You don’t answer because you honestly can’t. Because the answer is sitting right there between all of you, unspoken but louder than anything.

Because you didn’t think anyone would notice.

Neteyam’s hands stay steady on your face, his forehead pressing briefly against yours. He speaks low, urgent, “You’re okay. You hear me? You’re staying.”

Lo’ak is frozen a few feet away, guilt hitting too late, too hard. He doesn’t speak at first—just stares at the blood on your side like he doesn’t understand how it got there.

Kiri’s arms wrap around herself, her earlier words hanging between you two like something rotten. She looks at you now and her voice comes out smaller than ever before. “Y/n,”

From the other side, tiny hands grab onto your arm. “Y/n…” Tuktirey whispers, already crying again. “You’re gonna be okay, okay?”

Your grip tightens weakly around your father’s hand. “Dad…” you whisper again, softer now, like you’re slipping somewhere he can’t follow. “ I tried to be good. To fight back.”

His entire expression crumples. Something inside Jake gives way completely. “Hey- no, no, no,” he breathes, shaking his head. “You don’t have to try to earn that. You hear me? You never should have.”

His voice cracks fully, openly now. “I love you.”

The words come out like they’ve been trapped for too long. “I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t say it. I’m sorry I didn’t show it-“ his grip tightens, almost desperate, like if he lets go you’ll disappear, “but you don’t get to leave thinking you had to fight for a place in this family. You already have one. You always have.”

Your breath hitches. For just a second the pain dulls under something else, something warmer.

Neytiri moves, pressing cloth firmly to your wound, her hands steady even as her voice softens when she leans close to you. “Stay with us, ma’ite. stay.”

“Sa’nu..” you sigh, eyes softening just briefly. Your body trembles again, but this time your hand doesn’t just clutch your side. it shifts, weakly, until it presses against your father’s.

Around you, everything is different now. The silence that once ignored you is gone. replaced by voices, by hands, by urgency, and by a fear of losing you.

By love that came too late. but not too late.

You wake up wrapped in comfy sheets and the same clothes you were shot in. Herbal smoke drifts in the air like the song of a new day, the sun casting gold streaks across the hut.

Your entire family is asleep around you, you stir faintly, reaching for the bowl of water, but it drops from your weak hands.

You wince slightly as your siblings and parents stir, your father is alarmed and stands too quickly, “Y/n.. baby, you okay?”

“Yes. I need water.”

He stands, scooping up the bowl and filling it with water. He puts the bowl to your lips and tilts it slightly, filling your mouth with water.

When you’re done drinking, you look down and notice the bandaging at your middle. “How long have I been sleeping?”

“Three days.”

“Three? I should be okay to walk.” You try to stand, but Jake physically holds you back, guiding you down gently.

“Not yet. We’ll work on that together, okay?”

“Why? I mean, three days..”

“Yeah, three days of sleep.”

Your siblings and your mother are already awake behind your father.

Your mother is already closer than she’s ever been without you calling for her. Her eyes aren’t scanning the room, not checking on anyone else—they’re on you entirely. There’s something unsettled in them still, something guilty, but something else too.

She’s not looking away this time.

Tuk is the closest to you already, fingers brushing your arm softly. “I told you that you would be okay.” She smiles.

“I didn’t think it was that bad,” you say.

Your mother steps closer now, slow, like approaching something fragile. Her hand lifts, hesitates for the briefest second—then rests against your hair, smoothing it back from your face.

The gesture is so soft it almost hurts more than the wound. “You do not decide that alone anymore,” she says quietly.

No sharpness or correction. Just the truth.

Behind her, Lo’ak finally speaks, voice rougher than usual. “That was.. stupid,” he mutters.

Neteyam shoots him a look.

“What?” Lo’ak adds quickly, but it’s weaker now. “Not- not like that. I just mean-” he exhales, frustrated with himself, then finally looks at you. “You should’ve said something.”

Kiri shifts beside him, arms uncrossing slowly. “We didn’t make it easy,” she admits, quieter than you’ve ever heard her.

That one settles deeper and no one rushes to fill the silence after that.

Your father’s hand squeezes your shoulder slightly. “We’re gonna do better,” he says.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

Tuk leans into you more, her head pressing gently against your arm. “You didn’t forget, right?” she murmurs.

You blink. “Forget what?”

She tilts her head up at you, eyes wide but certain. “That we love you.”

The question hangs there—but it doesn’t feel as heavy as it did before. Because now you have something to measure it against.

You glance around the room again. At your father, who hasn’t let go. At your mother, who hasn’t looked away. At your siblings, who are still here—with you, not around you.

Your fingers tighten slightly around Tuk’s hand. ““No,” you say, voice quiet, but steady.

Their love has never been forgotten, just hard to see. Your father exhales, something in him easing at that. He leans forward just slightly, pressing his lips briefly against your forehead—careful of the bandages, careful of you.

“We’ll make sure you don’t have to wonder again,” he murmurs.

And this time, it doesn’t feel like something you have to earn.

Weeks of healing and your families tentative care pass, your father helps you walk, your siblings bring you refreshments without you having to ask, and your mother stays by your side.

She sings to you your songcord at night, she rebraids your hair when she notices that they need fixing, she steadies you when your nightmares become too much to handle, and for once—she isn’t choosing someone else entirely over you.

You are theirs, and they continue to make sure that you see it and feel it. You are no longer standing in between, you are finally, undeniably held.

based off of this request.

[myeyesaredry]

How do We Let Go

Jake sully x human!daughter!reader

Synopsis - You are faced with the man who abandoned you. Different body, same soul. How do you confront the feelings he left behind?

Warnings - Abandonment issues, mommy and daddy issues, allusions to past abuse, angsty , complicated feelings and relationship

You were in the crowd, buried amongst the sea of people, your masked face blending in with the mob of humans.

Looking at the glass cage where a man sat, head hung low, hair covering his face.

You didn't need to see him to know who he was, everybody knew who he was.

The man who betrayed mankind for some local tail on a moon so far away from home, so far from you.

The day he left for good was the day your mother lost a part of herself. The day the news spread of his betrayal left your heartbroken mother to turn to alcohol , drinking her sorrows away, one bottle after another.

Until one day when she just left, leaving you with nothing but a note with empty excuses and half hearted apologies.

You reminded her too much of him, too much of the man that stole her youth, her heart and her sanity.

You were left to grow up on Earth's overpopulated world and its overcrowded foster system. When you outgrew it, you were tossed out like a bad stack of produce.

Rotten and too old to want.

You scraped by for whatever you could do to survive. The scars on your body a reminder of things you had to do to survive a world that was already crumbling.

A world that had no place for you to squeeze into.

You were only three when you last saw him, memory of him now vague but his absence haunted you. You remembered the day he said goodbye with the promise of seeing you again.

He interlocked his pinky with yours, promising to tell you all the crazy stories he'd have to tell. You kissed his scruffy cheek and even gave him one of your favourite stuffed toys for him to remember you by.

You remember waving him goodbye from the streets as the car took him, giddy for the stories you would hear.

That was sixteen years ago.

Yet no one came back for you.

You were always sidelined, adults glancing at you with worried eyes and disgust, many openly speaking poorly of you. Children pulled away by their parents who scolded them for even approaching you.

Nobody wanted anything to do with you. It was the punishment for having the blood of a filthy traitor.

A burden you'll have to bare. The karma a daughter has to carry in her father's place.

But yet looking at him now, looking so defeated, so alone. A feeling stirred inside of you.

You knew what his fate was. It was obvious to everyone who eagerly filmed him. The way they treated him like a zoo animal. Treated him like he was less then.

The crowds of people kept pushing and shoving, trying to get a good shot of him. Their devices lifted higher, blocking your view of him now.

You should've left, should've turn your back and walk away. You didn't know him and he didn't know you.

Yet after seeing his defeated form, his sagging head. You thought about it, thought about the fact he could've had a family, could've had children. Children who would suffer the same path you did.

They'd have to learn their dad died. Leaving them alone with their mother who'd grieve the loss of her husband. Just like yours did.

Suffer the same trauma, the same pain , the same yearning to know a man they probably barely knew.

Worst of all you didn't want him to die, the thought of him being gone for good sent a wave of nausea through your stomach. Bile threatening to crawl up your throat.

You look back at the bustling crowd and the clear glass cage one more time.

In that moment you made up your mind and left.

Jake had gotten freed from the glass cage, now maneuvering through the metal structures and piles of metal and plastic.

Spider gripped onto Jake's tail like a life line, trying to keep up with Jake as he tried to lose the helicopter following them.

Jake and Spider were getting cornered, the helicopter hot on their tail. The helicopter's light following their every move and turn.

They met a dead end that felt like the end. The helicopter broadcasted their location, the soldiers that were looking for them would get them.

They were going to take him and kill him, they were going to take Spider and experiment on him. For the first time in a long time Jake felt no hope.

This was it.

Suddenly gunshots fired at the helicopter breaking the glass and killing the pilot inside, causing the helicopter to lose control and crash into the ground.

It bursts into flames, the embers growing larger and bigger, spreading out. Creating a large fire wall cutting off a pathway to them.

Jake and Spider stared in disbelief, unable to process the destructive chaos that just happened in front of them.

Looking at each other, assuming the other did it. Both raised their hands to prove their own innocence.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a girl. No older than twenty, a gun in her trembling hands.

Her face was a familiar sight. A face that haunted his dreams once in a while. The human daughter he left behind years ago.

Even in this dimly lit space with only the fire to provide substantial light. Even when you had grown up and changed he could still recognise you.

He slowly came up to where you stood, his height over towering you. Spider following behind from a distance. Unsure of what to do, looking around cautiously.

You dropped the gun you were holding, the loud metal thud ringing throughout the hollow metal structures. Echoing it back to you. Your hands trembling.

Your eyes focused on the dancing flames, flickering sparks reflecting in your eyes. The fire warming your face with an orange glow.

You didn't notice him approaching until he got too close.

A shadow loomed over you. You looked to see him, standing in front of you. His height was intimidating.

Your eyes widened as you quickly turned around, arms going to wrap around yourself, a silent comfort.

You didn't know what to do or what to say anything. You never thought you'd ever see him again. You thought he'd just leave.

"You should leave now." Your voice trembled, words tumbling out as your body shook with every beat of your heart.

"Y/n?" Your name from his mouth felt like a jab to the heart. Painful and it felt like you couldn't breathe.

"Just go and don't come back!" You yelled, your hands going up to your masked face. You squatted down to the ground, lips trembling as the tears in your eyes fell against your will.

He was here, the man who had abandoned you was here. But how could you face him. He left you behind like you didn't matter at all.

You held back choked sobs, hands covering your face.

Jake crouched down, getting on your level.

A hand came up on your shoulder, large and warm. Almost comforting.

You wanted to push his hand away. To yell at him with all the rage you've pent up but in this moment, you just didn't know what to do.

You both stayed in that position for a beat, only noise passing through was the machinery of the human base and your soft sniffles.

"Why did you do it?" You asked, voice breaking the silence. You hated feeling this way, so small, so child-like. Your back still faced to him, not ready to face him yet. Not ready to look at the new face he chose.

He stood quietly, unable to form words. He knew what you meant but there were no valid excuses to make.

"I-I just wanted to be be free." That was all Jake could mutter. It was selfish maybe but in that moment all those years ago, for the first time, he felt free.

He felt free from the RDA's shackles that held him down, free from the world that treated him like dirt beneath their shoes. He was accepted and seen past his flaws and ugly human nature.

But it all came at the cost of leaving you.

You turned around to look at him, your eyes glossed with tears, droplets still streaming down your eyes. Your nose sniffling to stop the snot from dripping.

You looked just like the kid he had all those years ago except now you were older, much bigger. Your face no longer holding that childhood chub, your features now more defined.

Gone was the tiny nose he'd pretend to eat to hear your bellied laughs, now there was only a girl he regretfully never got to know in her place.

"That's a really shitty excuse." Was all you said back. Now you were more upset. All these years apart and that was the best excuse he could give.

Jake sucked in a breath.

"I'm sorry, I really am." Jake's voice was soft, almost careful.

"I hope you can understand why I did it." There it was, his careless response that ruined the moment.

Your eyebrows furrowed and your teeth gritted. Your sadness now bubbling over into the resentment and anger you held in.

You stood up to face him, now both eye to eye. For the first time since you met him you looked directly into his eyes.

Angry, you felt so angry at his audacity. How can he ask you to understand why he abandoned you. You slammed your fisted hand on his chest once. Then again and again and again.

You repeatedly hit him in the chest as fast and as hard as you could , your breath getting heavy with how fast you were hitting him. Jake didn't flinch, it didn't hurt really.

He let you do it, he didn't fight back, he knew it's the least he deserved.

You stopped for a moment to catch your breath, Jake looking at you, his eyes shined with tears that did not fall.

Your chest fell up and down, your heart beating erratically. You looked into his eyes again. The tears came out again, it felt like a never ending flow.

"I just wanted a home. I just wanted my dad." You completely broke down, tears pooled at the bottom of your mask. Your breath ragged hicks now.

Your vision blurred, your body shaking from how hard you were sobbing.

Jake stared at you, eyes full of regret and remorse. He pulled you into a hug, his large arms providing the warmth you so desperately seeked for.

But now it felt too late.

"L-let go of me." Your cries didn't stop, voice cracking with every word as you hit his chest. Trying to push him off you but he wouldn't budge. Your arms wobbled and shook everytime you attempted to push him.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Jake knew his apologies couldn't erase the years that he was absent, the years of pain you went through.

But he still held you anyway,

In that moment of vulnerability you let him hold you, you stopped fighting and let him cradle you once more. His hand patting your back as you cried into his shoulder.

This moment reminded him of when you were barely three.

You scraped your knee, the pain stinging a little. You cried and cried because it hurt but your daddy wheeled over.

He hauled you into his lap and kissed your booboo. He patched it up with your favourite princess bandaid.

He comforted and rocked you. Your chubby cheek squishing against his shoulder as you fell into dreamland. Your soft snores infiltrating his ear like a sweet melody.

You were his first child, his first born. The kid that brought him light even in the darkness humanity buried him in.

Maybe you'd forgive him and he could make up for everything he missed and everything you lost.

Or you wouldn't and you two would pretend you never met again. Like you didn't come face to face to save him.

Maybe you'd go back to pretending he wasn't your father, that he was a vague memory that didn't haunt you.

Whatever the case, he'll accept it. He'll let you be able to make that decision for yourself for once.

He'll hold you until you don't want him to. He'll comfort you until you say stop. He'll be here until you don't want him to be anymore.

You lifted your head from his shoulder, facing him now. Your face was puffy and soaked from crying.

Jake brought his hand to your masked face, resting it on the warm glass. His large thumb caressing the glass.

"Would you ever forgive me?" He asked, his voice held some hope. The tears that tried so desperately not to fall from his eyes, fell, cascading down his face.

Whatever you choose, he'll understand. He'll accept it.

Author's note -

Was this an excuse to lwk write abt my own feelings towards with my father? Most definitely 🙈 did I make Jake feel how I wish my dad felt? Absolutely 😅

I've been writing so much angst😞 I swear I'll write some fluff guys 🙏🏻

Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed reading this! Likes and reblogs are super appreciated. 🩵

©ᴍʏᴇʏᴇsᴀʀᴇᴅʀʏ

[snitchesgetnobitches]

Can you do a Sick sully reader??

She was 9 when it first happened, it was during a hunt with her mother that she first noticed something wasn't right, her lungs ached and her back hurt, her heart pounding more than it should have.

She kept on noticing Small things, small signs that something wasn't right.

It happened the night of her 10th year. They had all gone to bed, everyone sleeping soundly until Neytiri was awoken by gasping. She looked around for the reason of the sound, her eyes falling onto her panicking daughter.

"Y/n?" Neytiri rushed over to her daughter, hands hovering

"MaJake!" Neytiri shouted, waking her husband.

"What?"

*this is based very loosly on something that happened to me, I was born with my condition but readers was a genetic mutation that doesn't show up until the start of Puberty.*

Could be a genetic that carried over from Jake's human side? It's life lona.

They rush her to norm, where they manage to stabilise her.

(They get her medication and a nebuliser type machine?) make sense? Or something like that?

Burden : ̗̀➛

⟢ Pairings: Ao’nung x Sully!Reader

⟢ Warnings: Chocking, suffocating, mention of self hate, medical talking may not be accurate, some characters may be oc, feeling unwanted, panic attack, anxiety

⟢ Author’s note: I had so much fun writing this, and I did them both cause I felt like they were kind of the same thing I hope y’all like it! Forgive me for any mistakes🙏

Enjoy!🫶❤️

Main masterlist

You were born wrong.

That’s what the people said when you were small. Some made it their mission to avoid you in every way. Kids looked at you weirdly, some making fun of you by repeating what they had heard their elders whisper.

A curse was what you were called.

All because you were different.

Different in a weird way, not like your siblings who had small insignificant traits that did not affect their everyday life.

You had human lungs.

They worked, mostly, but they burned when you ran too long, seized when the air was too cold, didn’t let you breathe pandora’s air for more than a few hours.

But it didn’t bother you as much, because at first, it was small so it was easy to ignore.

The first time happened around the age of 7, you were on a hunt, just you and your mother.

The forest quiet except for birdsong and the soft crunch of leaves beneath your feet. You kept pace easily, following your mother with a happy smile, bow steady in your hands, until a dull ache bloomed in your chest.

Not pain but pressure like.

Your lungs felt tight, like the air wasn’t filling them all the way, as if it wasn’t enough. Your back ached, a strange soreness that made you shift uncomfortably.

Your heart was pounding too fast.

You tired to shake it off, you told yourself it was nothing. You didn’t want Neytiri to worry.

You were strong.

You were a Sully.

So you suppressed it until you didn’t feel it again. And you did the same thing the other times too, you pushed it aside until it didn’t bother you anymore.

But then it started getting worse the older you got, until it led to the incident that changed your life.

It happened the night of your tenth birthday.

The family’s Kelku was quiet, light long faded, your family slept peacefully, everyone in their own hammocks.

Neytiri opened her eyes, ears perking up at the sound of soft, broken gasps.

For a heartbeat, she didn’t understand what she was hearing. Eyes darting around the room until her eyes settled on you.

You were sitting upright in your hammock, fingers digging into the fabric, your knuckles were hurting. Your chest heaving violently, breaths sharp and fast, like you were drowning on the air. Your eyes were wide, teary with panic.

“Y/n?” Neytiri whispered, already moving to stand next to you. Placing her hand on your arms she felt you trembling like a leaf.

“Mama..”you managed to choke, hands going to your neck. You tried to speak, to tell her but no incoherent words were coming out.

Fear slammed into her, her hands trembling as she felt helpless, she immediately turned to her mate shouting. “Ma Jake!” voice breaking as she wrapped her arms around you“Ma Jake!”

Jake bolted upright instantly, ears flattened against his head, eyes darting to his mate. Once he looked at you, gasping and trembling in your mother’s arms, the color drained from his face.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded, feet quick to move at your side.

“She cannot breathe”Neytiri said, panic leaking into every word. “Her heart—listen—”she tried to explain but the sobs that were coming out of her mouth made it impossible.

Jake pressed his ear to your chest, and his blood ran cold at the way it was beating far too fast.

You gasped again, a desperate sound, body curling in on itself as your lungs refused to cooperate.

Your siblings woke up at the commotion, little Lo’ak cried as he got startled by the noise, while Kiri gripped tightly the fabric of her hammock in fear. Neteyam was the one who stood up, going to your side and peeking from behind his father’s shoulders.

“No, no, no” Jake muttered, looking around for a solution, for anything that could help. “Okay, it’s okay, we’ve got you.”

You were crying, tears streaming down your face, fear settling in. In that moment you were convinced death was knocking at your door.

Neteyam’s ears flattened, terror struck him as he watched you become pale.

Neytiri’s breath shattered, hold tightening around you. Her mind was foggy she could not think nor see clearly as she held you close.

“Oh great mother..” she cried, whispering and pleading for Eywa to protect you and keep you by her side.

Jake didn’t waste another second.

”You stay here and look after your siblings”he said to Neteyam, who quickly nodded. He then lifted you into his arms, turning to his mate “we’re going to Norm. Now.”

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Norm nearly dropped his tablet when he saw you, jaw on the floor.

“Oh shit” he breathed, already moving to turn on the machines and devices.

Your oxygen levels were crashing. Your lungs were inflamed, spasming, behaving nothing like a Na’vi’s should.

“It’s a mutation” Norm explained quickly as he worked, fitting a mask over your face that pumped mist into your lungs. A nebulizer, adapted from human tech, modified. “It’s a Genetic expression delay. It starts showing with puberty”.

Jake’s stomach dropped. “It’s from me”he said quietly, jaw clenched.

Norm nodded slowly “yeah, it’s human’s lung structure trying to function in a Na’vi body. It’s… rare, but survivable”.

Jake stood frozen, guilt crushing him.

The medication burned at first, then slowly your breathing eased. Your chest loosened, air finally filled your lungs without pain and so you went limp from exhaustion.

Neytiri sobbed silently, thanking the great mother as she pressed kisses to your hair.

“She’ll be having other episodes” Norm continued, breaking the silence. “She’ll need meds, a portable breathing device and monitoring”.

“…Will she live?” Jake questioned, barely audible.

Norm met his eyes with a grim expression”yes, but it’s gonna be scary”.

And it was, every time.

Because that night was just the beginning of what was gonna be a long nightmare.

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

There were days where you just hated it.

It felt like you were a stranger in your own body.

You felt uncomfortable, especially on those days were the attacks were painful and made you want to claw your way out of your skin.

Your family made it their mission to make you feel normal, even with all the machines you had to sit next to once a day or the way you couldn’t keep up during training.

But you knew the truth.

You were a burden.

You were nothing more than a thorn at their side, you slowed your siblings down whenever you were playing.

You always worried your mother, she never rested easy whenever you went out. Always waiting to see you come back, praying to Eywa that you do not have one of those attacks that might take you from her.

Your father was much more gentler with you, too gentle, in a way that irked you. Because he treated you like a helpless little creature.

You had stricter rules to follow if you wanted to go out.

You weren’t allowed to train seriously like your brothers because then you would strain yourself too much.

You needed to be with someone at all times or else your parents were gonna freak out.

Like the last time.

You had decided to sneak out in the middle of a scolding that Jake and Neytiri were giving to Lo’ak, after another one of his brilliant ideas failed, you didn’t go very far after all you were scared too.

You were laying on the ground, fingers feeling the grass beneath you, chuckling as you felt tickled by it. The forest was alive around you.

And for the first time after a long time you had felt free, your cheek pressed against the grass as you breathed in the air slowly. It burned a little, stinging just enough to get your eyes to water but you did not care.

Because it was just you and the forest, and you had missed this.

After a while, after the burning sensation started to bother you, you stood up, making your way back to the family’s Kelku.

With each step you took, with each breath that you inhaled the burning sensation started to turn into something more.

You walked quicker as you felt your breath being pulled away slowly, panic rising in your chest.

Thankfully you were not far away and you began to hear your brother’s voice calling for you, tone filled with panic.

Once he spotted you he was quick to run to your side, noticing the way your pace was slowing and your chest was rising faster with each breath, trying to cling to the last bit of air.

“She’s here! Dad!”Lo’ak placed his hands on your forearms, guiding you to sit on the ground as he kept calling for his father to come quick.

Jake came running, sprinting through the woods with a mask on his hand.

As soon as he reached you and your brother he was quick to active the nebulizer and gently place it on your face. “It’s okay sweetheart, it’s gonna be okay”he guided you, gesturing you to take slow deep breaths.

He let out a big breath of relief once he heard you gasp and inhale, hands trembling, going to your chest to hear your heart beat slow down and go back to normal.

He hugged you tightly, before pulling away to check on you. “What were you thinking?”he questioned, voice harsh but you could still hear the underline of worry in it.

“I wanted to go out alone for once..”you answered, standing up with the help of your younger brother, knees trembling slightly.

“I’m sorry..”you continued, voice low , gaze locked to the ground, ears flattened against your head, almost disappearing.

You hated seeing your family worry so much about you.

There were nights were Kiri did not sleep. Instead she stayed by your side, scared that you were gonna be taken from her in the middle of the night.

You could feel it, you always sensed her footsteps approaching your hammock slowly. Sometimes she even squeezed herself next to you, head against your chest to feel your heartbeat.

Lo’ak did the same but he was more sneaky about it. He woke up during the night to check on you silently, putting his fingers under your nose to see if you were still breathing.

Neteyam did not wake up in the middle of the night but he was always by your side during the day. You were mostly with him, taking walks even if he could sometimes get too protective as well. But training with him was much less overbearing than with your father.

You did not like to train with your father since it ended up with you either getting frustrated with the fact that he did not let you do anything outside of shooting arrows, or with him being too worried, too cautious to the point where he just sent you home.

The outcome was always the same.

You getting frustrated.

Tuk was the only one in the family to actually make you feel normal.

She just loved to be in your presence.

You would carve her wood animals, that she asked for with her usual puppy eyes that you could not refuse.

Or braid her hair in a pretty way adding flowers, beads and everything she asked as she ranted about something she has seen today.

Or she’ll do your hair in a messy way, little hands working as best as they could but you always praised her for her hard work, never making her feel bad for making you have to redo your hair all over again.

However you still did not feel like you belonged anywhere truly.

You spent most of the time in the lab since you could feel free there, the air was safe and breathable, you even spent the night there when the attacks were too close to one another. Neytiri reluctantly agreed to let you.

But you were not human, at least you were not physically human, so the lab was not your place. You were too big, sometimes your tail knocked over things or other times you would break something while holding it.

But you also did not feel Na’vi. As much as you loved the forest and the people you did not think they reciprocated.

The people looked at you through judgmental gazes, not many went out of their way to talk to you or even be nice to you.

So that was why you did not make as much as a fuss as your siblings about leaving the forest.

You were sad, after all you would have to leave your grandmother, the place where you grew up and all the memories you made.

You would miss the forest, but you were sure she would not miss you.

Throughout the ride, behind your father’s back, you smiled as you admired the ocean beneath, the creatures swimming by.

Even if you could not feel the wind blowing on your face since you had the mask on, something Jake was being paranoid about, you could still feel it on your skin and it was the best sensation ever.

You never rode an Ikran, never bonded with one.

You parents did not even let you think about having one of your own, so you could only imagine what it would have been like flying freely like your siblings in the air, with no care whatsoever.

The sensation bought you shivers down your back, smile widening as you stirred one hand out.

Neteyam who was riding close by, turned to see you beam with happiness and he smiled at the sight. Signaling it to Lo’ak, who also let a smile slip past his lips.

In times of sadness and sorrow your happiness managed to bring them joy.

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Once you landed on what was the Metkayina clan’s territory, your father helped you climb down the Ikran.

Your toes wiggled as you felt the sand, it was nothing like the grass back home. The texture was more grainy and smooth.

The excitement at the new place quickly died down once you noticed the people there look at your family with gazes that were usually redirected to you only.

Your mother quickly hissed at you to come behind her, and you obliged immediately, trying to hide from their view.

Neteyam took a protective stance, taking a step forward to shield you once he noticed the way you fidgeted with your hands, usually a sign of stress from your part.

You stood with your mask still on, fingers flexing at your sides as the waves rolled in and out. You almost gave in to your desire of inhaling and feeling the fresh air against your face but you knew this wasn’t the right time.

You felt as if you were naked in front of these people.

Their eyes darting to your family’s features, brows furrowing as they noticed the thin tails and arms, wondering how they could live with them with such useless tails, but their frown deepened once they set their gaze on you, looking confused at the thing you seemed to be having on your face.

Your ears flattened as you watched the Tsahik of the Metkayna clan humiliate your family, walking toward your siblings slowly, judging them. Pointing out Kiri’s five fingers however once her own gaze set on you she gave you the same look her people did.

“And what is this?”she questioned harshly, taking a step closer toward you. Lo’ak tensed as he stepped forward to shield you. But before she could add anything your mother hissed at her, reminding her just who her husband was.

Your eyes felt glassy, at that point you did not pay attention to their conversation, too engrossed in your own spiraling thoughts.

You did not know why you had such high hopes for this place to be any different than your own home.

Your tail swayed behind you, eyes darting nervously everywhere for an exit, chest tightening by the second.

Your fist clenched as you tried to calm your nerves down, biting your lips hard enough to draw blood.

Kiri noticed from the corner of her eyes, she wrapped her poncho around you, hands going to yours, squeezing them softly to reassure you.

You let out a deep breath before turning to her with a small grateful smile that she reciprocated.

Your ears perked up when you heard the Olo'eyktan announce that your family will be staying and learning the Metkayna ways.

You turned to look at the kids that were supposed to help you adjust to this place.

Your eyes met the tallest one’s, his gaze was so intense, making you grow uncomfortable as you shifted in your place before he looked away, focus stolen by something the other one next to him said.

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

The girl, who you had heard was named Tsireya, showed you the way around, bringing you to what was supposed to be your new home.

You entered the place curiously, hands touching everything in sight, fascinated by this new place above the sea. This was so different from the forest you were used to but it was so enchanting.

It didn’t take you long to adjust to the sea unlike your siblings, to hold your breath or learn to swim.

The air there was not that harmful to you, but you still needed to be careful. So you kept a mask by your side at all times, something your parents made sure you never forgot.

The first time you breathe the air, you did not feel the burning sensation you usually felt.

You took a careful breath.

Then another.

For once, your lungs didn’t scream at you for existing.

They hesitated but they didn’t seize.

The ocean air was different.

Thick, wet, heavy, welcoming in a way that the forest air never was.

It was like the sea was your true home.

Your family stayed paranoid about it though, you always felt their eyes on you.

Someone was always by your side no matter what, but since your siblings were mostly busy you always managed to slip away for a few seconds.

With time you managed to get out of your shell and speak to the others. Although the ones you truly talked to outside of your family were Tsireya and Roxto.

The one you haven’t spoken a single word to was the eldest boy, Ao’nung.

You had to be honest, you were intimidated by his presence and the way he looked at you sometimes made you feel like a wounded prey out in the open. He did not have a nice reputation around your family either.

He made fun of them, calling them names and mocking their appearances. However he never said anything to you.

Perhaps it was because you avoided him like a disease whenever he seemed to open his mouth or step closer, or perhaps he knew you weren’t worth the effort and just left you alone, which you did not mind.

Until one day you were sitting peacefully by the water, the waves came crashing gently on the shore, the sun was shining brightly.

You had managed to slip away from your family’s firm watch, deciding to sit on the sand and weave a necklace for your mother. A gift you thought would be nice to give her since you rarely saw her smile these last few weeks.

You were humming softly a random tune you had picked up until a set of footsteps caught your attention.

You turned around immediately, meeting Ao’nung’s gaze.

He was walking closer to you and you felt your stomach drop.

Before you could get up and take off like always, he raised his hands in surrender. “Please don’t run, i did not came here to fight”he spoke, tone softer than usual.

You reluctantly went back to sit down, easing your hold on the strings that you had crushed with your fist.

He followed suit, dropping down on the sand a few inches away from you.

Even without looking at him you could feel his gaze on you”can I ask what you are weaving?” He questioned, gaze slipping to the strings and beads you had in hand.

You hesitated, gaze locked to the ground beneath you before you answered”it is a gift for my mother”.

You heard him let out a breathless chuckle, ”I could help you weave it the way we do it”he offered.

You turned to him surprised, meeting his gaze again”you would?” Your voice came out much more lower than you intended but thankfully he was close enough to hear it.

He nodded once, a smile tugging at his lips. “If you are gonna stay here, you might as well learn the way we weave”.

You lost track of time, hands following his movements, brows furrowed as you listened carefully to his words. A comfortable air settled over you two, you almost forgot this was the same boy who insulted your siblings constantly.

He looked so different.

His tone was gentle, he never shamed you once for the mistakes you made only teaching you patiently over and over again, never once complaining.

Soon one time became all the times.

You two met in the same spot every evening before darkness set so he could teach you more mundane works.

It became a secret meeting for you two, and since then he has been less mean with your siblings. Instead of picking on Lo’ak, he just focused on teaching him the right techniques with some occasional slip of the tongue but it has been getting better.

Your siblings were all shocked by his sudden change of attitude. Lo’ak said it freaked him out since he wasn’t sure it was genuine, but you believed it.

Because you got to see his soft side when no one was there.

It was the first time someone outside of your family treated you with gentleness and patient instead of insults or weird stares.

And whenever he smiled your chest tightened, but it wasn’t because of an attack.

You almost didn’t get many attacks anymore, they lessened by the day. It got to the point where you forgot to bring a mask with you, even if your family freaked out once they saw you walk back in without one.

You finally felt normal.

Or so you thought.

Because you had let your guard down.

It happened while you were laughing.

Really laughing, head tipped back, the ocean breeze filling your lungs as Ao’nung splashed you, smug grin plastered on his face.

“You are slow, forest girl” he teased.

“Oh, shut up” you shoot back, laughing harder as you chased him through the shallows.

And then your chest tightened.

Painfully.

Your breath stuttered, cut off like the air itself has turned solid. You stopped mid-step, fingers clawing at your throat as your lungs refused to pull in enough air.

Aonung turned just in time to see your smile vanish.

“Hey—” he started, tone filled with confusion.

You dropped to your knees.

That’s when panic slammed into him.

He splashed back to you, hands shaking as he grabbed your shoulders. “Are you alright?”

You’re trying to breathe, desperately. Your chest heaved, lungs burning, spots appearing in your vision.

You gasped but nothing came.

Aonung yelled for help.

Neteyam, Kiri and Lo’ak were close enough to hear his shouts and ran to help. When they came closer their hearts dropped as they saw you.

They were on you in seconds.

Neteyam’s hands were steady as he worked to help you, but his eyes were wild, ears flattened against his head.

Kiri pressed her forehead to yours, glowing fingers warm against your arm as she whispered prayers under her breath. Lo’ak’s face drained of any colors, his hands trembling, not sure what to do until Neteyam told him to run back and get the nebulizer.

Ao’nung looked wrecked.

He was hovering, pacing, muttering frantically.

“She was fine—she was laughing—I don’t understand..”

Ao’nung had heard you had some problems, breathing ones. He did not know the full extension of it, but he did notice how you would sometimes look dizzy or that strange thing you always had either on your face or strapped to your waist.

He had heard from your siblings, once he made peace with them, that you had some kind of “attacks” related to the breathing problems.

He never knew how scary they truly were.

Lo’ak came back running, device in hand before he threw it to Neteyam, who quickly activated it and placed it on your face.

Finally, your lungs caught.

Air rushed in, sharp and painful. You coughed violently, chest spasming as you folded forward, gulping breath like you’ve been underwater too long.

Neteyam exhaled so hard his shoulders sagged.

Kiri squeezed your hand like she’ll never let go.

And Aonung dropped to his knees in front of you, eyes blazing, hands reaching for yours.

“Please” Lo’ak blurted, also dropping down next to you. “Stop trying to die.”

You managed a weak laugh between coughs. “Not—trying—”

When you turned, you were surprised to see Ao’nung looking so wrecked. Seeing fear in his eyes hurt worse than the burning in your chest.

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

After that incident Ao’nung has been glued to your side whenever he saw you. The memory of the attack still imprinted on his mind.

During your meetings you could feel him hovering slightly, he began reminding you to not forget your mask, sometimes his hand reached for yours unconsciously.

You did not mind.

Your own gaze seemed to be always redirected toward him. You had found yourself admiring him more than you would have realized.

Your meetings became longer and filled with many conversations unlike before, where you usually stayed silent and he did most of the talking while showing you the Metkayna’s ways.

What you thought was a friendship quickly started to bloom into something more.

During festivals, where you preferred to stay far enough to not interact with others but close enough to hear the music, he stayed with you.

When other reef kids tried to make fun of the mask you wore from time to time, he was quick to defend you. Just a look from him was enough to make the others walk away, not wanting to pick a fight with the chief’s son.

When you first bonded with an Ilu, he took you swimming to his favorite place. A beach not too far away from the village, you stayed there for hours. Splashing each other, running or sitting down on the sand, chatting about everything that came to mind.

You had found yourself falling for the Metkayna boy.

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

One day, you were in the water, not too deep in, playing with young Ilus. He had come from behind you, startling you.

“Ao’nung”you spoke, placing a hand to your chest. “You scared me! Skxawng”.

He chuckled, tilting his head to truly admire you.

“My apologies, I did not know you could get scared that easily”he answered smugly.

You rolled your eyes at him, before he placed one of his hand on your upper arm, heat rushed to your cheeks.

You had just noticed how close he was.

“I came here to confess something”he spoke again, this time his voice was gentler, his smug grin vanishing instead replaced by a vulnerable look.

You nodded your head once, encouraging him to continue, gaze locked with his.

He took a careful breath before opening his mouth.

”I see you.”

Your eyes widened, mouth agape.

“I have, since I first set my gaze on you if I was completely honest”he let out a weak chuckle. “You are beloved to me…I have made many mistakes that I’m not proud of and I’m trying to fix what I have done”.

He stepped closer, the water moving alongside him.

You stayed frozen for a second.

Heart racing in your chest. Breath hitching.

“You won’t be happy with me..”you finally spoke, voice breaking, cutting him off before he could add anything else. “I am a joke, I’m not a true Na’vi. I’m not what you deserve“you finished, eyes glassy.

He took his other arm from behind his back, in his hand there was a necklace.

A beautiful necklace.

Woven from translucent beads and soft pearls, gathered around a large shell pendant that glowed with ocean hues, as if shaped entirely by sea rather than his hands.

You gasped in surprise, taken aback.

“I had been working on it for months, switching materials until I thought it was beautiful enough”he said, smiling at the way you admired the necklace. “Although now I can see that there is no match for your beauty”.

Your cheeks flushed, tail swishing behind you.

“You are no joke”he started again”I believe you were sent by Eywa herself, you are a blessing to me”.

He met your gaze, you swallowed still not sure about what to say or do.

He noticed how you seemed to hesitate. ”I will not force you to be with me”his gaze dropped, looking at the art craft in his hands.

“I just thought I should let you know.”

You noticed the way sadness washed over his face.

He thought you were rejecting him.

You smiled, reaching up, fingers brushing his cheek.

“I see you, Ao’nung”you whispered, smile widening at the way he beamed with happiness.

He placed the necklace around your neck, every time his fingers brushed your skin you felt heat rise up to your cheeks.

He then leaned closer and you felt your heart skip a beat.

Just as you thought his lips would touch yours, he placed a kiss on your temple.

“I will protect you” he promised “If you slow, I slow. If you stop, I catch you.”

You placed your forehead against his collarbone, his tail wrapped loosely around your leg.

“I want to become the man you deserve.”

A/n: I’m so sorry with school work and everything I took so long at writing this, I hope y’all like it!<3

[stomach-bugg09]

Hiya, could you do sm along the lines of reader who is the middle child, lo’aks twin who has something going on with ao’nung, maybe like none of her family are aware but she sneaks out most nights after eclipse to meet him but gets caught one night:)))

ao'nung x sully!reader ⇒ pt 2

summary: [y/n] is finally taking a risk. turns out, risks have consequences.

a/n: thank you so much for the request! i lovee writing for you guys, like i totally forgot how fun it is, and while idk how much i'll be active (if at all) or consistent (again, if at all), but while the motivation is still here, i'm trying to write as much as i can. if you guys have any ideas, please send them my way! i'll try my hardest to actually write them, because they actually do keep me motivated. anyway, i hope you enjoy this, and i hope it's what you imagined! i kinda got tired at the end, but i wanted to get it finished and published today before i forgot about it.

warnings: none i think?? other than it probably being ooc

words: 2.6k

i'll be here

aonung x sully!reader ⇒ pt 1

summary: [y/n] has to face the consequences of her actions, and she is absolutely terrified.

a/n: this was so much longer than i expected! but i like it, and i think you guys will enjoy it too (hopefully!!) this is just pure, awkward, sweet teenage love and it's adorable. ALSO before i forget, two things. first off, i kinda reset my entire tag list b/c the other one was from... 3 years ago... so, if you guys want to be added, please let me know! second of all, i think i may have a neteyam x metkayina!reader mini-series coming out soon. i have it featured on my masterlist, along with its summary, so def check that out as well. anyway, please enjoy, and as always, all feedback is very much appreciated! if you enjoy it, leave a comment or something lol

warnings: anxiety, [y/n] wanting to be the perfect daughter, but otherwise complete adorable fluff

words: 3.3k

the truth

[y/n] sully had always been quite the rule follower. being lo’ak’s twin, it was almost like she had to be, like she had to make up for him and his rebellious tendencies. while lo’ak disobeyed their father’s orders because he just couldn’t fight the urge to join battles, sneak out, or just be an absolute idiot, [y/n] did exactly what she was told to do. she helped mo’at with any injured warriors, no matter how much she wanted to help fight, no matter how worried she was for her family’s safety; she stayed home even while all her friends were running through the bioluminescent forest far after curfew; she was smart and patient and kind because that’s what her parents needed from her.

that is, until recently.

now, to make things clear, [y/n] was still herself. she was still the soft-spoken sister who wrapped herself up in flowers, the sister who braided her brother’s hair because she felt like it, the sister who blushed whenever she was forced to be the center of attention. [y/n] was still [y/n], but she was also… different.

ever since leaving high camp, since leaving the only home she ever knew, the sully girl’s view on life had shifted in miniscule, unnoticeable ways. in this new place—full of waters she’d never even dreamed of, na’vi she’d only heard tales about, creatures she couldn’t have even imagined—life was different, and that meant she was, too. it meant that she was no longer daughter to the omaticaya olo’eyktan. it meant that she had places to explore, freedom to roam. it meant that [y/n] almost… didn’t care as much anymore.

why should she? as far as she could tell, as long as she was smart—which she often was—then there really was no danger. not anymore. 

so, when the future metkayina olo’eyktan approached her during their first month on the island, [y/n] found herself not shying away from the sudden attention, but instead… exploring it.

aonung was not a choice she would have expected, [y/n] must admit. in fact, she probably wouldn’t have made it if he hadn’t pursued her first. but, there was something so… amusing to her about that boy. about the way he made himself seem so big, so strong, and he really wasn’t. not even slightly.

their relationship started out slow. quiet. like the best ones do. it started with aonung catching her eye and smiling, with aonung habitually looking at her anytime he made a joke. it progressed to [y/n] finally sending a smile back.

eventually, [y/n] found herself actually making conversation with the idiotic metkayina. they were quick talks, barely much substance at all, but it was enough. it was enough to make [y/n]’s heart race, her face light up, her stomach flutter, and it was enough to make aonung want more.

“are you feeling more talkative today, [y/n]?” he would ask, a smile pulling at his lips.

but, the sully girl would only shrug, fighting her own grin as she answered, “not any more than usual.”

that is, until the fated day she felt more daring than usual. “not sure,” she had admitted, her eyes flashing to meet his. “let’s test it, shall we?”

they’d spoken for six hours that afternoon. talked and talked and talked until tsireya dropped by to remind aonung of their curfew. at his panicked face—clearly having not realized how much time they’d wasted away—[y/n] only laughed.

“go,” she said with a lazy wave of her hand. “we can talk tomorrow.” she would never forget the way his eyes flashed at that.

but, aonung wasn’t always the smartest, and the day after that wonderful conversation, he made a very big step—in the wrong direction. the day after that wonderful conversation, aonung and his stupid friends made fun of kiri, and worse, nearly sent lo’ak to his death.

“what is wrong with you?” [y/n] demanded, tears threatening to spill off her bottom eyelid. they stood on the beach, just where they’d been the night before, but this time with a different topic of conversation. a darker topic of conversation. “aonung,” she repeated his name like it was a curse word, like it stung her tongue, “what is wrong with you?”

but, [y/n] wasn’t a harsh soul. she adored her siblings—they were the only things keeping her afloat in this messed up, chaotic life—but she knew, from her twin alone, that making mistakes was far too easy. so, she gave the metkayina boy another chance.

however, that chance had to be in secrecy. as if her brothers and sisters hadn’t already disliked aonung for his bitter attitude alone, his most recent idiocies had made him a very broad target. a target that they would not like to see standing next to their quiet, perfect sister.

so, that following night, [y/n] broke her first big rule: sneaking out. she moved as quietly as she could, making sure she didn’t disturb any of her sleeping family members, and the moment she stepped outside the marui, she released a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

by the time she reached the beach, aonung was already waiting for her—bruised face and all—and she couldn’t fight the smile that twisted her lips. “someone’s eager,” she teased.

“well,” he started, stepping forward to meet her, “it’s hard not to be.”

[y/n] snorted at the comment, waving a hand in the air. “don’t be corny,” she replied, her voice soft as she, without thinking, grabbed for his hands.

“sorry,” he chuckled, although he suddenly seemed to be quite out of breath. “force of habit.”

that night on the beach was the first of many. soon enough, [y/n] went from being goodie-two-shoes to stealth-master. she would sneak away during the day—just long enough to get a few words in, just short enough for nobody to notice she was missing—and she would sneak out during the night.

it felt magical. the adrenaline, for one, but mostly… the warmth that would flood her chest the moment she saw aonung, always there before her. waiting—sometimes with a gift, like flowers or reef jewelry—and smiling. 

this night was no different. as soon as she ducked out of the marui, casting one last look over her shoulder to ensure everyone was still fast asleep, her pace quickened. she walked, as fast as she could while still remaining silent, through the clusters of maruis before her feet finally hit sand. it was soft beneath her, tickling her feet as her toes sunk in.

[y/n] looked up, and she could feel the way her face lit up the moment she saw him. he sat on the rocks this time, quietly watching the low tide crash onto the shore just feet away. his syuratan was beautiful against midnight’s darkness—he was like a beacon of beautiful, breathtaking joy, and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.

“aonung,” she whispered as she got closer to him. “aonung!” finally, the boy turned, and the moment he saw her, she swore he glowed a little brighter.

“[y/n],” he greeted before patting the space next to him on the rock. “come—this spot is perfect during this time. when the tide is still low and the sky is still clear.”

“you’re the expert,” [y/n] laughed, pulling herself up onto the rock before plopping herself right next to him. he was right—just a second had passed, and she knew he was. the waves were quiet, calm, but somehow still mighty. the sky twinkled, and it felt as though the stars were winking at her.

for a moment, life felt still. perfect. like this was her home—and maybe it was, to some extent. it wasn’t high camp—it never would be—but it was still pandora. it was still her planet, her nature, her life. she always understood why they fought the sky people, keeping them away from their home, but she’d never felt motivated to join. not until then, not until she looked at the gorgeous world around them and realized what there was to lose. not until she thought of the family she left in her marui and realized who there was to lose.

not until she turned and looked at aonung and realized she needed to protect her future as well.

“it is beautiful, aonung,” she breathed, eyes scanning the sky. “your home is beautiful.”

aonung only smiled at her. “it’s your home too, you know.” and silently, he reached a hand out and clasped hers.

[y/n] nodded, smiling softly. “yes,” she whispered. “i know. now i know.”

silence enveloped the two of them. comfortable silence. perfect silence. it was a silence that spoke louder than words, that thrummed with energy and attractive, that drew the together, closer and closer until their lips were a practically touching—

“get the hell away from my sister.”

[y/n] recognized the voice before she even looked up.

while aonung jumped back, probably scared shitless, [y/n] found herself dropping her head in her hands, a groan reverberating through her chest. “lo’ak!” she cried, finally snapping her head to look at him.

her twin wasn’t alone—neteyam was behind him, and they both looked pissed. way too pissed, if it was up to [y/n]’s discretion.

“what do you two think you’re doing?” neteyam ordered, and the sully girl gaped, incredulous at such a statement. beside her, aonung fumbled for words, searching for any appropriate response but rendered useless by either fear or cowardice, neither of which her brothers deserved.

“neteyam, lo’ak,” [y/n] scolded, her eyebrows furrowing in anger. “what do you two think you’re doing? you spying pricks!”

“we’re keeping you safe! which you clearly needed help with considering you were about to let fish-lips over here kiss you!” lo’ak replied, his arms crossed over his chest.

but, [y/n] wasn’t hearing it. there were very rare moments in which [y/n] felt the need to yell at her siblings, but now was as good a time as any. “and what of it?” she responded, pushing herself off the rock and to her feet. “how does that impact you?” [y/n] was seething, and she took a step forward. “i have covered for your useless asses so many times—how many girls did you sneak off with in high camp?” she looked at neteyam, but his gaze was suddenly stuck on his feet. “and how many times have i lied to dad so you wouldn’t get your head torn off?” this time, lo’ak was miraculously distracted. 

“look, [y/n]—” neteyam tried, but his baby sister would hear none of it.

“shut up, neteyam! i know what you’re going to say—you’re trying to keep me safe, you want me to pick a good guy, you’re trying to do the right thing. well i don’t care! i have been the good kid for years, so let me make a few mistakes! let me sneak out, let me be stupid, and you know what, i think your guys’ heads are stuck so far up your own asses that maybe you should stop being so self-obsessed and maybe give aonung some credit because he has been more kind and more considerate than any guy back at high camp.” she looked at neteyam. “and definitely more romantic than you ever were to your flirtatious escapades.”

neteyam’s jaw tightened, but something in his expression shifted—just barely. guilt, maybe. or realization. he opened his mouth to respond, but for the first time that night, aonung beat him to it.

“she’s right,” the metkayina boy spoke up, and all eyes flashed toward him. where [y/n]’s look was soft, gracious, and neteyam’s was almost surprised, lo’ak still hadn’t dropped his rough exterior. 

aonung met each of their gaze, standing straighter now, shoulders squared despite the bruising along his cheekbone. his voice didn’t waver, even as lo’ak shot him a look sharp enough to cut. “i was an idiot. i hurt you,” he admitted, eyes flicking briefly to lo’ak before settling back on [y/n]. “but i have never—never—treated her like a joke.”

[y/n] felt her chest tighten.

“i wait for her,” aonung continued, quieter now. “every night. i bring her things because i know she misses home. i listen when she talks about the forest, about the people she left behind. i don’t touch her unless she wants me to.” his jaw clenched. “i would not hurt her. not ever.”

silence fell heavy over the beach.

finally, neteyam spoke up. “you really need to work on being stealthier, sister.”

just like that, the tension shattered. [y/n] scoffed, absolutely agog at the statement, and she demanded, “what do you mean? i have never moved quieter in my life!”

at hearing her words, lo’ak couldn’t help but snort, rolling his eyes. “is that a joke? you move like a baby ikran who just learned to walk!”

“not to mention,” neteyam jumped in, “it’s obvious you’re up at night, considering how exhausted you’ve been these days. mom’s going to notice soon, if she hasn’t already.”

[y/n] opened her mouth to argue—because of course she did—but the words died on her tongue as she finally processed what neteyam said. “shit,” she hissed. “mom’s noticed?”

neteyam winced. just barely. “well, she’s been… very observational recently,” he said gently. “you’ve been quieter during the day. slower. you take like, three naps a day.”

lo’ak nodded once. “plus, you’ve been smiling. a lot more than usual, which is impressive considered you smiled a lot even before this,” he added, then grimaced. “it’s actually kind of terrifying now that i think about it.”

“oh shut up,” [y/n] muttered, rubbing at her face. heat crept up her cheeks—not embarrassment, not exactly. more like dread.

aonung shifted beside her. “we can stop,” he said quickly, the words tumbling out. “if that’s what you want. if this is getting to be too much—”

“no!” [y/n] cut in immediately, fingers curling around his wrist before she could stop herself. she took a steadying breath. “no, i don’t want that.”

neteyam watched the interaction carefully. not with anger this time, but with the quiet assessment of someone who loved her enough to be afraid. “then you need to tell them,” he said.

her stomach dropped.

“tell dad?” she hissed. “are you insane?”

lo’ak shrugged. “he was gonna find out anyway,” he said. “better from you than from mom when she catches you sneaking back in smelling like saltwater and reef flowers.”

aonung glanced between them, clearly unsure where he stood now. “i can talk to tonowari,” he offered. “or ronal. i’ll—”

“that,” lo’ak interrupted, pointing at him, “would make it worse.”

[y/n] huffed a laugh despite herself. “he’s right.”

for a moment, they all stood there—the tide whispering against the shore, the stars watching like they always did. the world felt too quiet, like it was holding its breath.

neteyam sighed. “we won’t say anything,” he said finally. “[y/n] should.”

her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

“…tomorrow,” she murmured. “i’ll tell them tomorrow.”

lo’ak raised an eyebrow. “you swear?”

she nodded. “i swear.”

there was a beat. then lo’ak groaned. “great. so we’re all gonna die tomorrow.”

[y/n] shoved him lightly. “you’re dramatic.”

“runs in the family,” he shot back.

neteyam turned toward the marui, already heading back. “come on,” he said. “before mom actually does notice we’re gone.”

[y/n] hesitated.

aonung squeezed her hand once—gentle, reassuring. “i’ll be here,” he said quietly. “tomorrow. as long as you’re not dead.”

she smiled at him, small but real. “i know.”

as she followed her brothers home, the weight of what waited for her tomorrow settled deep in her chest—not fear, not regret.

just truth.

and for the first time, she wasn’t sure which scared her more.