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itsvenera · 5 months ago

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summary: You and Sasuke have been caught in a toxic cycle of love and hate for as long as you can remember. Yet when you try to break free, he finds himself unable to let you go. (14k words)

warning(s): 18+ content (minors DO NOT INTERACT!), toxic! fem reader, toxic!Sasuke (a bit ooc as well?), mentions of cheating, love-hate relationship, p in v, oral (f! receiving), oral (m! receiving), fingering, unprotected sex

author's note: that was supposed to be a a short nsfw fic, yet somehow it became... this. Anyway, I am actually really proud of this one, so I really hope you enjoy! Shoutout to the anon who had send me their thoughts on toxic reader x toxic character , your message was main inspo for this one <3

Sasuke Uchiha has made many mistakes in his life. Fact.

The biggest one, however, had to be you.

From the moment he met you during one of his travels after the war, he could feel it deep inside his chest - a growing feeling of irritation, one that he has not felt since his early genin days. He has seen women like you before - ones that rely heavily on their beauty to get what they want. One coy smile or a seductive glance was enough to tilt the odds in your favour in every situation and - God! - did Sasuke hate it. How was it fair that someone like you could always achieve anything they put their mind to with such an ease, while others had to spend years in hard work while patiently waiting for their moment to shine?

But it wasn't just your looks that captivated people. Your wit, sharper and faster than his sword, had to be your biggest weapon - and you wielded it masterfully, he had to admit. You spared no man or a woman, as you let charming lies and sugarcoated compliments tease the egos of those around you, quickly turning them in nothing more than powerless puppets in your hands.

What angered him the most, however, is how aware you were of your power. You used it unapologetically, without even a single ounce of guilt or shame, as if it was your birthright to make everyone else around you bow to your will. So when he found himself in your bed just a few days after your first meeting, the tip of his cock kissing your cervix with each harsh thrust while his fingers squeezed your throat so hard, you could swear you were seeing stars, he convinced himself that you deserve no mercy.

No, far from it!

Women like you deserved to be reminded of their place. And Sasuke was determined to be the one to do it.

He kept reminding you over and over again for the short period he was visiting your village - in your bedroom; in the shower; on the table of the Council of your village; on the training grounds under the moonlight; in the secluded corners of the leader's (who was also your pathetic lover) building where no one dared to wander. He had made it his mission you understood - no matter how cunning your schemes were, you would never have the upper hand over him.

Being a good and changed man now, Sasuke knew he couldn't just let you drift through life relying on lies and using people. So he did what he thought was the best way to deal with a menace like you...

he married you.

It his mind, it was perfectly logical solution. If you were going to wreak havoc across the nations, Sasuke figured he might as well be the one to keep you in check. He had witnessed first-hand how many fools have fallen to your sweet deceptions and he knew that if there was one man who can handle you, it was him.

In addition, you were also the perfect tool to get his many 'fangirls' and Naruto off his back. He knew that as the last surviving member of his clan there was certain pressure for him to settle down, but he didn't expect that everyone would ‘demand’ it from him so soon after the war. He still had to atone to his sins, piece together the shattered fragments of his identity and find his place in this broken world. A relationship - let alone a wife and kids - was the last thing on his mind.

Yet it seemed that everywhere he went, the whispers of the 'last eligible Uchiha bachelor' were faster - by the time he entered a village, he was eagerly welcomed by elders who would parade young women before him, as if they were animals for sale.

It was sickening, really. And no matter how bluntly he expressed he is not interested, the people just didn't take the hint.

So if he could kill two rabbits with only one shot, then…

"We are getting married," he informed you on his last night at your village, while getting dressed. It was not a proposal, or even a question - just a simple, straightforward declaration.

He didn't even spare a glance in your direction as he adjusted his clothes, almost as if he didn't pump you full of his seed multiple times through the night. Unlike any other man you've met (and fucked) before, he was always eager to leave after you two were done. He never held you close or whispered sweet nothings into your ear - no, he hated you too much to put all that effort for a single fuck.

"I don't usually go for men with missing limbs," you snickered with that signature infuriating smirk on your face that drove Sasuke wild, "But I guess the good sex and your last name are worth for me to make an exception."

Sasuke only grunted in response, before leaving you alone in your bedroom. How did you manage to get under his skin so effortlessly, he'd never understand.

He was no fool, he knew that if it was any other man - even that short, fat loser who was your village leader (and lover) - you would've turned him down straight away. But he had something he knew you wanted badly and that was the name Uchiha. You were a smart woman and had calculated all the privileges - the power, the influence, the fame - that a union like that could give you. He knew you were not really interested in him, at least not in the way other women were.

You never fawned over him or actively sought his attention. Instead you were treating him with a level of indifference, gracing him your full attentiveness only when you were intimate. And even then you liked to show your bratty side, refusing to submit and leaving him with no other option than manhandling you till you admit surrender. But you never made it easy, that's for sure.

When he brought you back to Konoha, officially as his wife, everyone thought he had lost the last bit of sanity in his head for good.

"This has to be joke..." Sakura muttered as she watched you walk next to Sasuke into the Uchiha compound, the clan symbol proudly decorating the back of your kimono. She didn't want to sound jealous or envious, but you just looked so... not his type. She had always envisioned him with a strong woman - ninja, for sure - who could balance his cold and distant nature by providing him with all the love and warmth he has been deprived for all these years.

But you? You looked nothing like that. Sure, you were pretty, but you were a civilian who couldn't relate to the shinobi's lifestyle. How Sasuke chose you, a foreigner nonetheless, from all of the available women in Konoha was beyond her comprehension.

"I don't think it is, Sakura-chan," Naruto replied from his spot next to her, his eyes unable to move away from the way you swayed your hips while walking next to his best friend. He knew it was wrong, that he shouldn't look at someone else's woman like that, but how could he control himself? He knew he was too weak to resist you the moment Sasuke introduced you to him and Sakura, and your eyes lingered just a second longer on his, before you turned away, a small smirk grazing your lips.

To say that you had quickly became the favourite woman of every person in the village would be an understatement. All of the men, even geniuses like Neji and Shikamaru, seemed to fall under your spell without much effort. Your confidence, combined with your sharp mind and beauty, seemed to draw in everyone like flies to honey much to Sasuke's dismay. Of course, he expected from you to continue to try playing your little games even after bringing you back to the Leaf, but he thought better of his old teammates.

And it wasn't just the men in the village, either. Even the reluctant women who initially questioned your motivations, like Sakura and Ino, soon found themselves drawn to your company, seduced by the idea of not having to shy away from their femininity around you. All their life they have been taught that they have to train and work hard to be considered as something even close to a man's equal - yet, here you were, without any skills or fighting abilities, managing to wrap every single man around your finger and make them inferior to yourself. You were strong in a way that they hadn't considered before - through your confidence, charm, and most importantly, intelligence.

Sasuke was feeling torn by the whole thing. On one hand, he felt like he had failed in his goal to tame you and keep you in control. A year after he made you his wife, he found himself not only unsuccessful, but completely outsmarted and outplayed by you.

On the other hand, for less than half a decade, you managed to achieve what he thought he may not achieve in his whole lifetime. Not only you had carried his twin boys - a result of him bullying all his frustration and annoyance he held toward you into your tight little pussy every chance he got - but you somehow managed to restore the reputation of the Uchiha clan all by yourself. What was once a name connected only to criminals and bloodshed, was now associated with respect, political influence, and a sense of honor. You had restored the pride that Sasuke thought he never may regain again, let alone be given by someone like you.

When you asked him for a divorce one peaceful night during dinner, he thought he has heard you wrong. His mismatched eyes narrowed, as he studied your calm expression. After six years of using his name to climb to the village's higher circles and giving him sons to continue the legacy of the Uchiha clan, you suddenly wanted to leave?

"I think we had this dance for long enough, don't you, husband?"

Your marriage was far from perfect or even socially acceptable, you both knew that. From the very beginning, it was built on mutual benefits rather than love. Sasuke never grew to be a loving husband, at least in the traditional sense of the word, and neither you learned how to play the role of the typical 'caring wife' at home. Yet, after six years together, you somehow managed to fall into a twisted cycle of love desperation and need for each other.

It wasn't the type of relationship that inspired poetry or flowery fairytales. It was raw, obsessive, and painful. There was darkness in both of you, one which you greedily embraced, feeding off each other's flaws, insecurities and unhappiness. Your fights were loud and destructive, as venomous words were aimed at each other's weakest spots. He never missed a chance to remind you of how unlovable you were - a shiny and pretty empty shell that men saw for its beauty, not for its substance. You never held back in holding his past sins over his head, bringing even his own brother as an argument when you found yourself cornered.

"Kinslayer playing house," you would hiss, the edge of your lips turning slightly upward as you notice his eyes darkening, "I wonder what your dear brother would think if he saw you right now."

Furniture would break, plates would fly, and just like every time, you would find yourselves in your shared bed, tangled in the passion and chaos on which you both thrived.

It was toxic, but it was also consuming. Neither of you knew how to break free from these chains, and neither of you really wanted to. It was addicting, it was broken and it was yours.

Till it suddenly wasn't.

When you brought up the divorce, he knew you have calculated the whole thing - the twins were in the room next door and you never fought when your kids were around. If there was one genuine thing that came out from this marriage, it was your two boys Isao and Jiro. They were born a year after you wed and for better or worse, were a perfect mix of both of your personalities.

Isao was the older son - a confident and focused kid, who despite his young age, has already shown impressive skills with ninjutsu and taijutsu. He always looked up to his father, seeking his approval as he pushed himself harder and harder every day. In a lot of ways, he reminded Sasuke of himself - his black eyes were full of determination, as he refused to settle for anything but being the best in everything he did. Yet, unlike his gloomy younger self, Isao possessed a level of charisma that he surely inherited from you.

Everyone loved Isao - and he knew how to use it to his advantage to get what he wanted, even from you.

Jiro on the other hand, preferred to stay in the background and observe, rather than to be in the centre of the attention. He had Sasuke's calm and reserved nature and unlike his brother, he didn't seek anyone's approval or attention. Quite the opposite - he preferred to hold back his true strength, patiently waiting and strategizing for the right moment to unleash it.

"I'm not letting you take my kids away from me," Sasuke promised you that night, his eyes boring into yours as he sat at the other end of the table.

His voice was cold and firm, so different from his usual venomous hiss he uses during arguments with you. But in his mind this wasn't an argument - it was just one of your many silly tantrums, a move inspired by nothing else than the desire to get under his skin.

"I am their mother and their place is with me," you stated seriously without even a hint of the usual mockery which could always be heard when you were speaking to your husband, "You can still see them during weekends - if you are in Konoha and not chasing shadows of threats across the villages, that's it."

Sasuke's jaw tightened, as he slammed his glass down louder than necessary. You didn't even flinch, as you held his gaze which was slowly becoming darker.

"What are you getting at?"

"You know very well I am getting at," you scoffed, the calm and collected composure finally cracking under the heaviness of all unspoken feelings you carried inside your chest, "When was the last time you spend more than a few days with your kids? You're constantly on the road, doing God knows what, while I am left here-"

"Stop bringing the children into this!" he snapped, interrupting you mid-sentence. His voice was low but with a note of irritation, proving to you that he was holding back for the sake of your children next door. Your lips pressed into a thin line, your teeth gritting together while you pressed your back against the chair. There may have been a fire of defiance burning inside of you, but even you knew when to draw the line, especially when he used that voice.

"This is about you, isn't it?" he clicked his tongue, his head shaking from side to side, "About your greediness and unsatisfiable need to suck the life out of everyone around you, before you move on to your next victim. What, did you already exhaust all the benefits you got from carrying the last name Uchiha?"

The room suddenly grew colder, as you stared at each other, his words still lingering in the tense air between you. He was never one to shy from the opportunity to hit you where he knew it hurt the most and in typical Sasuke's style, it was not his final blow either.

"You talk about my failures as a father all the time, but what kind of mother uses her own sons as pawns in her silly power game?"

Your breath hitched in your throat and before you can even think about it, you grabbed the dinner knife on your right and hurled it in his direction, aiming for his head. He dodged it effortlessly, his eyes narrowing as he saw you reaching for your fork next.

"If you are trying to get my head, dear wife," he said almost mockingly, catching the next flaying utensil with his hand before slamming it down on the table next to him, "Have the decency not to do it while the children are next door."

Gripping the edge of the table to stop yourself from throwing your plate next, all you could see in front of your eyes was red. Blinding, raging red, which was threatening to consume you whole.

God, you hated him! You hated him, you despised him and if it was up to you, he would burn in hell for at least a few eternities!

"You are the last person who gets to lecture me on decency," you chuckled dryly, before reaching for your wine glass and swallowing a large gulp, "Did you also talk to your brother about it when he slaughtered your whole family? Or when you killed him?"

Sasuke's expression immediately hardened and his hand clenched into a fist. He has met many infuriating women in his lifetime, but you... you were a monster! A beautiful nightmare that had her claws deep into his soul, chewing and digging into his very core.

"I've told you not to bring up Itachi-"

"Or what?" you leaned forward, one elegant brow raising as you placed your chin on top of your crossed fingers, "What will you do, Sasuke? Divorce me?"

It was clear you were pushing his limits, Sasuke knew you well enough by now to see through your attempts to rile him up. Despite his realisation, however, it was too late - you had already buried your stinger under his skin, poking at his past wounds that never closed. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath while trying to control his nerves.

"I am not giving you a divorce," he said finally, his tone cold, "So stop throwing your tantrum and find other ways to pass your free time, which you seem to have in excess. Perhaps finding a job will do you good."

Sasuke got up from his seat, pushing his plate to the side before exiting the dinner room without casting even a single glance in your direction. You pressed your lips together as you watched him leave, the door closing with a quiet thud behind him. There was a brief silence, before you heard Isao and Jiro's laughter from their room at the end of the corridor. With a sigh, you got up and you started to clear the table.

. . .

Whatever you wanted, you got. Sasuke had seen you going great lengths to achieve what you wanted. Yet, he didn't think you would actually go this far.

As a Shadow Hokage, he was used to spending months away from home, investigating threats made toward Konoha and if necessary, taking all the measures to get rid of them before they can become actual problems. Most of them were coming from rebel groups in neighbouring countries, who were trying to stir another armed conflict between the nations, but sometimes there were unexpected surprises.

One of these surprises was the letter he received one sunny morning by Koyuki, the leader of the Land of Snow. She had warned Konoha about rumours of unnamed groups, who were actively recruiting members to start a new cult against the Land of Fire. Their motivation seemed unclear, but she had provided enough evidence to give both Naruto and Sasuke a reason to worry.

Leaving the same day, he spend three months travelling across the small country, interviewing civilians, chasing trials and collecting evidence before he found out that his whole thing was orchestrated by no one else other than his own wife.

It wasn't the first time he had found himself tangled in one of your schemes. You had not only the influence, but also the connections long before you became an Uchiha. After you got his last name they only intensified and a single word from you was enough to set a whole series of events and tangle dozen of innocent people in them.

The letter from Koyuki should've been the first sign something was going on. After all, he knew that you two did know each other and that she often described herself as "girl's girl", whatever that nonsense meant. And then all the evidence that kept pointing to no one in particular, before he finally realised this was all one carefully crafted deception.

There was no cult, there were no threats and there was certainly no one in the whole country that even cared about Land of Fire, let alone bother to threaten it.

At first, he couldn't understand what was your motivation. Were you doing it to spite him? To make him look like a fool? Obviously you didn't think about about the potential damage on the alliance between the two countries, and even if you did, you simply didn't care.

"I am sorry it came to this," Koyuki said as she was bidding him farewell at the village's gates, "It’s nothing personal. It’s just a favor to an old friend."

A favor.

The word ringed in his mind the whole way back home and Sasuke didn't completely connect the dots till he came back home, only to find the compound empty, a signed divorce pack laying on the table. He didn't waste even a second in flipping through the pages, his jaw tightening as he realised that not only he was your ex-husband now, but that you planned this whole thing to keep him long enough so you can convince the Hokage to sign your request to end your marriage in his absence.

"She said you both have reached an agreement and that you specifically gave your permission for her to deal with all the legal stuff, since you know... you were away for a while," Naruto said carefully once the Uchiha confronted him, his brows furrowing in confusion, "Is there something wrong?"

Sasuke had never pulled the curtain behind your marriage before, the image of your family always being perfectly polished picture of the ideal union in front of the society - a noble warrior with a beautiful influential wife, and two talented sons, both already known as the most promising young ninjas at the Academy. To the world, you and him were the epitome of love and success.

Only the two of you knew the truth and he was determined to keep it that way.

"Nothing wrong other than the fact that the Hokage allowed himself to sign papers affecting my life in my absence," Sasuke said coldly, before laying the report of his mission on the blonde's desk, "Me and Mrs. Uchiha have agreed to hold off any final decision until I returned. You shouldn't have dissolved our marriage."

Naruto's expression faltered for a moment, before his gaze hardened at the sound of his friend’s accusation. He wasn't seeing how he was the bad guy in the whole situation, when you were the one who sought his approval of your divorce petition.

"Sasuke," the Hokage said slowly, his voice suddenly sounding more serious than usual, "I was told by Mrs. Uchiha herself that it was a mutual decision and that it was already settled."

"Are you blaming my wife for your failure to follow the proper administrative procedures?" Sasuke snapped, his eyes narrowing at the man before him. If there is one thing he had learned from you, it was how to always turn the tables in his favour.

"She was alone for months and was probably worried sick if her husband will come back at all," he continued, conveniently missing the fact that it was all you who created this whole situation in the first place, "She was acting under the influence of her distress and worry. You, on the other hand, should've known better."

Naruto sighed, before rubbing one of his hands up and down his face. What was exactly going on between you and Sasuke, he would never understand.

From the outside, you two appeared to have everything one couple could wish for - stable family (or not so much now that your divorce was finalized), money, influence, respect. People looked at you and used you as an example of what they wanted to achieve in the future.

For a long time, Naruto also believed that perfectly crafted image, and deep inside, even resented his friend for building such a life. Of course, he loved Hinata with all his heart, but he couldn't lie and say that the intensity of his job hasn't affected their relationship. There were days when he couldn't even see the eyes of his kids, let alone talk to them or train with them. His wife has always remained patient and understanding, but his guilt had already become a constant in his mind.

And then there was Sasuke.

He was often missing for months on end, yet still managed to return to a happy family back home. His kids were cheerful and obedient, excelling in their training and seemingly never resenting their father's prolonged absences. Meanwhile, you - the beautiful and intelligent civilian wife - held the household together, while single-handedly cleared the Uchiha name of whatever bloodshed had tarnished it in the past.

It was yours and Sasuke's world and everyone else was just living in it.

Yet, the more he interacted with either of you, the more he could see how different and toxic you were for each other. He had no doubt you held some type of love for each other, but it was far from the gentle and nurturing kind he and Hinata had. Yours was raw, obsessive, sometimes even cruel.

He had seen the subtle cracks in your act before. Sasuke, with his silent obsession to control you, monitoring every single step you made. Who were you talking to, what were you wearing, when did you eat, how often have you left the house - he knew everything, even when he was miles away. He has abused his position before by having shinobi watching over you, reporting every detail of your daily life to him. Naruto knew about it, but at the time he was just excusing it as Sasuke being overprotective.

The longer it continued, however, the more distant you became. Sasuke had slowly cut off your ties with everyone he deemed an unnecessary connection - including many of his old friends - reducing everyone close to you to mere acquittances.

Yet, you remained defiant. There was a challenge in everything you did - from the way you liked to oppose him in public to the way you bribed the shinobi around your house so they would spare your ex-spouse some of the details of your daily life. You liked getting under his skin and, unlike many other women would, seemed to enjoy playing with his possessiveness. Sometimes your gaze would linger just a second longer on other men, while gracing them with a flirty joke or a seductive smile, before you turn toward Sasuke to check his reaction.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Naruto, his voice laced with frustration as he stared at his old friend. He already messed up by taking your word for the divorce agreement and signing the documents in Sasuke's absence, he wasn't sure he wanted to involve himself even more in whatever game you two were playing.

"You already did enough," the Uchiha scoffed, turning away and starting to walk toward the door, "Just keep your nose out of my and my wife's business. I will take care of this mess."

. . .

During the months following the divorce, Sasuke was more of a husband to you than he has been for the whole six years you were married.

It was ironic, really. After years of him devoting himself completely to the village, he had now taken "indefinite break" because he wanted to "spend time with his family". The first time you heard this rumour you scoffed, unable to believe that Sasuke would actually let go of his relentless pursuit of redemption, let alone because of his ex-wife and kids. However, you were proven wrong the moment Isao and Jiro came back from the Academy one day, all happy and smiling because "Dad said we are moving back home".

You have been underestimating him, it seemed. You always knew Sasuke Uchiha was a man who was persistent in chasing his goals, yet you always seen his idea of honour and moral as weaknesses - flaws that held him back, instead of push him forward. Not that you lacked any, of course, but your approach has always been a bit more... flexible. You weren't afraid to bend a few moral principles if it meant gaining the upper hand.

But your ex-husband was a completely different man from the one you had married six years ago. And for the first time since you met, it was him that was always one step ahead of you.

It started with the children first. Isao and Jiro have always looked up to their father, eager to prove themselves as worthy Uchiha in his eyes. Deep down, however, they were momma's boys. Maybe because Sasuke was absent so frequently and for so long, or maybe because it was just a natural bond, the one between a mother and her sons.

With Sasuke stepping back from his shinobi duties, however, the balance had shifted. He started to be the one to take them to school and pick them up in the afternoon; he spend at least a few hours every afternoon training each one; he took them on day trips across the Land of Fire on weekends. Suddenly he was not just an absent figure of admiration in their life - instead, he was an active father, a hero, a mentor.

Then, he used that newly created bond to pull you back to your old home. At first, it was one day per week "for the boys' sake". Then it was every weekend, because "the kids deserved some sense of normality". Soon, your "new normal" was to spend almost every night back in the Uchiha compound, the casual dinners stretching into overnight stays. It wasn't till Isao and Jiro informed you that Sasuke has told them you three are moving back "home" that you realized how quickly and effectively he managed to push himself back into your life.

He had finally cracked the key to make you submit - while you were quick to dismiss and say 'no' to him, you were powerless when it was your children pleading with you.

"Ironic how you were the one accusing me of using my own sons as pawns once, yet here you are, doing exactly that," you muttered one evening, while cutting vegetables for dinner. While Sasuke was decent enough to provide you with your own house in the compound, between the boys constantly asking for family dinners and your ex-husband orchestrating late night activities for them to bond, you spend the majority of your time in the main house.

Sasuke, who was seated at the kitchen table, looked up from the scroll he was reading, his dark eyes boring into the back of your head.

"Isao and Jiro deserve to have a normal family," he said calmly, ignoring the loud snort that left your lips after he said those words. You casted a side glance at him, one of your brows raising in mock disbelief.

When you didn't receive an answer, you decided that maybe, just maybe, you needed to take it a little bit further.

"I am not going to be here for dinner tonight."

No answer.

"I have a date."

Sasuke's hand stilled and he lowered the scroll once again, his eyes closing. He knew your games by now, he knew it was not beyond you to use other males' attention as a tool to test his patience, yet he couldn't help but feel his stomach twist at the idea of you going out with another man.

"With who?" he asked after a minute of silence, making you smirk to yourself. Ah, there it was - the little crack in his stoic armor that you have been searching for! No matter how much he liked to pretend he hates you or doesn't care about you, the good old trick of bringing a another man into the conversation always worked.

"Oh, you don't know him," you replied casually, sliding the chopped vegetables into the pot and make a few stirs with the wooden spoon, "He is not a shinobi. A kind man, attentive and gentle... with two arms. Everything you are not, really."

A loud scoff left his lips and you turned around to face him, the wooden spoon dangling from your left hand. Sasuke looked at you with furrowed brows, his hand slowly starting to roll the scroll back.

"Doesn't seem you type," he observed, his head finally lifting in your direction. He didn't look half as bothered as you expected, yet you noticed the faintest flicker of annoyance bubbling right under the surface.

You needed to push just a liiiittlleeeee bit more.

"Oh, he is exactly my type!" you grinned at your ex-husband, before crossing your arms in front of your chest, "Still wondering how did I get so lucky!"

Surprisingly your words seemed to humor him and he let out a dry chuckle, while standing up from his seat. You watched him come closer, and you could feel your breath hitching as you saw his hand reaching toward your face.

But right when you thought he was about to cup your cheek, he reached to the small bowl on the shelf behind you and grabbed an apple.

"I think the real question is how did he get so unlucky," he smirked at you before taking a bite.

The AUDACITY of this man!

"Glad to know your sense of humour is just as nonexistent as it was before," you rolled your eyes at him, before turning around to stir your soup. Despite your attempt to pretend his closeness did not affect you, he could notice the small blush on the tip of your ears and the sudden stiffness in your shoulders.

"I am not joking," he calmly chewed his apple, his eyes trained on the side of your face, "He must be quite the loser to go after a woman who is still living with her husband and kids."

You grimaced at his words, your head turning to the side as you challenged him with a glare. If looks could kill, he would've been long gone by now.

"Ex-husband", you corrected him, your jaw clenching as you caught the slightest twitch of his lips upward, "I know you were too busy to attend the divorce hearing with the Hokage, but-"

"I was not busy!" he suddenly interrupted you, his expression becoming serious, "I was away because you orchestrated a whole false cult, which put our alliance with the Land of Snow at risk, just so you can keep me away for long enough to lie to Naruto and get him to sign your petition."

There was a brief silence during which you narrowed your eyes at him, before you shrugged your shoulders.

"I told you I want a divorce."

"And I told you, I am not going to give you one."

His words made you pause, the spoon still held tight by your right hand while you were clutching your apron with your left. You gave a few more stirs to your soup, before setting the utensil down and turning fully toward him.

"I always get what I want," you smiled sweetly, before reaching for his face. Just like you did before, he seemed to freeze for a few seconds, completely thrown off by your gesture. Just when he thought your fingers may brush against his skin, you snatched the apple from his hands, a victorious smirk on your face.

"I thought you knew that by now."

. . .

It wasn't everyday that a man had the chance to take out a beautiful woman out for a dinner, and such an occasion deserved special preparation.

When your date came to pick you up, he made sure to wear his nicest clothes, put his most expensive cologne and buy the biggest bouquet at the flower shop. He lifted his hand against the massive wooden door, nervously checking that he was right on time, before knocking a few times. The door creaked open, but the view that met him on the other side was not one he expected.

"Uh... hi!" he stammered, his cheeks becoming a light shade of pink as the dark-haired man before him stared at him blankly. A few minutes of silence passed, during which Sasuke looked him up and down, before he raised a dark brow.

"Are you lost?" your ex-husband asked impatiently. So far the only true characteristic from your description earlier is the fact the man had two arms. But handsome? Pffttt.

The man blinked rapidly before clearing his throat a bit. Of course, he found it strange that you told him to pick you up from the Uchiha compound, as you were not with Sasuke anymore, but he assumed you got the house during the divorce proceeding. He didn’t think you lived together.

"No, no! I am here to pick up-"

"My wife?" Sasuke interrupted, his expression bored. He had to bite back a smirk as he looked at your date chuckling nervously, before scratching the back of his head. It was as clear as day that you did all this to get him jealous, but honestly you could do so much better than this idiot.

"Your ex-wife" the man furrowed his brows, mentally praying to all deities he could think of, that you did not in fact get back together with the Uchiha. Not that he blamed you - if he was a woman, he wouldn't let go of him in the first place. You had not told him much about your marriage or why you separated, but it was clear that whatever dynamic you had going on was way more complicated than he first thought. He had heard rumours in town that Sasuke still referred to you as Mrs. Uchiha and while you pretended you have not noticed, the Uchiha crest was still proudly decorating the back of all of your kimonos.

Sasuke let his lips curve in a small smirk, as he leaned against the doorframe.

"You got the wrong door," he finally said, nodding his head toward the rest of the compound, where a numerous small houses were standing, separated by tight dark alleys, "Mrs. Uchiha lives further down in the compound."

"Oh?", your date exclaimed, his face twisted in something between confusion and reluctance, "Well, I am sorry to bother you then-"

"Follow me," Sasuke suddenly said, completely ignoring what the other man was about to say, before stepping out of the house and walking down the stairs. Your date hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking between your ex-husband and the now closed door, before reluctantly decided to follow.

"I am sorry if this is awkward-"

"Loose your tie a bit, you look like you are going to choke," Sasuke interrupted once again, his eyes trained on the dark path in front of him as he didn't even glance in the other male's direction, "And uncuff your trousers! It is ridiculous for a man your age to come to pick up a woman like my wife wearing socks with printed ducks on them."

Your date flushed red, as he hurried to loose his tie and fix the bottom of his pants, while Sasuke continued to walk toward the house where you were supposedly staying. For a moment your admirer wondered if this was not just one big ploy by your husband... ex-husband to get him alone and get rid of him. As he saw the shadow of your figure passing by one of the windows in the distance, however, he relaxed.

It was all fine. It was all going to be fine-

"Wait here," Sasuke instructed as they both reached the door, before reaching for the handle. Before the man can even open his mouth to reply, Sasuke slipped inside and shut the door right under his nose.

As you heard the door opening and closing, you came downstairs to the living room, where your ex-husband was standing with his hand on his waist. His eyes widened just the tiniest bit as they landed on your descending figure, his gaze slowly running from your hair, lifted in a straight high ponytail, to your chest where a gold metallic corset was pushing your breasts forward, showing just enough skin to wake up the imagination. The white fabric of your dress fell down in gentle folds, the high slits that run up each leg, offering a glimpse of your smooth skin with each step that you took.

Ethereal. Powerful. His.

If Sasuke had to describe with only a few words, it would be exactly these.

"Can I help you?" your voice brought Sasuke back to reality and he cleared his throat, his face immediately falling into its usual stoic expression. You smirked as you noticed the apple of his cheeks becoming a slight shade of red, the idea of still having that effect on him after years tickling your sensitive ego.

"Your date is here," he said blankly, his jaw clenching as he tried hard not to let his eyes wander down once again. Damn you, damn you, damn you! When did you even got that dress? Sasuke was pretty sure he knew each piece of clothing in your wardrobe and yet he has never seen this one. There was no doubt in his mind that you didn't do all this for the awkward loser outside, you did this for him.

"Alright," you hummed, leaning your head to the side as you fixed one of your earrings, "And why are you here? You could've just send him down, you didn't have to play the role of a tour guide."

And of course your big mouth just had to shatter whatever fantasy was swirling in Sasuke's head as he was still staring at you. He rolled his eyes, a quiet scoff escaping his lips.

"If I didn't show him where you are, he would've been doing circles around the compound all night," he gave you a funny look, as he lifted a brow, "Really? You said he is the "whole package" - kind, smart, handsome, ... so far the only true thing turned out to be that he indeed have all his limbs."

You clicked your tongue as you moved toward the large mirror in the corner of the living room, completely ignoring your ex-husband who watched each one of yours steps like a predator ready to pounce on his prey any second now.

"Oh, don't be so harsh!" you glanced over your shoulder so you can give him a small smirk, "He can be polished here and there, but he still has his charm."

He let out a small chuckle, as he started to make slow, deliberate steps in your direction.

"He came to pick you up wearing socks with ducks..."

You lifted a brow, your mischievous gaze meeting Sasuke's through the reflection of the mirror.

"Oh? I didn't know that they did socks with your face on them, let alone that he is a fan."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at your childish jab, before his features twisted in amusement. Since you saw that one childhood photo with Team 7 years ago, you just couldn't let his old hairstyle go. While he usually would scoff or roll his eyes at your antics, now he held your gaze firmly as he closed the remaining distance between you, his chest pressing against your upper back.

"You have always been one hell of a woman...," he muttered, his breath tickling the back of your neck. Your breathing increased slightly as you watched him lean over your shoulder, the playful tension that was filling the room till now quickly turning into something else.

"Do you think he can handle you?" Sasuke continued, the side of his face pressing against yours as he continued to stare right into your soul. His hand made its way toward your waist, harshly pulling you back against him till you could feel the print of his hardness right against your bottom. You let out a short gasp, instinctively leaning back against him.

"Do you think he can keep up with your little games? To match your fire, your temper..."

His hand moved lower, the tips of his rough fingers grazing the bit of visible skin there causing another shaky breath to leave your lips. It was embarrassing, how wet and bothered he managed to get you just with a single stare and a few words. The lacy underwear you have been wearing was already soaked, sticking to your puffy lips as you tried to rub your thighs together before Sasuke dug his fingers in your skin, stilling you in place.

"You're so dirty," he laughs quietly, his chapped lips grazing the tip of your ear, before landing a small kiss right behind it, "Was that your plan all along? To bring a naive fool to our home, so I can fuck some brains into you? Remind you that you belong to me?"

The blissful state your mind was in was shattered to pieces as he reminded you about your date. Shit, he was right in front of the door! As if he somehow read your mind, just second later there was an urgent knock on the door.

"Hello? Anybody there?"

Your eyes widened and you tried to push your ex-husband's hand away from you, which made him only grip you tighter. His hips buckled against you and you bit your lip, holding back a groan.

"Tell him you are going to be a minute," Sasuke instructed against your ear, his lips slowly kissing their way down to your shoulder, "Don't send him away... yet."

There was a hint of darkness in his tone and this was your first sign that you should do anything but what he is telling you. As his hand slipped through the slit of your dress and between you thighs, however, you couldn't even form a single thought in your brain, let alone follow it.

"I will be a.. ah!... minute," you called out, your voice shaking as you felt your ex-husband dragging his fingers against your laced pussy, collecting the juices that were now freely flowing through the thin material, "I am just about to be... ready."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile triumphally not only at the fact that you did exactly what he told you, but that no matter how much you said you hated him and how many stunts you pulled against him, you could still crumble in his hand with him barely doing anything.

He grazed your soaked pussy, avoiding the bundle of nerves that you desperately tried to get him to touch by wriggling your hips left and right. It was laughable, really - you always talked back to him, you always liked to oppose... yet in moments like now, there was nothing but pathetic whimpers leaving your lips.

"Sasuke," you groaned in a hushed town, earing nothing but a low chuckle from your ex-husband. The pads of his ring and middle finger circled your entrance, his smirk becoming bigger as he could feel your soaked panties basically clutching to your lips now.

"What is it, my wife?" he dragged the last word down, his mouth latching against the sensitive skin on the side of your neck. Your head fell back against his shoulder, both of your hands now gripping his muscular forearm as he finally pushed your panties to the side. As he reached for your clit, gently rolling the little pearl against his thumb and forefinger, you let out a loud moan, unable to hold back anymore. Your knees buckled and you pressed your ass and back firmly against him, seeking any type of steadiness before you fall to the floor.

"What do you want, hm?" Sasuke muttered, his eyes moving back to the mirror so he could observe your fucked out expression - eyes shut tightly; glossy lips open in the prettiest 'o' shape; red colours spreading from your cheeks all down your neck... Fuck, you were a handful, but for this sight he was ready to take anything you threw his way - from insults to your poor attempts to make him jealous.

"Sasuke, you know what I want," you whined again, your head rolling against his shoulder till you found yourself face to face with him, "Just give it to me."

In any other situation he would've made you wait longer - after all you had been giving him nothing but headaches in the past few months. But as he looked down at you, his pretty wife, who was practically asking him to take her once again, to reclaim her as fully his... How could he say 'no'?

Spreading your glistering puffy lips apart, he collected some of your arousal, before roughly burying two fingers inside. You immediately fall forward, your hands gripping the sides of the mirror, as Sasuke immediately start pumping his digits in a rough pace. It's not hurtful - you are so wet, you are pretty sure you could even take his dick without any preparation - yet he couldn't mask the slight smugness he felt once he felt how tight you were. A clear sign you haven’t been with another man since him.

“Ah-Sas-..Sasuke!” you panted as his fingers brushed that one spongy spot inside of you that was making you see stars. The room was filled with your gasps and the slick sound of his hand rhythmically moving in and out of you, so loud that Sasuke was sure that the poor fool outside was hearing just as clearly.

As he felt the slight shiver of your thighs he roughly pulled his fingers out, before landing a loud slap on your quivering pussy. You gasped, your eyes immediately opening wide so you can glare at your ex-husband.

"Arrogant prick!" you thought as turned to face him but before you could say the words out loud, he wrapped his hand around your forearm before roughly pulling you toward the door.

"What are you doing?" you hissed, your eyes widening as your stumbled after him. You expected the jealousy, but making you open the door in the dishevelled state you were in was just cruel. Sasuke didn't answer, but just as you thought he would open the door and force you to face your poor date, he turned you around and slammed your back against it.

"Hello? Is everything okay in there?" your date's voice sounded and Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. There is no way that idiot did not hear your whimpers of pleasure and especially the sound of your drenched pussy sucking your ex-husband's fingers in an out, why was he still here? He was either deaf or really, really ignorant.

Either way, Sasuke was determined to show him who you belong to. Or even better, he was determined to make you show him.

"Everything is fine... I will be a minute," you called out, your eyes focused on the mismatched ones of your lover - fuck, ex-lover.

Damn you, Sasuke Uchiha!

Deep down whatever consciousness you had left was quietly whispering that you should feel bad. That you actually genuinely liked the man on the other side of the door and, for once, you wanted to experience love. Real one, gentle... like the ones of all the other couples you keep seeing on the streets. Without the fighting, without the hatred, without the constant pain and hurt.

Yet as you stared at Sasuke, you felt yourself being consumed once again by the fire that has always burned between you. It was maddening and reckless to go back into the same cycle, the one that felt more like a battle rather than war.

"You are unbelievable!" you groaned quietly, your teeth gritting against each other, "Why can't you just let go? I don't want you anymore! I want something normal, something that doesn't hurt all the time!"

Sasuke's expression darkened and he narrowed his eyes while studying you. He remained silent for a minute and you thought that he may finally back off, but instead he stepped even closer, trapping you between his muscular chest and the door. His hand moved to cradle your jaw, while his head leaned forward.

"You can keep repeating the same lie over and over," he muttered, his lips barely brushing against yours, "But you know that is not who you are. It's not who we are."

A small sigh left past your lips and Sasuke used it as sign to close the little distance between you. You and him have been intimate thousands of times before, but your shared kisses can be counted on the fingers of your one hand. Maybe because kisses were usually saved for lovers, the one that shared the sweet and kind type of love, rather than the raw and brutal one you had between you. Or maybe they have always been too intimate, a confession that neither of you were ready to make till now.

Unlike other times this kiss was not just a peck or a battle of dominance. It was slow and deep, an act which was supposed to show everything that both of you couldn't put into words. As he licked your bottom lip, you opened your mouth to welcome his tongue in it - an opportunity which he eagerly took, pressing you harder against the door with his body. His hand roamed between your waist and your thighs, before he reached for your chest, grabbing one of your breasts and squeezing roughly.

"Ah, Sasuke!" you gasped your head falling back, as his lips moved down your neck, softly sucking and biting the sensitive skin there. While there was a certain roughness to his moves, he was still way gentler than usual, making you rub your thighs together in a weak attempt to get some friction. He must've saw that because a second later, he roughly pushed his own leg between yours, preventing you from getting any type of relief.

You opened your eyes just enough to send him a glare but closed them once again as you felt his fingers swiftly untying the top of your corset, before pulling your breasts out and pinching your left nipple. Sasuke could barely hold back a smirk, as you watched your back arch forward, seeking even closer contact with him.

As he moved down your body, placing damp kiss down your collarbone, chest and side of your breast, his hand found it's way under your dress once again. He started to draw small circles on your swollen clit, as his lips wrapped around your other nipple and before you could sink your teeth in your lip, you made the loudest, most pornographic moan both Sasuke and your date have ever heard.

A few moves were enough for your legs to start trembling once again, the knot from your previous denied orgasm forming once again at the pit of your stomach. You opened your eyelids as you looked down at Sasuke, who was still kissing, sucking and biting your breasts, leaving his marks all over the soft skin.

"Sasuke...," you mumbled, your hips buckling as he slipped two of his fingers inside, his thumb increasing its pace on your clit. Suddenly everything felt overwhelming - the image of your ex-husband in front of you, the sound of your date who was now eagerly knocking on the door behind you, mumbling something about how all the Uchihas can go to hell, the light above you which was suddenly shining brighter the closer you were getting to the edge.

"Come for me," Sasuke muttered against the plush skin of your boob, the harsh bite that followed enough to make the knot inside of you snap. Your fingers pulled his black locks earing a small hiss from him, finally freeing your chest from his lips.

He held you close to him as you slowly came back to your senses, your body limp in his arms. The knocking on the door behind you had stopped long ago, the memory of your date swearing and throwing the flowers he had brought against the window next to you now echoing at the back of your mind. Before you had the time to think about him, however, your ex-husband fell to his knees, his hand lifting one of your legs on his shoulder as he lifted your dress above your hips.

Sasuke had felt the lacy material under his fingers earlier, but as he was now looking at the type of underwear you had chosen to go out on a date with another man, he felt the earlier jealousy coming back to his chest. White lacy panties, which were now drenched with both your arousal and the juices from your release, with a white bow on the front... really?

"Were you planning to let him fuck you?", he asked annoyed, his forehead creasing as he glanced up at you. A bright red colour covered your cheeks, but you turned to the side, refusing to answer.

Were you? Sure, maybe the thought had crossed your mind and maybe this is exactly why you choose these panties. But deep down, you knew that even if you went on that date and let him bring you back to his house, you would've probably backed out in the last minute.

No one can handle you the way Sasuke can.

"Answer!" Sasuke snapped impatiently, his fingers pinching your swollen and oversensitive clit through your panties. You quickly shook your head, your hands burying themselves in his silky hair once again so you can pull his head away just enough to see his eyes.

"Of course not!" you said and Sasuke rolled his eyes, half-expecting for you to deny the truth anyway. If he wasn't face to face to your drenched cunt, the aroma of your juices fogging his mind with only one thought - that he needed to have you - he would've probably told you off. But even if he was one of the most powerful men on the planet, he was still just a man - and with this ethereal sight in front of hem, he could do no more than remain on his knees and worship you the way you deserved to be worshiped.

With one harsh move, your panties pooled down your ankles while your ex-husband buried his head between your legs. Sasuke always prided himself to be a man of self-control and discipline, yet the moment he got to taste you, he forgot any of that.

Heavy puffs of air mixed with loud moans, as he latched his slightly chapped lips on your clit, sucking harshly before lightly flicking the tip of his tongue against it. Your hands harshly gripped his hair, making an attempt to push him away from your oversensitive folds, which were met with a rough slap against the inside of your thight.

"Hold still, brat," he mumbled as his tongue buried itself inside of you, his nose rubbing against your shiny pearl. You wanted to snap at him, tell him he knows how much you hate when he calls you that, but your body could do nothing else than to buckle against his face, your eyelids shutting down so tightly, bursts of rainbow colours infiltrated your closed vision.

He could feel your walls tightening around his tongue, more of your sweet nectar flowing from your pussy as he hungrily drank everything you gave him. Sasuke was rarely so desperate and open, completely giving up control as he made a mess out of both of you.

"Sasuke, please-," you tried to beg, an usual softness filling your voice as you sought mercy from him. And while his pants were getting uncomfortably tight, he wanted to teach you a lesson, to show you that you are his and his only. You deserved no mercy.

Not after all your little stunts recently.

Sasuke could feel his tip leaking pre-cum just from all the sweet sounds you made, encouraging him to only start lapping at your puffy lips faster and faster, his fingers digging themselves into your soft thigh as you tried to pull away and push yourself closer at the same time.

"One more," he whispered into your pussy, his lips and chin dripping with your arousal, "I know you can give me one more."

You whimpered in response, your head falling back as he pulled a second orgasm out of you, slurping all of your juices without pulling away even for a second to breathe.

His erratic movements soon turned into sloppy licks as he cleaned you up, his tongue catching every single drop of your release. You twitched in his grasp, weakly pushing him away, the feeling of his mouth too much for your oversensitive pussy right now.

Sasuke slowly lowered your leg from his shoulder back on the ground, his arm tightly gripping the side of your hip as he tried to stabilize your quivering form.

"You came only twice and you are already shaking like a leaf," he noted with a smirk, before standing up back to his feet. Blinking a few times, you tried to ground yourself back to reality, before your arms found their way around his neck, leaning your full weight against him.

"Gosh, just shut up!" you mumbled, not wanting to break out from your euphoric state just to deal with the annoying ramblings of your ex-husband. He clicked his tongue, his hand moving to your lower back and pressing you flush against him.

For the first time in all the years you have known each other, you stood in each other's embrace without the weight of anger, hate or pride threatening to crush you. There was no shouting, no flying objects, no painful insults - just you, holding each other and silently admitting that neither of you wanted normal.

You craved chaos. You craved the intensity, the frustration, the pain, the longing.

You craved him.

Pulling back just enough to look at him, your eyes searches his mismatched ones for something - anger, hesitation, adoration, anything. You wanted... you didn't even know what you wanted either. Maybe some clarity, maybe a sign that it doesn't always have to be this messy, this hurtful and this complicated.

All you were met with was the same dark gaze that he always had when he laid his eyes on you. It was never loving or soft, not in the way that he was looking at your children, for example. With you they were always holding a storm of emotions behind them, one which you could never fully decipher.

Desire? Regret? Irritation? Admiration? Pride? Hate?

They were all there, clashing and mixing in such a way that you were never sure if he was looking at you like you were his biggest regret in life or like he couldn't bear the thought of you being anywhere else but by his side.

Hesitantly, you lifted yourself on your toes and pressed your lips against him. It was a gentle peck, unlike your kiss earlier. Sasuke stiffened for a moment, his eyes widening at the unexpected softness from you. Was this another one of your games? But before he could think more about it, you grabbed his hand and started to pull him back into the house and up the stairs to your bedroom.

Sasuke followed you almost instinctively, a certain cautiousness to his steps. He watched you open the door, before you gently pushed him in till the back of his knees hit the bed and he reluctantly sat down. His eyes twitched as you stood before his open legs, expertly undoing the rest of your corset before throwing it to the side. Your hands then slowly pushed the straps of your dress down, allowing it to fall down at your ankles, leaving you completely bare in front of him.

"What are you doing?" he asked sharply as he watched you climb up his lap. Despite his hostility, however, he didn't push you away. Instead his eyes bore into yours, studying you and trying to understand the underlying motive of your actions.

You were never this... soft. Not with him, anyway. Your sex life was a mirror of your relationship - urgent, rough, fast. You never made love - you fucked. It often felt like a battle of dominance, rather than a union between your bodies.

Now, however, you were taking your time. Your forehead gently pressed against his, as your hand started to slowly unbutton his shirt, before sliding it down his muscular shoulders. You have seen his body countless of times before, but this time it felt different. There was no other light other than the bright moonlight coming through the window, as you dragged your fingers across the numerous healed scars across his skin. It was such a stark contrast - the softness of your hands, ones that never even held a weapon, against the roughness of his body, one built for battles and war.

His breath hitched as he felt one of your hands slide down the shoulder of his missing arm and he involuntarily twitched away, almost as if he was trying to hide it away from you. His reaction was not surprising - he always tried to hide the imperfect parts of himself, his Rinnegan and his missing arm, either by using the solace of the darkness or by having you in such positions that your back would be facing his naked form.

In this moment there was nowhere to hide. And Sasuke wasn't sure he liked that.

"Don't," he said, his voice rough, "I swear, if this is one of your games-"

Another unexpected peck on his lips interrupted his train of thoughts as you continued your exploration of his body. It was weird not only for him, but also for you - he never let you in like that, not when he was completely exposed and vulnerable. It felt like you explored him for the first time, and in a way, you actually were. No walls, no layers of hate and tension between you.

"Shh...," you whispered, your breath ghosting across his skin, "I am not going to hurt you."

Sasuke wanted to scoff at your words. There was no reality or place in time where the two of you didn't hurt each other. Neither of you knew how to stop. Pain was part of who you were and as twisted as it was, it was at the core of your love for each other.

His muscles tensed as your hands slid down his abs and started to work on the strings of his pants. His hand instinctively shot out to catch your wrist, stopping your mid-way of unzipping his pants, as his breathing became heavier. He locked his eyes on you, searching for a sign, any sign that you were just playing him - either a small smirk or a mischievous spark in your eyes - yet there were none.

The look in your eyes was one of a lover, not an enemy.

Loosening his grip on your wrist, he watched you as you pulled his zipper down before he lifted his hips so you can slide down his pants. Your lips found their way to his neck, pressing soft kisses against his warm skin as you slowly trained downward. He let out a shaky breath as he felt you kissing his scars, spending extra time on the ones on his chest and abdomen before you slid down on your knees in front of him.

In the past, you have always refused to pleasure him orally. "It's something that only lovers do", you would say with a frown, drawing a clear boundaries of what you were willing to do in the bedroom. Sasuke never pushed for it, either - one thing about him is that no matter how dominant or controlling he was, he respected your wishes. As someone who wasn't particularly needy or with a high libido, he didn't care that much.

But as he watched you grab his rock hard cock in your hand, slowly rubbing your thumb across the tip and smearing the leaking pre-cum, he wondered if he actually didn't care or if he just never knew what he was missing. The sigh before him - his beautiful, defiant wife sitting on her knees and slowly pumping his dick, while placing soft kisses across his thighs - was one that has only appeared once or twice in his dreams before.

Your pace was slow, almost painful as you moved closer and closer to where he was needing you the most, your eyes shifting toward his face every few seconds in order to catch each one of his reactions. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed loudly, a pink colour covering his pale cheeks and neck. His eyes bore into yours, a barely addible moan leaving his lips once you finally wrap your lips around his pink mushroom tip.

Digging one of your hands in his thigh, you take more of him, slowly moving your head back and forth while coating his dick in a mix of your spit and his pre-cum. Sasuke groans once he feels him reaching the back of your throat and his hand instinctively goes to your head, gripping your ponytail as he tried to ground himself and not cum right then and there.

If there was heaven, this had to be it. And maybe he was there, because in what world would his ex-wife suck him off on an evening she was supposed to be out with someone else? You looked up at him through your lashes as you hollowed your cheeks, a new wave of pleasure washing over your body as you saw him closing his eyes.

"Fuck...," he breathed out, a thin layer of sweat starting to form on the top of his forehead, "My wife... just like that.."

His words only seemed to encourage you and you hummed around him, the vibrations making him buck his hips involuntarily. As you started to move faster, his grip on your hair tightened and your hand trailed down back between your legs where your pussy was clenching around nothing.

You pulled away slightly, twirling your tongue over his slit before sliding it down all the way down to his balls. You laid a few small kisses on each one, before taking his left one in your mouth and sucking harshly, earning yourself a sharp gasp from him. It was almost intoxicating, having so much power over a man, who had spend years trying to make you submit to him.

As you took his cock in your mouth again, you put even more effort in trying to bring him closer to the edge. Burying your face against his h pelvis, you flattened your tongue as you felt his head brushing at the back of your throat. Shiny tears started to roll down your cheeks and you gagged around his fat length, the need to pull away to take a breath burning your lungs, yet you didn't stop.

"Ah.. I'm.. close...," he breathed out and you could see his chest starting to move rapidly up and down, as his hold on your head tightened. Once you started to feel him pulsating, however, you pulled out with a loud 'pop', grinning once he gives you a nasty glare.

"What the actual fuck?" he snaps, his brain still foggy with the need to cum, "Are you serious?"

You only roll your eyes in response to your ex-husband's dramatic reaction, before you stood up and made your way back on top of him Resting your hands on his chest, you pushed him down till he was laying flat on his back and you hovered your dripping cunt over his pulsating cock.

Whatever other complaint he was ready to give quickly died in his throat as the moonlight exposed your full beauty in front of him - makeup smeared across your cheeks, fat tears still pooling at the corners of your eyes, pussy glistering in the juices of your own arousal. It was a messy sight - filthy, even - and a perfect representation of your love for each other.

"I need you inside of me," you gasp, your thighs trembling as you brush your swollen clit against his tip, "I need to -ah! I need to feel you!"

You didn't wait for a response as you grabbed his cock and the base and aligned it with your entrance, before slowly sinking in. Your eyes remained locked on his and almost in unison, a loud moan left both of your lips.

"Fuck..," you whimpered, your walls involuntarily tightening around Sasuke's dick as you adjusted to his length. His mouth and fingers could make you see stars, but nothing could even remotely compare to the feeling of having him inside of you. It felt like you were made for each other, his thickness stretching you out just enough for the pain to be pleasurable.

As you started to slowly move up and down, Sasuke gripped the side of your waist helping your keep a steady rhythm. His teeth sank in his bottom lip as his moved down and focused to where the two of you connected.

You let out a loud yelp when he suddenly landed a heavy slap on one of your plush ass cheeks, digging his fingers into its softness. He could feel your juices leaking all over his thighs, the sound of skin slapping against skin becoming louder as your moves become faster.

"Good girl," he muttered, his feet planting firmly on the bed so he can start thrusting up. He did try to entertain the idea of giving you control at least for one night, he really did, but fuck - how could he, when you looked so divine above him?

The new angle allowed for his cock to hit straight into that one sensitive spot inside you and you suddenly lost balance, collapsing on top of his chest as his hand moved toward the back of your head, keeping you down so he can hit that same spot over and over again.

"Sas-ah!" you whined, your nails digging into his hard chest, leaving angry red marks after themselves. Sasuke could only smirk, his heavy breath tickling the side of your face as he picked up the pace.

"What's wrong?" he teased, his hand yanking your head back by your hear so he can inspect your face, "Did you get tired already?"

Opening your eyes, you let out a few tears fall freely down your cheeks as you glared down at him. The mix of pleasure and pain was clouding your mind and you could do nothing but moan helplessly as he roughly fucked you, completely disregarding the sensual and gentle tone you tried to settle earlier.

As you started clenching around him, the first sign that you were approaching yet another orgasm, Sasuke swiftly turned you around, laying you under him as he hovered over you, the tip of his cock brushing against your entrance, yet not entering fully.

"Sasuke," you whined, trying to move yourself down so he can fill the burning emptiness inside of you, "C'mon, don't stop now!"

Sasuke only smirked at your words before grabbing his cock, sliding it up and down your pussy lips, before flicking your aching clit with his head. You let out a small moan, the oversensitivity causing your cunt to clench around nothing.

"Beg for it."

No amount of pleasure could cloud your mind enough for such words to slip by without your eyes immediately widening. Was he serious? As you watched him looking at you with that small annoying smile on his lips, you tried your best to avoid the aching need between your legs as you snorted loudly in response.

"I rather die needy and unsatisfied," you huffed, your brows furrowing as a small crease appeared in the middle of your sweaty forehead, "Than to beg my douchebag ex-husband to fuck me."

Your words seemed to humour him as he pushed the tip in, earning a small gasp from you before withdrawing again, his hand slowly pumping his cock as he watched you wriggling beneath him.

"What happened to "I am not going to hurt you"?" he tilted his head to the side, "I thought that included insults and your usual low blows as well."

You rolled your eyes, frustration mixing with annoyance as he continued to stroke himself in front of you, completely ignoring the fact you were dripping with need to be touched by him.

"Since when you are such a rambler?" you snapped, a loud huff escaping your lips as you started to lift yourself on your elbows, "If I knew you would waste my night like this, I would've just spend it with my date inste-"

Your sentence was cut off short as he suddenly wrapped his hand around your throat, pressing you back into the pillow as he entered you with one move. He was not gentle or careful - his dick slid all the way in, his heavy balls slapping against your ass as he dug his nails into your neck.

"Shut up!" he hissed, as his pace increased even more from before. Your legs dangled weakly around his hips, as you shut your eyes, the all familiar knot starting to form inside of your stomach once again. His pace was brutal, almost animalistic, as the headboard of the bed was hitting against the wall with a rhythmic thump! thump! thump!.

"You always have to open your big mouth, don't you?" he panted, his abs clenching as he adjusted his hips forward, practically folding your body under his weight, "I'm sick of your little games, I'm sick of your attitude... fuck, I'm so sick of you!"

Instead of taking insult, your jaw dopped in a silent scream as your back arched in pleasure. You could feel your orgasm coming closer and closer, as Sasuke was squishing your under his body, his pelvis rubbing against your pulsating clit. You could feel his pace becoming more erratic as he chased his own pleasure, his fingers still tightly wrapped around your throat.

"You are going to marry me again," he panted against your mouth as he pressed his forehead against yours, "And this time I won't let you go... Ever. Again."

Just like the first "proposal", this was more of a declaration rather than a question. And just like the last time you found yourself unable to defy him, as his words combined with the way you could feel each inch of him rubbing against your tight walls, was enough to send you over the edge.

A loud moan escaped your lips as your pussy leaked cum around his cock, forming a white circle at the base. His hips stuttered as he felt you clamp around him, ropes of thick cum filling your tight pussy till it started to overflow with his seed. He thrusted once, twice, making sure he had emptied fully inside of you before he collapsed on top of you, his face burying where your shoulder and neck meet.

You let out a sigh, your hands instinctively wrapping around him as you ran your fingers through his black hair. Slowly, his breath became steadier and his heart rate slower as both of you let the reality of what you just did settle. His last words rang in your head, as your eyes remained focused on the ceiling above you.

"It would never end, would it?" you whispered in a hushed tone, almost as if you were hesitant to break the silence between you two. Sasuke stilled, his head moving to the side so he can give you a questioning glance.

"This cycle that we are in... This constant push and pull, the hurt, the twisted love that we have for each other. "

You could feel his body tense at your last words, as he let them sink. Slowly, his hand let go of your throat, before he gently brushed a few hairs away from your sweaty forehead. His gaze softened as he adjusted his position so he can study your face, his eyes trailing down the messy streaks of makeup down your cheeks.

"No," he finally murmured, his voice quieter than usual, "Maybe it's not meant to end. Maybe that's just who we are."

"What? Broken?", you laughed dryly, turning your head to the side so your eyes meet. Sasuke's expression remained blank, as his hand moved down so he can take yours in his. He didn't answer but the way his jaw clenched and his eyes hardened were enough of confirmation. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but this is exactly who you were - two broken people who never learned to give or receive anything else other than raw and painful love.

"I do love you," he suddenly said, breaking the short silence that has settled between you, "But I only know one way to."

His confession hung between you as an open wound that both of you tried to cover for too long, causing a mix of relief and heartache to swirl inside your chest. His fingers brushed against your ring finger, where your wedding band once was, and you closed your eyes, silently accepting that no matter how hard you tried to escape, you were always pulled back.

Letting go of his hair, you reached toward the bedside cabinet before you pulled first drawer open, and you got a small velvet box out. Inside, your polished wedding band shined brightly, reflecting the moonlight as you pulled it out and slid it back on your finger. Sasuke's eyes carefully followed your movements, before he took your hand in his once again, his head falling against your chest as he inhaled your scent.

You had made many mistakes in your life. Ironically, the biggest one was not him.

Instead, it was the illusion that you could escape from him, or from what you had. You couldn't. And the truth is, deep inside, you didn't want to.

cc artwork: pinterest <3

#sasuke uchiha x reader #sasuke uchiha smut #naruto x reader #naruto imagines #sasuke uchiha fanfic #naruto smut #uchiha sasuke x reader #sasuke smut

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vandnana · 23 days ago

Text

In Love With The Enemy [V]

Chapter 5: Four-Fingered Freaks

pairing: lo’ak x female turned na’vi reader

summary: during the time when jake became toruk makto, you were quaritch’s youngest and most valued soldier, the daughter he never had. but, pandora changed you and you died during the final battle, betraying quaritch and wishing that you had been able to do more. now, you have been reborn again, as a na’vi, tasked with quaritch’s new military avatar crew to kill Jake Sully. taking advantage of this second chance at life, you help the Sullys and fall in love along the way.

genre: fluff, angst ~ slow burn, pining on lo’ak’s part.

warnings: mentions of blood, war, violence

highlights: [entry into the metkayina, reader reconnecting with her love of science and pandora, lo'ak and reader getting closer and closer!!! classic sully sibling bickering and teasing over lo'ak's crush on reader, tuk being sooo adorable]

word count: 22,071

note: this chapter ended up being super long!! let me know in the comments how you liked it!

You were headed to the Eastern Sea to seek refuge with the Metkayina.

The Reef People.

Amidst thousands of islands and over fifty clans, you could just vanish without a trace.

And it was in the main village, Awa'atlu, that you would seek refuge.

As you all flew for what felt like days, you tried not to get too sick of the water already, the blue above and below melding together as it hypnotized you. Every time you closed your eyes, you found comfort in remembering the Forest. The thought grounded you and the echoes of Mo'at's wisdom elevated your spirits.

"There!" Jake called out, pointing at the entrance of Awa'atlu in the distance.

Looking ahead, you were surprised to find mountain ranges beyond, the presence of the village distinct as colossal tree-like barriers acted as terraces, separating the treacherous, dark blue, open water from the giant, calm turquoise pools that were against the barrier, waterfalling into an even bigger body of that same water, tranquil in comparison to the roaring ocean beyond.

Their homes were just above the water and were extensions of the seemingly infinite branches from the trees that grew on the bottom of their mountain range, each branch providing a pillar for the people's homes— their maruis.

When you finally landed, you and the rest of the Sullys stepped forward cautiously, awaiting for the chief and the tsahik to arrive. You looked at the metkayina, studying them. Their skin more of a cyan color, striped, almost matching the water below you, their tails were broader and paddle-shaped. Their eyes were larger and so were their forearms and legs, fin-like structures adding to their expanded appearance. Many were adorned with tattoos, clearly symbolic and important to their rituals as a people.

And as you studied them, they studied you, their eyes locked in on your flying forms, mixtures of emotion discernible in their expressions. Confusion, fear, awe, disgust...you saw it and heard it all. Two young men came forward, snickering as they laughed at your odd appearance. You fought every urge to glare at them as you greeted them cordially, placing your fingers to your forehead as you gave them a proper greeting. The other Sullys followed your lead, following your gaze.

"Rotxo, Aonung, stop that." A gentle, but firm voice scolded.

A young woman who had just emerged from the water looked at you apologetically, smiling at you reassuringly. You returned her smile. It was the first sign of kindness from anyone in the entire village.

But, you understood their fear and hesitation. It mirrored how the Omaticaya felt when you first landed on Pandora.

The arrival of the chief silenced the rest of the village, his presence easing the Metkayina as they awaited his judgment.

Tonowari greeted Jake warmly, recognizing him as Toruk Makto. You were relieved to not be met with hostility, the rest of you greeting him properly as you extended your hands from your forehead to his.

"Why have you come to us Jake Sully?" Tonowari asked, his expression remained strong, but behind his eyes you could see his concern.

He knew the Great Toruk Makto would not journey so far for a simple favor. From behind him came his wife, Ronal, her eyes already showing her disapproval.

"We seek uturu." Jake let out, earning gasps from the surrounding crowd.

"Uturu?" Ronal repeated, squinting her eyes as she observed you all.

"Yes, sanctuary for my family." You looked at Jake, your eyes softening.

You had never heard him sound so desperate. He was never one to plead.

"We are Reef People. You are Forest People. your skills will mean nothing here." Tonowari stated.

"Well, we will learn your ways. Am I right?" Jake reassured him, looking behind him as you all nodded in agreement.

"Their arms are thin." Ronal held up Tuk's arm, then moved on to Kiri, "Their tails are weak. You will be slow in the water."

Then she slowly walked toward you, looking you up and down, and her eyes widening as she took your hands and lifted them up, "They have demon blood. They're not even true Na'vi!"

You pulled your hand down from her grasp, huffing quietly as you did your best to hold your tongue, but Kiri defended you instantly, “Yes we are!” You put a hand on Kiri's, showing your gratefulness.

Jake sighed, lifting his own hands up, “Look, look! I was once of the Sky People, but now I’m Na’vi. You can adapt. We will adapt. Okay?"

"Toruk Makto is a great war leader. All Na'vi people know his story. But we Metkayina are not at war. We cannot let you bring your war here." Tonowari explained, but his words were already something Jake had considered.

"I'm done with war. I just want to keep my family safe." Again, although his voice was firm, he was pleading.

Ronal and Tonowari shared glances with one another, and although she seemed to still be against the idea, she gave her silent approval with a gentle nod.

“Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us.” Tonowari announced, “Treat them like our brothers and sisters. Now, they do not know the sea. So they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so they do not suffer the shame of being useless."

And although Tonowari instructed the people to act like you were their own, you could still feel the tension as they stared at you, bore into you with judgment.

"My son Aonung, our daughter, Tsireya, will show your children what to do." Tonowari added, extending his arm to one of the young men who had laughed at you before and the young woman who urged him to stop.

"But father—" Aonung protested, but Tonowari's glare silenced him.

Tsireya, however, was delighted, nodding as she approached you all, "Come! I will show you our village."

You took your place beside Jake as he followed Tsireya, and the rest of the Sullys followed after you all. Neytiri and Kiri more so trudged, their sadness evident with every heavy step they took. Neteyam and Lo'ak merely looked lost as they took everything in, while Tuk, with her youthful spirit, peered at the new surroundings with curiosity and wonder.

You, yourself, couldn't help but be in awe of their ways. The scientist in you absorbing all your eyes could see. You were listening to Tsireya as she was explaining where everything was and what everything was. She led you through the village, which felt like a maze at first, collecting supplies and necessities for what would be your new home.

Their walkways were made of strong net-like material, yet with each step you took, the tensile proved to be bouncy meeting your foot with every up and down maneuver.

You looked below you at the water, various fish and aquatic creatures swimming gracefully through the water. The bigger animals, much like ikrans, were mounted by the Metkayina, trilling as you walked past them.

Other Metkayina dove straight into the water from the walkways, others breaching the surface to watch you all walk through, their expressions filled with uncertainty and weariness.

"Like babies taking their first breath, huh?" You raised an eyebrow at Jake.

He chuckled softly, "Yep. When was that for you? Like yesterday?"

You rolled your eyes at him, "When was that for you? Like a million years ago?"

You patted his back as he smiled. It was the first time he smiled since you landed in Awa'atlu and you were relieved to see it.

He looked behind at his family, knitting his eyebrows as he made eye contact with you again, "You think I made the right decision?"

You gazed up at him, surprised by his question, "It's not like you Jake to second guess yourself. What's wrong? Afraid to dip your toes in the water?"

"I'm being serious, y/n." Jake replied, "Maybe there was another way. I've fought your father before, I could have succeeded again. We could have stayed in The Forest."

"You may be out, but you never lose the attitude."

Jake had told you that long ago, and the way he was questioning himself, that phrase rang in your mind.

In his eyes, you could see him wrestling with his old self, the Jake that had an insane propensity to take risks. You brought that old Jake back, your presence returning that side of himself he didn't know he had buried. And while that part of him would always stay, he wasn't just Jake, your best friend, anymore. He was Jake, the husband of Neytiri and the father of their children. He carried the mantle of the name Sully with a legacy in front of him, and risking that legacy was never an option.

"You said it yourself, Jake. You're done with war, but my father woke up ready to start one." You took a deep breath before continuing, "I think what you're really trying to say is that you're worried for your family. But, you don't need to be. They'll be okay."

"You really believe that?" The last time you saw Jake like this was during your conversation before the bulldozers came.

You couldn't help but chuckle aloud, patting his shoulder again, "Jake, you've got a badass wife and your kids," You looked behind you and catching Lo'ak's eyes, you smiled, "They're more capable than you give them credit for."

Jake shook his head, but you knew he took what you said to heart, "I think coming back from the dead made you wiser," He joked, ruffling your hair.

You scowled, pushing his hands off your head, "Ugh Jake! I think you forget I've always been this smart. Remember?" You pointed at yourself, "I was one of your "science sorties."

"Right, I can't believe I forgot how much of a nerd you are," You punched him in the arm in offense, but he only continued, his voice more encouraging, "Hey, this place could be your new frontier. I know your science brain is itching to know more about this place."

Jake knew you well. After your primary military instincts kicked in, your scientist ones locked into gear. Everything was a fascination to you— from the tiniest grains of sand that you walked on from the beach to the creatures that you saw swimming.

Ahead, you were approaching an empty marui, Tsireya quickening her pace as she held out her hand to present it to you all, "This is for you!"

Following her forward, she ran with excitement, standing at the entrance of it, "Your new home."

Jake looking in, remained positive, "Yeah this will work. This is great. It's nice, right?"

You held in a laugh as Neytiri's face dropped, hardly sharing the sentiments as she looked around the marui.

It was bigger than the homes that you had passed with multiple openings, one larger, like a common area, and the other slightly smaller, another living space for families with more people.

Like all the maruis, it hung directly above the water and resembled a canopy, wide and open. Parts of the floors were reinforced with the same bouncy material as the walkways, but other parts were made up of a harder wood, weaved tightly like a net. There was a hole in the middle of the bigger space and above it was a huge bowl-shaped shell hung by a wooden column that connected to the ceilings. Already in the shell were coals for cooking, and above that shell was a basket, designed to store food. The column in the middle was accompanied by other columns around it, actings as support beams for the home, but also as a place to hook hammocks on for sleeping.

Walking in further, you descended the two steps into the other side of the marui, the overall shape of it, sphere-like. The walls inside were made of flexible and durable sheets, stretched between the branches of the trees, while the exterior comprised of a tougher reed, intricately and uniquely woven. The frame of the marui was made of wood, fastened with alternating ropes that were yellow and blue, meticulously laced to solidify the structure. On the right side of the marui, one side of the wall was shaped like a fan, the color a semi-translucent cyan blue.

As you helped the Sullys unload, you never realized how much you would need to furnish your new home, but Tsireya made sure you were taken care of, designating all that you would need—bathing basins, handwoven hammocks, cookware made from sea crystal and wood, various baskets for storage, and even plenty of sea-inspired decorations.

The Sullys had their own things to haul in as well, mostly mementos from the Forest like their bows. But, Jake had taken a large load of weapons and ammunition with him, and despite Neytiri's protests to bring them, he still did it. You didn't have much to bring with you except your keepsakes from your old life, along with the clothes and jewelry that Mo'at and Neytiri had weaved for you.

While Neteyam helped Jake carry the weaponry, you were with Kiri crouching on the floor as you put away the baskets in the main room. Neytiri and Tuk were placing the decorations, colorful shells and gourds of various shapes and sizes, all around. Across the room was Lo'ak, separating the hammocks, which had all been rolled into one another. He held onto one of the hammocks, pawing the material between his fingertips. Smiling to himself, then glancing at you, he remembered that first night with you in the hammock.

He remembered it all. The way you laid so comfortably next to him, the way your hands touched, and the way you told him that you two matched. And naturally, perpetually, he couldn't get that damn kiss out of his head either, his mind replaying it every chance it got.

You felt his eyes on you, but you didn't glance up until Kiri, nudged you with her shoulder, whispering as she stifled a giggle, "If my brother stares at you for any longer, I think he'll burn a hole in the back of your head."

You didn't know what to say, finally looking up from what you were doing to meet his eyes. When you made eye contact, Lo'ak didn't bother to hide that he was staring, maintaining the longing in his expression and the all too obvious adoration with it. And to make things even worse, he unraveled the hammock and made a gesture for sleeping, putting his palms together and laying them on his ear as he tilted his head horizontally.

Watching him instantly reminded you of that same night with him, the night in the hammock, your first night of peace. The memory brought a flush to your cheeks, but you set the feeling that memory gave you aside as you scrunched your nose at him playfully.

Turning back to Kiri, she leaned in again, "You know, he's been looking at you like that since we left home." She paused, flitting her gaze between you two, astute as she asked, "Did something happen between you guys?"

You shook your head, pursing your lips as you replied nonchalantly, "Nothing happened. I don't know what you're talking about, Kiri."

Yet, she saw right through you, leaning backwards and simply agreeing, "Alright, if you say so."

When Jake came back, he clapped, prompting everyone's attention as he called for a family meeting. Stopping what you were all doing, you gathered toward the entrance, crouching as you listened to him."

"Alright, I need you kids on your best behavior. I mean it. Learn fast. Pull your weight."

He paused, eyeing you and Lo'ak, "Don't cause trouble. You got it?"

Neteyam put his hand on Lo'ak's neck, which Lo'ak swatted away in annoyance, snarling.

Jake continued, meeting his fist into his palm as he emphasized, "We're gonna get through this if we have each other's backs, alright?"

"What does your father always say?" Neytiri said, trying to maintain a motivating tone.

“Sullys stick together.” The Sullys all mumbled, Kiri rolling her eyes as she fiddled with the wrap she was wearing.

“That’s right, now with some more feeling!” Jake urged, smiling at his kids.

You put your hands on Lo'ak's back while Neteyam looked at Kiri, the two of you trying to boost their morale. It seemed to help as they said it again, this time louder. Jake was satisfied hearing it the second time, "Now, that's more like it. You're all dismissed. The chief's kids are waiting for you on one of the docks. Go. All of you."

Neteyam escorted his siblings out, but you hung back though for a moment, “Sullys stick together? Who would have thought a Jarhead like you would become such a family man. I'm proud, really.”

He patted your head, “That applies to you too, you know.” Pushing you forward, he let out a slight laugh, “Now go with them! And make sure they don't get into trouble."

You moved forward slightly, "Are you seriously asking me to babysit your kids right now? Excluding Tuk, we're all practically the same age!"

"Would you stop being a smartass? You know what I mean. Now hurry up before they leave you behind, you big baby." Jake pushed you forward again and this time, you finally were out of the marui.

Snarkily, you saluted him before quickly catching up to everyone else.

Growing up, you had studied The Forest from its roots to the highest point of the Hallelujah Mountains. Now, you were in completely new territory, and you couldn't help but feel the curiosity surge within you. Jake was right about that.

You looked beyond watching as Neteyam, Tuk, and Kiri all jumped in together off one of the small docks. Lo'ak, though, was waiting for you and when he caught sight of you coming, he didn't hesitate to meet you where you were, grabbing your hand too quickly for you to protest.

He gave no warning as he ran with you toward the water, feeling it engulf your body. You only closed your eyes for a second on impact, opening them the minute you were submerged.

Blinking in awed disbelief, you were enamored by everything before you. While the Omaticaya Forest was adorned in every gradient and hue of lush green, this new world reinvented shades of blue all around you. You were reminded of the skies in The Forest, the way the wind whispered and spoke to you when you flew through the air. It was similar here in the water. All living things whether moving or still, were in accordance with the flow of the undertow. You could feel how alive everything was, the water being its very life source.

You had only seen pictures of coral on Earth, the environmental crisis not having left you with real ones to see for yourself, but now you were really seeing them, all unique shapes and sizes. Unknown creatures swam around you gracefully, their classifications perplexing you as you pondered their anatomy in your head.

You looked down to see an innumerable amount of flora and fauna on the sea floor. One in particular caught your eye and you swam toward it, pulling Lo'ak along, his hand still in yours. Its roots were planted on one of the larger coral structures, its base a hollow circle with five branches along the outside of it, its leaves, wispy like feathers, moved to and fro, seemingly waving at you. Then, a school of tiny fish blurred your vision for a moment, the fish so tiny that many of them were able to swim through the odd looking plant at once.

You were entranced by it all and Lo'ak shared in your awed moment as his eyes observed everything around him. When Neteyam nudged him, he snapped out of his own trance and pulling your hand with him, you snapped out of yours.

Ahead of you, you saw Tsireya, and moving her fingers, she was seemingly signaling to you guys. Exchanging looks with the brothers, you could tell they were confused, and Tsireya, realizing, changed her gesture, motioning you forward. Aonung was swimming alongside her with their friend Rotxo, disinterested and making faces at you all.

They were quite a ways ahead of you, and letting go of Lo'ak's hand, you urged him to follow you quickly. He nodded and so did Neteyam, swimming after you.

You showed up next to Tsireya rather quickly, and she was pleasantly surprised to see you. The other two, however, looked at you with pure bewilderment, sending each other glances as they wondered how you swam to them so fast. Expecting to see Lo'ak and Neteyam behind you as well, you turned, but found them above you at the surface.

Looking at Tsireya, she signaled something to them, but they only met her with confused looks. You touched her arm gently, pointing upwards as you swam up, and the three of them nodded, coming with you.

When you broke the surface, Tsireya looked at Lo'ak and Neteyam, "Are you okay?"

"We do not speak this finger talk of yours. We do not know what you are saying." Neteyam answered, frustration lacing his words.

Tsireya nodded, "Do not worry. I will teach you."

Tuk, who was catching her breath, whined as she rubbed her eyes, "You're going too fast. Wait for us."

"Just breathe." Tsireya stated calmly, her tone reassuring as she offered a kind smile.

Aonung though, scoffed, laughing as he joked, "They do not know how. All they know is how to climb trees."

Kiri, who had straggled behind to look at the animals for a moment, returned to hear him as she responded, "As if you could ever survive in The Forest."

You tried to hold in a laugh, but it came out anyway, "Nice one, Kiri."

Aonung and Rotxo only rolled their eyes at you two as Tsireya lowered her eyes at them, "They will learn, okay?”

Pointing to the entrance of the beach, she motioned for all of you to come with her, "Let's go over there and start a breathing lesson."

Getting out of the water, she urged you all to sit in a circle. Gathering around her, she began her lesson on the importance of breath, everyone listening intently to her. Her brother, however, sat on the outskirts of the circle, not even feigning any interest as he looked out toward the open water.

Tsireya suddenly turned her attention to you, her eyes curious, "Y/n, you are very good at breathing already. Where did you learn?"

You were surprised yourself. You didn't expect your new body to remember all your underwater marine training too, but when Tsireya asked where you had learned, the memory of your first training day with your father resurfaced. And like a knife to your chest, you actually remembered it fondly.

"I've never been in water this deep before."

You were afraid then, but didn't want to show it, wading in the water with your life vest and looking down into the pool at the training base back on earth. It felt like looking right into an abyss. It had been two years since Quaritch first found you, and while he spent those first two training your combat skills, it was time for you to conquer the water.

"Hold your hands out y/n." Your father instructed.

You obeyed him, putting your hands together.

Cupping water into his hand he poured it into your hands, "Now let go y/n."

You obeyed again, separating your fingers and watching as the water flowed through the cracks. You looked up at him confused.

"No matter how deep the water is and no matter how much that water is pushing at you, it'll never really go through you, y/n."

You nodded, smiling as you unhooked your life vest and without warning, you took a deep breath and submerged yourself in the water.

Taken aback, he pulled you back up, laughing as he brushed your hair away from your face, his expression showing how impressed and proud he was, "Woah, woah, woah there guppy! Let's start with some exercises before we really dive in, alright?"

You chuckled softly to yourself, "My father."

"Toruk Makto?" Aonung interjected.

"No, no. I have a different father from them. We did a lot of training in the water when I was young." You sighed, masking how much that truth pained you as you managed a smile.

"She is still part of our family." Lo'ak let out in a rather defensive tone as he squinted at Aonung, Neteyam, Kiri, and Tuk nodding in agreement.

Tsireya sensing a potential argument, continued on, her eyes kind as she looked at you, "It is very impressive. You can help teach with me."

So, she continued her lecture, coaching everyone on the proper breathing techniques. When she prompted you, you offered your own advice, demonstrating a deep breath as you turned to the side, the Sullys following your instruction intently.

Then, you put a hand over your heart, tapping it as you said, "Slow your heartbeat too. When you slow it down, the brain and the heart get all the blood flow and that'll help you stay longer under the water."

You watched as they all followed your lead, holding one hand to their heart and the other on their stomachs.

Noticing Neteyam's upright posture, you went over, placing your hand on his back, "You see, how Neteyam's back is straight?" You put your other hand atop the hand he had over his stomach, "And see how his core is strong?"

Commanding their attention, they all looked intently. Lo'ak, in response and out of sheer competitiveness, rolled his shoulders back and straightened his back too, all while trying to hide the scowl that he had on his face.

You hardly noticed it as you were focused on your demonstration, moving your hands from Neteyam's navel all the way up to his upper chest, "Both are important to swim faster in the water, but also good for your airflow. There's no blockage to the air in your lungs and your core maintains your breath control so you can stay under the water for longer."

"Exactly!" Tsireya agreed, "From your head to your toes, your body is one and your breath is the key to the way of the water."

Tsireya went around to the other Sullys, continuing her explanation about posture and good swimming positions, while Neteyam looked up at you, confused as he asked, "How do you keep your back straight if you're in the water? Does the body not naturally bend?"

"Ah," You uttered, understanding his question, "Well, when you're flying on your ikran, the wind pushes onto you, but you maintain your position, right? Well, the water is the same."

You crouched in front of him, tapping his forehead, "This is solid," Again, you did it where his heart was, "Solid," And then down, you tapped his stomach, "This is all solid. No matter what, the water never goes through you. Just like the wind never goes through you. You work with it, not against it. Does that make sense?"

Neteyam nodded, comprehending your advice and grinning, he put his fist out to you, "You are quite the teacher, y/n. I will look to you when we are in the water."

You bumped his fist and tousled his hair, chuckling, "Yeah, 'cause the last thing I want to see is your skxawng ass drowning."

As you answered Neteyam's question, Tsireya watched as the others practiced their breathing techniques. It wasn't hard to notice Lo'ak's sour expression, childish jealousy seething through the low heavy breaths he was taking.

Tsireya, mistaking his attitude for frustration, put a hand on his back, "You will get this, Lo'ak. Just breathe and be calm," Putting a hand over her heart, her eyes widened in surprise as she instructed, "Your heart is beating very fast, Lo'ak. You must slow it down."

He only nodded, half-listening as his eyes were glued on you and Neteyam, his neck slightly craning as he watched you crouch in front of his older brother.

Tsireya moved on to helping Tuk, leaving Kiri and Lo'ak together. Kiri, catching onto her brother's jealousy, cleared her throat, placing a comforting hand on his back as she chimed, "Oh, I wonder what has your heart beating so fast."

Pulled from his gaze, Lo'ak eyed his sister, glancing at her from the side while she shifted her gaze forward, her line of sight being you and Neteyam.

He followed her gaze for a second before making eye contact again, "You know why." Lo'ak replied, crossing his arms.

Yet, Kiri continued on, baiting her brother to tell her the truth, "Is it because you like her or is it because you're jealous that she's talking to Neteyam?"

"I'm not j—" Lo'ak spoke, the sudden outburst louder than expected as he quickly lowered his voice, "I'm not jealous."

"So you like her then?" Kiri teased him, repeating herself as she sang it out to him, poking at his shoulders, "You like her!”

"Would you stop that?" He pushed her hands away, annoyed, "Of course I like her. Has it not been obvious?"

Kiri rolled her eyes, "You're such a skxawng. Yeah, it's obvious!" She went and poked him again, taunting him as she admitted, "I just wanted to hear you say it out loud."

"You're evil, you know that?" Lo'ak glared.

But Kiri only shrugged, "What are sisters for?"

"Wait, how do I slow my heart? I can't tell if it's fast or not!" Tuk yelped, her hand over her chest as she focused forward, her eyebrows furrowed.

Hearing her outcry, you walked over, chuckling lightly as you sat in front of her, Tsireya moving to your right as she also listened to yoru advice, "Just close your eyes, Tuk. Take a breath and think of something that makes you feel really calm."

She nodded, and as she did so, you put your hand over her heart, feeling its steady rhythm under your palm. You watched as Tuk's face reflected her inner thoughts, her lips forming a small smile.

"This is how it feels for your heart to be calm, Tuk." You explained, "You can open your eyes now."

When she finally did, she cheered, throwing her arms around you with excitement, "I did it! I did it!"

The impact sent you backwards slightly as you took her into your embrace. Caressing the top of her head, you leaned back to look at her, "What did you think about?"

Then suddenly, she stopped cheering, eyes downcast and welling with tears as she quietly whimpered, "Home."

You looked behind you at all her siblings, and seeing Tuk's distress, they came over quickly.

They gathered around you, all of them offering comforting words. Her tears were pouring now, uncontrollable as she found solace in your chest, hugging you tightly, "I want to go home."

The four of you exchanged solemn looks with one another, and you could only encourage the other Sullys closer, all of you in one big embrace as Lo'ak put a hand on his little sister's head, wiping her tears away.

"This is our home now, Tuk." Even though every fiber in his being was resisting that fact, Lo'ak uttered it anyway.

She said nothing, holding onto you tighter as her tears continued to fall, whimpers and wails that she had held in for so long.

Tsireya watched, her heart breaking, and even Aonung and Rotxo were moved to sadness, turning away from the scene as they tried to maintain a blase attitude.

Tuk cried and cried until she tired herself out, her eyes drooping and drooping until she fell asleep in your arms. Rubbing her back, you tried to wake her, but she didn't budge.

You stood up with her carefully, wobbling slightly since one of your legs had fallen asleep. Lo'ak was ready to catch you though, his hand ghosting your waist as you got up.

Turning to Tsireya, you spoke, "Thank you for the lesson," Then, you looked at everyone else, walking backwards toward the village, "I'll just meet with you all later. I'm gonna take her back to the marui."

Without another word, you left them at the shore of the beach, carrying Tuk through the village. When you finally got to the marui, you searched for the hammocks, walking through the common area with an inquisitive eye.

"Looking for these?"

You knew who the voice belonged to without turning around, and standing upright again, you replied, "If you're holding a hammock Lo'ak, then yes."

And sure enough, he walked in front of you with one in his hand, already unfurled, "Knew it."

You watched as Lo'ak hooked it onto the wooden columns, pulling the edges taut to make sure it was secure before motioning you to come over. When you did, Lo'ak held the bottom of it as you sat in it, and while you tried your best to detach Tuk from your body, she didn't want to let go of you, even in her sleep.

"Alright Tuk," You sighed, whispering as you laid down in the hammock, careful not to wake her.

When your back hit the woven material, you were suddenly aware of how exhausted you felt, the tiredness aching your bones and muscles as you sunk into it.

Lo'ak hovered over you, smirking, as he quietly joked, "Tuk's in my spot. But, I’ll allow it this time."

You could feel your eyes fluttering shut, but you fought sleep as you looked up at him, teasing as you said, “Tuk is much better company than you.”

He tilted his head at you, noticing your drowsiness, “Oh really?” Lo’ak replied, challenging you as he sat in the hammock.

“What are you doing?” You whispered, your tone scolding him.

“Don't mind me. It'll be like I'm not even here.” He replied, taking his place beside you comfortably and laying his palm on the back of his head.

You looked him up and down, glaring, "Right, I'll just ignore your whole body taking up all the space in this hammock."

"Oh, sorry, I'll just adjust here and—"

"Lo'ak what are you—" You started, but stopped, holding your breath as you tried to not to wake Tuk when you felt his arm snake under your back.

He shimmied his arm underneath you to pull you closer to him as he moved himself to the center of the hammock. Still, with your arms around Tuk, she shifted too, her upper body laying on your chest as she let her legs rest on Lo'ak.

"There. That's so much better." Lo'ak looked pleased with himself as you lifted your head from his chest.

Deadpan, you lowered your eyes at him, "If Tuk wasn't here, I'd kick you off this hammock so fast."

Lo'ak took an opprtunity to flirt with you, letting a quiet chuckle come out of his lips as he smirked, "If Tuk wasn't here, we wouldn't just be laying in this hammock, that's for sure."

"And what would we be doing besides that?" You flicked his forehead hard and realizing he was about to wince loudly, you put a hand over his mouth.

Gently removing it, Lo'ak placed your hand on his chest, his fingers resting over yours as he innocently replied, "Sleeping, of course." He continued, "Which is what you should be doing right now too."

"I don't need to sleep." You moved your neck slightly, your eyes peering up at him.

He pinched your cheek playfully, "You're exhausted.”

"No, I'm not." You denied, but he leaned forward, his hand touching your left under eye, the gentle pressure sinking the skin in.

"You're dead tired."

You couldn't risk reliving the nightmares you believed were inevitable, especially during such a stressful ride to Awa'atlu, and Lo'ak knew it too. So you had avoided sleep as much as possible, and when you did sleep, you were merely closing your eyes, resting your body, not fully submitting to the state.

"Great. Then, I'll sleep,” You lied, pushing his face away from yours and cautiously looking down at Tuk who stirred from the vibrations of your voice.

He brushed a hair away from your face, "I'll watch over you both.”

“Why? You should look in the mirror. You look like crap. You should probably sleep too." You put a hand on his under eyes too, pushing on his eyebags.

He scoffed, "Crap or not, we both know that I'm your type, so you can put that one away."

"And what is my type exactly?" You raised an eyebrow.

Putting a finger on his chin, he fake pondered before meeting your eyes again, smiling at you as he revealed nonchalantly, "The kind of guy that keeps your nightmares away."

You softened hearing that, and while you had tried your best to ignore the way it made you feel when Lo'ak would look at you, you gulped, seeing his affection so clearly as he gave you that smile he never seemed to give anyone else.

You switched your demeanor quickly, hiding those inner feelings as you hardened your expression, the old glare you had before returning. Lo'ak though was completely unfazed, taking the liberty of shutting your eyes for you as he placed a palm over them, pulling your eyelids gently downward. Swatting his hand away, you were ready to protest again when Lo’ak put a hand over your mouth, playful as he shushed you. You licked his palm in retaliation and he lifted it immediately, grimacing as he wiped your saliva on his cloth pocket.

Satisfied, you shut your eyes, turning away from him, holding in your laugh. Lo’ak peered over at you, smiling to himself. Your sense of safety that you felt was transparent in the way you naturally drifted off to sleep beside him. Tuk was fast asleep too, only adjusting herself to a more comfortable position as she snuggled up to your chest, her little body fitting perfectly between the two of you.

Back on the beach, Tsireya looked at Neteyam and Kiri worriedly, “Will your little sister be okay?”

Kiri held her arm, taking in a deep breath, “She will be. She just misses The Forest,” Her gaze went to her older brother who looked downward, “We all do.”

Attempting to cheer them up, Tsireya took Kiri by the hand, "I know you guys will fit right in here. Trust me."

Aonung scoffed, crossing his arms as he muttered something under his breath. Kiri stuck her tongue out at him as Neteyam held in every urge to punch him in the face.

Tsireya looked at her brother disappointedly, then turned her gaze back, "And don't mind him. He'll get over it."

Aonung sneered at her sister, rolling his eyes and leaving with a huff. Rotxo followed him though, saying a quick goodbye with a wave as he chased after his friend.

"For now, I'll teach you how we communicate under the water." Tsireya met Neteyam's eyes, holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers, 'That finger talk we were doing earlier, remember? So, come, I will show you a different area of the village and we can start our new lesson there."

The two Sullys walked with her into the village, and turning, she looked at Neteyam, asking, "Should we wait for Lo'ak?"

Kiri and Neteyam exchanged glances, raising their eyesbrows as they both thought the same thing. Neteyam shook his head, "No, it is alright. Wherever y/n is...that is where Lo'ak is. He will come back with her later."

Tsireya let out an 'ah' sound, understanding immediately, "Oh, I see. They are married, mated for life, right? They are very cute together."

Neteyam couldn't help but burst into laughter, holding onto his stomach as he replied, "No, no...my baby brother with a woman like that....oh how I would pity y/n."

Kiri, coming to her brother's defense, put her hands on her hips, passionately disagreeing, "Hey! You've seen how he looks at her. That's not funny, big brother."

"Oh, but it is." He faked wiping a tear away from his eyes, "Let's just hope his skxawng ass doesn't mess things up."

"She definitely likes him too." Kiri added.

Neteyam didn't disagree with his sister, but continued to tease, "Ah, yes for reasons unknown!"

You were woken up by the sound of a yawn and movement on your chest. Peeling your eyes open, you looked down to find Tuk slowly waking up, shifting her body and rubbing her eyes.

You could feel Lo'ak's chin near the top of your head and his steady breath underneath your palm as it rested on his chest. He had ended up sleeping after all.

"Look who's finally awake," You put an affectionate hand on her head, "Are you alright now Tuk?"

Tuk spoke quietly, her grogginess evident in the slight rasp of her voice, "I'm okay," She pouted, apologetic as she took your hand off her head and held it, "I'm sorry for crying so much."

"Don't be sorry." You reassured her, and glancing over at Lo'ak, his face peaceful, you pointed outside, "Should we let your brother sleep and go find the others?"

She nodded, but slowly she shook her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Or we could wake him up right now."

Sitting up quickly, she pressed her knees onto Lo'ak, plugging his nose as she playfully yelled, "Time to wake up Lo'ak!"

His eyes shot open as he took a deep breath in, a cough erupting from his mouth, shock going through him as he glared at his little sister, "Tuk, what the hell!"

She only laughed in response, and you along with her. Jumping off the hammock, she grabbed your hand again, her heels dug into the floor as she excitedly begged for you to hurry.

Swinging your legs to the side of the hammock, she pulled you forward and you obliged standing up and making your way out of the marui. Lo'ak was quick to get up from the hammock to follow, but not before he unhooked it off the columns, sloppily rolling it again and placing it in the bundle with the others.

He took Tuk's other hand in his once he finally caught up, and picking her up, he threw her in the air high toward the water before catching her again last minute, her loud squeal surprising the other villagers passing by.

"You're lucky y/n is here to hold me back or I swear you'd be bait for the fish." He joked with her, but she hardly cared about what he was saying as she shouted at him, "Again! Again! Again!"

Seeing you from afar, Tsireya shouted your names, waving to get your attention, "Lo'ak, y/n, Tuk! Come! You're just in time! We are starting a riding lesson with the ilus!"

Making your way into the water, you waded through it, waving at everyone.

Tsireya led you all to a central pool where Aonung already was with his friends, flicking his tongue and whooping as he called an ilu over.

You and the Sullys gathered together in front of him as he spoke, "If you want to live here, you have to ride."

One of the ilus were already circling around you, its motions endearing as it nudged its head against the underside of your arm, letting you pet him.

"Looks like he likes you." Aonung remarked, walking over to you.

"Right? And you would think he'd know that I only know how to swing on trees." You replied snarkily as you took your queue in your hand and mounted the ilu.

Aonung stood stunned by your response, but ultimately smirked, impressed by your quick wit, "Well, this is no warrior's mount. I doubt you'll be able to tame one, so we're starting off easy Forest Girl."

Taking your other hand in his, he placed it onto the harness in front of you," Just hold here and keep your legs in a good position. They take off fast."

"Thanks." You said simply, following his instructions.

Beside you, Tsireya was giving Lo'ak similar directions, but his focus was on you, nostrils flaring at hearing what Aonung had said.

Tsireya tilted her head, puzzled by Lo'ak's expression until she turned around to see the sight, giggling as she turned her gaze back to Lo'ak's seething figure, "After you follow what I say, you'll be able to join y/n in the water."

"Hmm?" Lo'ak murmured, the uttering of your name taking him out of his daze.

"Go ahead and make the bond gently, Lo'ak." Tsireya stated, "Feel your ilu's strength, then ride."

Lo'ak simply scoffed, "Easy."

Diving into the water, your ilu sped off swiftly, but you listened to Aonung's advice, maintaining your hold as you mentally gave your ilu directions, swimming further out into the deeper end of the water and circling back around.

You watched as Lo'ak dove with his ilu from under the water, the splash of the motion causing bubbles to erupt throughout the calm surface. He managed to wave at you, but in doing so, he lost his grip on the ilu, the creature speeding up and leaving Lo'ak behind.

Everyone erupted in laughter as you quickly swam over to him watching as he coughed up water, "Are you okay?"

He tried to hold in the cough, playing it off as he answered your question nonchalantly, "I'm fine, y/n. I meant to do that."

"Right, right. I saw what you were going for there." Behind you, the ilu he had bonded with returned, trilling mischievously as it splashed Lo'ak in the face.

"I'm good, really." He leaned in, whispering as he flirtatiously joked, "I just think this ilu is feeling jealous that my attention is elsewhere."

"You know, you should probably start taking this ilu bonding seriously," You replied, your lips quirking upwards as you tried to ignore the heat that was rising to your cheeks, "I can't beat you in an ilu race if you don't have an ilu."

"You're right. You'll definitely win," He bit the bottom of his lip as he eyed the water below while nodding, his two beaded braids dangling in front of his face as he flitted his eyes up suggestively, "But just know the loser owes the winner a kiss."

You smacked him on the side of the head, causing him to wince, "Don't lose your competitive edge now."

"I win either way." He rubbed the side of his head with his fingers, smirking at you.

You rolled your eyes, "Better hurry then," Not too far from you, you watched as Tuk was already on the ilu, clapping with joy and hugging her ilu lovingly, "Even Tuk got it done before you."

Clicking your tongue to call your ilu back and mounting it, you left Lo'ak playfully splashing him.

In the distance, you saw Tonowari and a group of other warriors, Jake beside them as they were beginning their own mounting lesson.

Making your way over, you swam under until the water became too shallow, breaching the surface as you neared them.

Noticing you, Jake looked you up and down, "How's your kiddie ride?"

Rolling your eyes, you put your hands on your hips, "Don't mind me. I just came to watch. I've been dying for a good laugh."

He flipped you off in response, the gesture bewildering to the metkayina warriors.

"This is a warrior's mount, a tsurak, not easy to master." Tonowari warned, "Perhaps you should start with an ilu."

"No, this one," He said confidently, paying no mind as he connected his queue, the tsurak growling and thrashing underneath the grips of the warriors.

"When you dive in, good position. Very important." Tonowari was sincere, the worry on his face shown in the way his forehead crinkled.

Jake with his overly cavalier attitude, hummed, "Uh huh," as he threw his leg over, tying his hand to the harness with a piece of crafted leather, "I got this."

Tonowari, although uncertain, nodded encouragingly. The other warriors let go, and you took the opportunity to tease, yelling, "Maybe you should have stretched before this!"

He glanced back at you with a scowl before darting forward with a "Hyah!"

Leaping into the air, you watched as Jake tried to take the normal stance he would while riding an ikran, but unable to find his balance, his movement was awkward. Then, finally, he was submerged into the water and you dove your head under, watching as Jake was blasted backward by the current the tsurak created as it sped away.

"Oooo!" The warriors all said in unision, wincing as Jake popped up from underwater, his hand bloodied from the friction of the leather.

You swam over to him, petting your ilu as you sarcastically remarked, “Maybe we should switch rides. I think that other one was too fast for you, old man.”

Jake sneered at you, pulling your leg off your ilu and dunking you under the water. When you shot back up, he laughed, "Was that too fast for you, kids meal?"

"Keep talking and you'll be fish food." You retorted, pushing your hair away from your face as you splashed Jake.

He put his hands up to block you, but that only gave you the perfect cover to take him down by the legs, your swift movement sending him under the water again.

You laughed loudly as he breached the surface and already swimming toward the shallow you yelled, "Keep up, old man!"

Grunting, Jake swam to your side until your feet touched the sand and sincerely, Jake asked, "So, first day...how are the kids?"

"As good as you can expect," You sighed, "Tuk cried 'cause she was missing home. They all are. But, we're getting there."

Jake stopped you, his hand on your shoulder, "Wait, Tuk cried? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine now and riding her ilu with the others. I took her back to the marui earlier because she fell asleep after crying." You explained, and that seemed to comforted Jake, the heaviness he carried in his heart lessening as he gave you a small smile.

"Y/n!," Tonowari came up from behind you, and turning his attention to you, grinned, "Y/n, Tsireya tells me you are very good underwater already. And I see you've already tamed your ilu. Quite impressive."

You gave him a proper greeting, thanking him as you responded, "I still have a lot to learn, Chief. But, your daughter is doing a great job at making us all feel welcome. Thank you."

Tonowari was touched, smiling at you, then looking over at Jake, he praised him proudly, "You've raised a fine daughter, Jake Sully."

You put a hand over your mouth, uncertain how to respond as Jake corrected him, "Oh no, Tonowari. Y/n isn't my daughter. She's like my daughter, but she's..." He racked his brain trying to explain who you were to him, the truth too puzzling and complicated to clarify.

"Ah, I see!" Tonowari's eyes lighting up as he seemingly comprehended what Jake was trying to say, "She is your daughter-in-law, married to one of your sons! Your oldest boy?"

Jake looked as if his eyes were going to pop out of his head, voice cracking as he spoke, "To Neteyam? No no she's—"

"Ah, so she is married to your younger boy!" Tonowari interrupted, beaming as he extended his hand to you, smiling with his teeth as he exclaimed, "Congratulations!"

You were completely caught off guard by him, furiously blushing as you took Tonowari's hand, firmly shaking it with a nervous laugh, "Thank you Chief."

You glanced to your side to see Jake's expression, clearly bothered as he scrunched his nose at you. You read his lips as he mouthed, "What are you doing?"

You managed a quick, "Shut up," before turning back to Tonowari to continue your conversation, choosing your words carefully so Jake would catch onto what you were doing, "It would be strange for me to come here with the Sullys if I wasn't married to Lo'ak. I thank you on behalf of him as well. I'll make sure to extend your congratulations to him.

Tonowari agreed, offering a joke "He would be a bad husband if he left you in The Forest, no?"

You laughed, letting go of Tonowari's hand and placing your hands on Jake's shoulders, the skin around your eyes crinkled as you kept your grin, "Well, as my father-in-law here loves to say, Sullys stick together! Isn't that right, Jake?"

Jake gritted his teeth at you, the vein in his forehead popping out of the side of his forehead as he stifled a laugh, playing along, "That's right."

There was no use interjecting with the actual truth, Tonowari's customs regarding family and marriage a consequence of his assumptions.

But even without his assumptions, how could you so frivolously tell him who you really were?

You were the daughter of the man responsible for countless Na'vi deaths—the daughter of the man that was hell bent on hunting the Sullys.

You couldn't change that.

But, as you stood in the water, not expecting to feel so renewed by this fresh new start, you didn't feel as afflicted by that fact as you expected to be. Your heart was too concentrated on the idea of marrying Lo'ak to pay any mind to your own inner conflict, the very thought of it sending butterflies to your stomach.

You suddenly felt awkward standing between Jake and Tonowari. their differing expressions wanting you to avoid prolonging the conversation.

You inhaled, your gaze shifting to the others in the distance, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on everyone."

Tonowari understood, patting your shoulder gently before dismissing you, and leaving with a proper greeting, meeting your fingers to your forehead, you left quickly, diving under the water and leaving a stream of bubbles in your wake.

The cool touch of the water did nothing to help dissipate the red hot tint that felt perpetual on your cheeks. You couldn't stop thinking about Lo'ak and the potential of a future with him.

And in realizing that, you become aware of how you had lived your old life. And echoing in your mind was one of Mo'at's many reminders to you.

Life is about balance, y/n. To be too much of one thing and not enough of another can lead us on a lost path. Do not mistake surviving for living.

You had fallen victim to that way of life—playing soldier while playing scientist were two roles you had grown accustomed to juggling. Perhaps you had always expected to die early too, it’s the way a Marine would think living through war. Never once did you entertain the dreams that would come with a long life—marriage, kids, a family, happiness. They were just dreams with no chance of ever coming true.

But now, you suddenly felt the hope of those dreams becoming even more than a possibility. You had never even considered it. But, now, the thought implanted itself in your head.

You found Kiri first and seeing you, she resurfaced, the two of you making your way to the shore.

"Your face is flushed, y/n! Are you alright?" Kiri looked at you with concern.

You put a hand on your cheek, eyes widened, groaning, "Still?"

"What happened?" Kiri nudged you with her elbow, "Let me guess...you and Lo'ak kissed, huh?"

You shook your head, not thinking as you blurted out, "No, not since we left The Forest."

You put a hand over your mouth the minute you said it, gasping and mentally scolding yourself.

"I knew something happened between you!" Kiri exclaimed, "I can't believe you kissed! How was it?"

"Shhh! Would you keep your voice down?" You searched the beach, hoping that Lo'ak wasn't lurking around.

Unbeknownst to you, Neytiri was standing on the dock nearby bringing a basket of fruits back to the marui when she overheard your conversation, her intrigue peaking as she hid behind one of the marui columns.

"Okay, yes we kissed, but I told him that we're just friends." Suddenly feeling embarrassed under Kiri's gaze, you eyed the sand, pressing your feet into the grains.

"Ugh, why? You like him, don't you?" Kiri grumbled, confused.

You put your hand on your hips, answering her original question instead of heading her new one directly, "The Chief thinks we're married."

"Ah, so everyone knows that you like Lo'ak except for you." Kiri joked, laughing.

You deadpanned, crossing your arms and Kiri simply shrugged, saying, "What? Even Tsireya thought you guys were together."

You groaned, putting a hand over your head, blinking, "Is it really that easy to tell?"

Kiri scrunched her nose at you, pressing her lips into a thin line as she nodded, "Yeah, it is...for both of you. I told you earlier how he stares at you!"

You couldn't find any words to say, your thoughts taking you backward as you recalled all of your moments together, chuckling as you remembered even the smallest of details and the most delicate of touches.

She took your hands into hers again, dissipating her joking tone as she spoke to you sincerely, "Why don't you just give him a chance? What's stopping you?"

"What is going on? Are you guys alright?" You heard a voice call out to you guys from the distance.

Leaning back, you saw Neteyam walking over, and in his concern, he assumed something was wrong as Kiri held onto your hands, her brows furrowed as she spoke.

Once he approached, he was surprised to find that nothing was wrong as Kiri hummed, "Oh, we're alright. Just having a heart to heart with our sister-in-law."

"Kiri!" You scolded her, but she ignored you.

Snickering, she put a hand beside her mouth as she leaned toward Neteyam, "The Chief thinks her and Lo'ak are married."

Neteyam gasped at first, then sighed, faking a pained expression and putting his hands together in front of him as he looked you in the eye, "I cannot believe you didn't invite us to your wedding. I am deeply hurt, y/n."

Kiri joined in with her brother, wiping a fake tear as she turned away from you dramatically, "Me too! I thought we were supposed to be sisters!"

You couldn't get a word in as Neteyam continued, sucking a breath through his teeth as he separated his hands, shrugging, "I should have seen this coming. Lo'ak went on and on about how you spent a night with one another."

"Spent a—" Kiri gasped, her eyes widening at you, "You said you guys just kissed!"

"I was only joking!" Neteyam shouted in his disbelief, "Lo'ak kissed you?"

Lo'ak, who was finally coming up to shore, caught the tail end of the conversation, interjecting proudly as he put his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice as he yelled out.

"She kissed me actually!"

Hearing Lo'ak's voice, you shrunk, muttering as your eyes went heavenward, "Oh Great Mother help me."

Neteyam placed a gentle hand on your arm, feigning an apologetic expression, "I'm so sorry you had to do that."

Narrowing his eyes, Lo'ak snarkily replied, "And who's kissing you, Neteyam? Oh, right. No one."

Sucking in a breath, Neteyam put his hands on his brother's shoulders, "Y/n kissing you first definitely makes sense. You're too much of a skxawng to make a move that big."

Planting yourself between the two of them, you eyed them both, “Okay let’s stop talking about the kissing."

Neteyam put a fist to his mouth as he let out a snicker, "Are you embarrassed of your husband? Understandably so, I mean, it is Lo'ak."

"What? Husband? What are you talking about?" Lo'ak looked at Neteyam, wholly amused and his heart roused by the thought.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Facing Lo'ak, you were stern, but he didn't take you seriously as he pulled you toward him.

His eyes shimmered with that usual adoration as he kept his gaze on you. "No, no. I want to know. What's this about me being your husband? I haven't even proposed to you yet."

Yet.

The butterflies in your stomach returned hearing that, your heart suddenly beating so fast you could hardly contain it. It didn't help that Lo'ak knew exactly what he was doing to you as he watched your face redden again, the pink tint going sanguine on your cheeks and your flustered expression immobilizing him as he fixated on you only.

You gulped, stuck in that feeling for the moment before you realized your actions, clearing your throat and acting nonchalant as you loosened his grip on you.

"The Chief thinks you two are married." Kiri explained and Lo'ak instantly lit up hearing that.

"Okay, so we're married." He accepted the fact with no hesitation, his reaction casually calm as he shrugged.

Confused, you tilted your head at him, "You're not even going to ask why?"

Kiri and Neteyam were eager to hear his response, stepping forward.

Lo'ak, not being able to resist being close to you, threw his arm over your shoulder, leaning forward as he made eye contact with you, your foreheads practically touching, "We're going to get married someday anyway. We could make his thinking a fact, you know. I'd marry you tomorrow. Or today, whatever you prefer."

"Aw Lo'ak," You began, wrapping an arm around his waist affectionately at first, but then you pinched his side mischievously, shocking Lo'ak out of your grasp, "Stop saying stupid things."

it was all you could manage to say as you scolded him, unsure of how to convey your real feelings and instead, opting to avoid them. Lo'ak had already expected you to react like that, emboldened even more by you as he whimpered dramatically, "You dug in so hard I think I'm bleeding, You're going to have to kiss it y/n. That's the only way it'll heal."

Annoyed, you walked off deeper into the water, but Lo'ak followed you, repositioning his stance to better show you where you had pinched him, the skin clearly scratch-free despite his constant protests.

Kiri turned to Neteyam as you continued to bicker with Lo'ak, "She's our sister-in-law alright."

Neteyam broke his eye contact with Kiri to watch you two, his arms crossed as he shook his head, "I still cannot believe that a fine woman like that is actually into my baby brother. I fear that her only flaw is liking Lo'ak."

"She is pretty cool, huh?" Kiri agreed, "Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing her a lot in my mom's video logs. She's really smart too."

"And yet another reason why I do not understand her choice!" Neteyam threw his hands up.

Kiri laughed, rolling her eyes as she nudged him toward the village, "Come on, brother."

Neteyam put his arms down, "Why are we going?"

Pointing to you and Lo'ak, she sighed, "We both just became third wheels to the two of them. Let's just go."

Neteyam nodded, agreeing with her but jokingly replied, "That's actually four wheels, sister."

Kiri didn't spare a chuckle as she groaned, but Neteyam merely laughed at his own joke. Taking one last glance at the two of you, he looked upon you happily, noticing how well you two got along. Kiri did as well, and Neteyam as if already reading her thoughts spoke aloud, "They are definitely getting married."

When they faced forward to keep their path toward the village, Neytiri stood in their way, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. The unexpected sight of their mother surprised them, sending them backward slightly in shock.

"Hi mom..." Kiri said, letting out a nervous laugh, "What are you doing here?"

"Is what I heard true?" Neytiri asked calmly.

"Well...what did you hear mom?" Neteyam asked, scratching the back of his head.

Uncrossing her arms, she threw her hands up, "Lo'ak and y/n. The kissing! The spending a night with one another! Everything!"

The two of them winced as she passionately listed it all, and could only manage obedient nods as they confirmed the truth.

Neteyam put his hands up, cautiously reassuring his mother, "But, they merely slept side by side with one another the night that she came home with us. That was it."

Neytiri lifted her eyes to see you and Lo'ak in the distance, no longer bickering as you let out a laugh, most likely from a stupid joke that Lo'ak had just made.

She didn't say anything for a moment as she observed you both. And while at first she felt her motherly instincts kick in, her notions of tradition and duty deep within her values, she also felt warmed by the connection you had with her youngest son.

In truth, watching you two reminded her of herself and Jake, and that fact erased the hardened expression she had, and in its place arose a smile. Kiri and Neteyam remained planted where they were in the sand, waiting for their mother to do something, anything.

But she only kept that smile, reflecting on her youthful days with Jake, those memories cascading her unspoken approval onto you both.

When night finally fell, you gathered with the rest of the clan to eat your evening meal. In a large central area of the village, food, mostly fish seasoned with aquatic herbs, was served on massive shells and each clan member used their own handmade plates with holes carved out for easy hand access. You were all mostly ignored by the rest of the metkayina, all of them engrossed in their own conversations and purposefully paying you no mind as you and the Sullys sat with one another beside Tonowari and his family.

You could tell by Neytiri's face that she was only eating because she was hungry, not even trying to hide her frown as she spooned it in her mouth. Jake seemed to have no problem with the food, loading his plate up and even eating what Neytiri had left on her plate. Kiri seemed to have the same distaste for the food as well, matching her mother's expression as she reluctantly ate. You, on the other hand, were like Jake, too scarred by the freeze-dried crap you used to eat at the base to be picky.

Once everyone was finished eating, Tsireya walked back with you guys to your marui, saying good night before leaving.

You were setting up your hammock when Jake called you outside to talk to you alone, but Neytiri kept herself near you two, eavesdropping.

Hands on his hips, you could tell that he was trying to find the right words to say, slightly awkward as he looked up, "When Tonowari thought you and Lo'ak were married...you can't just keep that up forever, you know. What were you thinking agreeing to that?"

You crossed your arms, "And what the hell was I supposed to tell him Jake?"

You stood straight, sarcastically mimicking how the conversation would go as you pitched your voice higher, "I'm not actually Jake's daughter. I'm his friend from twenty years ago, but I ended up dying. And now, I'm reborn as a Na'vi, but so is my father, whose sole mission is to kill Jake and his family, and is the reason why we're even here in the first place!"

Jake placed his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, contemplative, as he internally recognized that you were right, but externally wanted to remain authoritarian, "You should have just let me handle it. I would have told Tonowari that you're with us, that you're part of our family, regardless of everything."

"Right, right, like you weren't stuttering trying to explain who I was," Copying his voice, you repeated what he had said snarkily, "Y/n isn't my daughter, but she's like my daughter."

Unconstrained, you released a laugh, "If anything, you backed me into that corner. The way you said it, it was so easy for him to think that I was your daughter-in-law!"

"Yes but—"

"Ma Jake," Neytiri peeked her head from the side of the marui, "It is time for bed."

Inhaling, he reluctantly nodded and you saw that as the perfect escape, walking past Neytiri, you placed a hand on her shoulder gratefully before going to your hammock.

Tuk met you halfway, begging you to sleep next to her, but Neytiri protested in your defense, telling her, "Tuk, it has been a long day. Let y/n sleep by herself and you sleep with mama."

Tuk pouted, sniffling as she tried not to cry, "Okay."

Even though you didn't mind sleeping next to Tuk, you still gave Neytiri a grateful smile. Silence fell in the marui after that, everyone tired as all of you settled into your hammocks.

But, no matter how much you tried to, you just couldn't sleep. Opening one eye, you peeked at the others and once you were certain that everyone was sound asleep, you quietly sat up. Gently placing your feet onto the ground, you stood, hands out as you carefully maneuvered through of the marui. Stopping by your things first, you grabbed the pouch that had all your keepsakes, feeling reminiscent. When you stepped out into the walkway, you became conscious of how bouncy it was. You walked with utmost care, trying not to prompt the usual creak of it that would erupt with every step.

You had originally planned to walk on the beach, but not wanting to risk waking the rest of the village, you carefully made your way toward the mountains that were behind it. The trees that made up the village provided you with the perfect cover as you disappeared between the colossal branches.

And as if sensing that you were there, your ikran appeared by your side, flapping his wings before landing. Putting a hand on his nose, you smiled, nuzzling your forehead into his as he leaned forward. You walked into a clearing, the sky above not impeded by the leaves of the trees. With your feet planted on the ground, the grass below you providing comfort, you looked up at the stars for a moment before reaching into your pouch, your elbows rested on your knees.

There were, of course, the pictures you used to have on your bunk, hugging them to your chest before placing them beside you. Your hand brushed on a piece of glass and taking it out, it was the face of Trudy's watch that she always wore—something Jake had kept and figured you'd want to have. Then, rattling at the bottom were Grace's hair beads, you felt them in between your thumb and your finger, remembering how they would sway to and fro whenever she would laugh. The clinking of glass against the beads brought your attention to the microscope slide that Norm had given to you before you left— a small snaketree sample between the glass to commemorate your time in the lab.

Then, your finger brushed against two hunks of metal and fishing them out, you felt an ache in your heart— you and your father's dogtags. You didn't know why you chose to keep them. Attached to them were painful, bloody, violent memories, but also you couldn't help but remember those good, rare times with him. Maybe it was the Na'vi blood that was making you soft and sentimental, just like he had told you in The Forest.

You had clearly recalled having only put those mementos in there, but when you looked into the very bottom of the pouch, you found three more things. It was Mo'at who had given you the pouch, and in your haste to pack everything up, you didn't notice she had already put things in there for you.

Taking them out, you read the paper first.

It read,

Dear y/n,

The Great Mother holds all Her Children in Her heart. We live in Eywa and Eywa lives in us.

I knew one day that you would return.

Now, that you are reborn, make your songcord, sing, and remember.

You will find your blood incased in amber from the Final Battle, commemorating your sacrifice for Jake. And the bead, carved from the wood of the old HomeTree, honors you for protecting The People.

I am certain that you will have more to add to it as you continue to live and enjoy life.

I wish you well.

Mo'at

These pieces were memories you didn't have, your final moments only in the minds and hearts of those that knew you all those years ago. But, Mo'at had returned those memories to you in a beautiful way.

Holding the bead and the amber in your hands, you clasped them in your palm, closing your eyes and thanking Mo'at in your head, wishing that you could thank her in person and embrace her one more time.

Placing everything back in the pouch, you set it aside as you laid back down, gazing up at the stars, nostalgia flooding you. Although it was a cheap replacement, you felt like you were back in The Forest and for a moment, you closed your eyes, imagining yourself there again.

You could see it, feel it so clearly, but you couldn't chase it back as you opened your eyes again, the pain of leaving the place you barely got to call home taking over.

Then, you thought of Spider, wondering if he was alright. Worry didn't even begin to describe what you felt about it, but the damage was already done. You and the Sullys had vanished, and while you stood by that decision, you couldn't shake the feeling that you had abandoned him. Because just like The Forest had to become a memory to you all, Spider would have to be too.

Rustling in the distance made your ears twitch, your ikran also sensing movement as he shifted closer to you protectively. When you sat up, you had your hand on your knife and lifting your entire body to stand, you stood in front of your ikran.

Knowing exactly where the sound came from, you turned toward it, ready to strike, only to reveal Lo'ak with his hands up in surrender, "It's just me!"

You sheathed your knife, sighing as you returned to your comfortable position on the grass, "How long have you been following me?"

Lo'ak came over to you, putting his hands on his knees as he crouched down above you, his braids dangling in your face as he replied, "Since you got up."

You pressed a finger into his forehead, forcing his head to lean backward, "You're blocking my view."

He wrapped a hand around your finger, smirking, "Funny, because I'm looking at mine."

You rolled your eyes, retreating your finger back and scooting yourself over. Lo'ak just chuckled, sitting down at first then lying on his back beside you, "So, what are we looking at?"

"The stars." Your eyes fixated on earth, "I've always liked them."

Eyes heavenward, Lo'ak asked you, "Why do you like the stars?"

Reaching far back into your memories, you remembered the time before you met Quaritch, much of it a blur as your own mind drowned out the torture you endured at such a young age.

"Pandora...you'd hear stories about it on earth—the most hostile environment known to man is how they'd describe it." You took a deep breath to calm yourself down, chills going down your spine as that time in your life flashed in front of you like a wave, "When my parents sold me, I was kept in a warehouse. They would never turn the lights on in the rooms, but there were windows. So, at night, even when the sky was at its absolute darkest, the stars, the planets...they kept me company. I just always remember wanting to be where they were."

Aiming to lighten the mood, you jokingly figured, "Maybe the Great Mother heard me all the way from earth 'cause not long after, Quaritch took me in and then we came here. And then...I died and I’m here again," You paused, echoing Mo'at's words in her note to you, "Reborn."

Lo’ak noticed your goosebumps, the nerves you tried to hide so obvious to him. And not wanting to press you any further, he did his best to cheer you up, “I was feeling pretty lonely before I met you, so maybe the Great Mother heard my prayers too.”

Your breath hitched, glancing at him from the side then retreating your gaze forward when he tried to meet your eyes, “You’re just saying that. You had Neteyam and Kiri and Tuk. And you also grew up with my brother, didn’t you?”

He just scoffed, “Okay yeah but your brother isn’t nearly as pretty as you are.”

You pressed your lips together, trying not to give him the satisfaction of making you laugh but you couldn’t help it as a roll of laughter escaped you. It was just what you needed, and although your worries still existed, they were quieted as you and Lo'ak talked.

Lo’ak continued, nonchalant as he joked, “I mean, I know why you hang out with me the most. It’s obviously because I’m the most handsome of my siblings, and that includes Kiri and Tuk.”

You let another laugh out before lifting your head and sitting upright, meeting his eyes, "No, that's not it."

The statement made Lo'ak anxious, but equally as desperate to know as he sat up with you, his front braids falling forward as he adjusted the tilt of his head in curiosity, "Why?"

"I hang out with you because..." You reached for him, pawing at the beads in his hair as you tried to find the words you wanted to say, wondering if you even had the courage to say them at all.

The movement made Lo'ak gulp, his lips parted as he rested his palm on the ground for stability. Instinctively, he leaned forward, the natural intimacy between you so stark. Yet, the gap he aimed to close never did as you tugged on his two braids playfully, making him scrunch his face in response.

"B-because it's fun to do stuff like that to you." You stuttered, turning away from him, your eyes landing on the dirt patch at the edge of the grass.

Tracing stars into the ground, you avoided Lo'ak as he peeked his head beside you, smiling as he understood what you were trying to say beneath your mischief, "As long as I get to be close to you, I'm fine with that."

You didn't say anything, peering at him for a second to see his huge smile. Touched, you looked back on the ground, hiding your own smile as you continued to draw your stars in the dirt.

"Teach me how to do that." Lo'ak attempted to follow your hand movements, but with the third stroke, he gave up.

Holding the back of his hand, you directed his maneuvers explaining it, "Just start from the bottom like this then you go up, down, left, right, and down to where you started."

You let go of his hand and watched as he tried it himself, and succeeding, he looked at you for approval, which you gave to him in the form of a proud nod.

The two of you stayed in the clearing for a while, and helping to take your mind off things, Lo'ak asked you more about the stars, your knowledge of astronomy finally landing on eager ears as you mapped out simple basics of the solar system.

When the peak of eclipse began to wane, you stopped your lesson and looking at Lo'ak you urged, "We should head back."

He nodded upon your request. In truth, he was ready to go to sleep again, feeling the creeping tiredness in the yawn that escaped him. But, he was far too engrossed in being with you for that to take priority.

Lo'ak got up first, reaching his hand out to you, which you hesitated to take, and seeing that hesitation, Lo'ak took your hand anyway, lifting you up with firm strength.

"Thanks." Your voice was quiet as you separated your hand from his and looking down, your eyes widened.

"Oh I can't believe I almost forgot this." You crouched to pick up your pouch, holding it close to you, "Okay, let's go."

"What is that?" Lo’ak cocked his head forward to look, but he didn’t need to as you held it out for him to hold.

“Memories.” You replied simply, and turning to your ikran, you gave him one final goodbye before heading in the direction that you came from.

Lo’ak, picked out each of the pieces, observing them. He read the paper last before tucking it back into the pouch.

“What else are you going to put in your songcord?” Lo’ak caught up to you as you walked, the path narrowing from the clearing and into the village.

Just at the edge of the trees, you saw the water below and the village just ahead. Turning, you were about to respond, but Lo’ak continued his pace, bumping into you. You staggered backward toward the edge of the water, falling backwards with nothing to hold.

Lo’ak in his panic, caught you quickly but let go of your pouch, sending it to the depths of the water.

“Y/n I’m so sor—“ You shushed him, putting a hand to his lips.

“Just shut up and dive.”

There was no time to waste for you as you felt a pit in your stomach form, instantly diving into the water. Lo’ak followed after you, even though he knew he couldn’t hold his breath for long, swimming downward.

You had only managed to grab Mo’at’s paper, your dogtags, and the wooden bead as the rest of it fell toward the sea floor below, beyond the scope of the natural bioluminescent plants and into the dark and infinite.

Out of breath, you swam up, Lo’ak already there as he caught his own breath. When you resurfaced, you opened your hand, defeated.

Lo’ak handed you Trudy’s watch, apologetic, “I’m sorry. This was all I could grab.”

You took it from his hands, closing your palm around it, “It’s okay Lo’ak. Thank you.”

Lifting yourself to the shore, the dirt becoming mud as it caked onto your knuckles, you pivoted, sitting down for a moment as your feet dangled above the water.

Opening your palms, you let out a deep exhale, sadness permeating through you and only amplifying as you shivered from the breeze that cascaded through the trees.

“We can look for your other things tomorrow when it’s light outside.” Lo’ak nudged you with an elbow, but you didn’t budge, your head downcast.

It suddenly felt like a bad omen looking at what you had salvaged, a symbolism of everything you couldn't save and everything in your past that haunted you.

As if to taunt you, you looked at your dogtags, the word “Quaritch” causing scorn to rise within you, a reemergence of the pain and the inner conflict you felt about your existence rising. Then, there was the bead, the wood blackened and charred by your father’s command. And lastly, Trudy’s watch, the hands frozen, forever stuck on the moment when she breathed her last breath.

Somehow, all you could gather were the parts of your story that you just couldn’t forgive, the parts of you that juxtaposed that renewed sense of being Mo’at urged you to be, to feel.

But just like Mo’at’s paper, you felt that tug within yourself, torn. The line between who you were and who you wanted to be blurred like the ink that smudged the wet page.

Perhaps remembering was just too painful and in your desperation to lay waste to the guilt and regret you felt, you impulsively threw them all back into the water, overwhelmed by the need to let everything go, to stop the ache inside of you.

Lo’ak blinked rapidly as you did it, unsure if he was just imagining it, “Why—“

Not sparing the water a second glance, you got up, brushing the dirt off your knuckles. You tried to remain indifferent, but your voice cracked, “Some things are better off forgotten. Let’s go.”

"Wait, y/n—"

Lo’ak watched as you walked off and looking into the water, he prayed in a hushed tone quickly before darting off after you, “Great Mother, please help me find everything quickly tomorrow."

The next morning, Tsireya was surprised to see Lo'ak so early, but even more surprised to not find you by his side. Judging by the expression that Lo'ak had on his face, she could sense his desperate urgency and the panic behind his eyes.

She cocked an eyebrow at Lo'ak, his eyes showing his desperate concern, and holding the basket she had at her side, she asked, "What is wrong?"

Rambling, he moved his hands as he explained what happened, not stopping to take a breath as he let his words out, "Last night, y/n and I were looking at the stars and then she had this little sack with all the things she needed for her songcord and I dropped it in the water. And I just—I saw her face when it fell and I hate seeing her so sad. So, I need your help finding it.”

She had expected a more dire situation, and after letting out a sigh of relief, she couldn't help but giggle, "And here I was so worried that something terrible had happened! This is an easy fix. Show me where she lost her things. I will help you."

Leading her to that edge, the slight wave of the water lapping at it, Lo'ak could still see your footprints still pressed into the dirt. Pointing, he directed her, "It fell down right here."

"Stay here. I have something that will help with your breath." Tsireya said, and diving, she quickly swam to the depths of the coral reef, her eyes scanning the water.

When she found what she was looking for, a gill mantle, she put one on herself and held onto another for Lo'ak, their fluid-like movements making them difficult to grasp at first, but once she had her hold on the gelatinous body, she swam up.

Lo'ak crouched near the water, watching for Tsireya, heart pounding in anxiousness. He wanted to find it before you woke up, or at the very least, before you noticed he was gone.

Once Tsireya surfaced, she signaled for him to join her and jumping in the water, she showed him the gill mantle, explaining, "Turn. I will put this on your back. It gives breath in the water."

He obliged, turning. He felt it attach to him, its smooth texture cool on his skin. Then, Tsireya submerged herself again, Lo'ak following after her.

He instantly felt better in the water, keeping up with her as she made her way down. The light from above provided a shimmering beacon for the sea floor, which resembled an abyss before in the wake of the night.

Still though, the surroundings were darker than Lo'ak was used to, and seeing his discomfort, Tsireya gently tapped one of the coral pieces, the entire structure illuminating the bottom, every creature and plant seemingly greeting it as they all, in unison, casted their own lights in response.

Once the floor was illuminated, Lo'ak easily found the wooden bead, your dogtags, and Trudy's watch almost fully buried in the sand, their foreign appearances allowing for his eyes to spot them quickly. It also didn't take long for Tsireya to spot the pouch, the design of it so distinctly Omaticaya that it stuck out amidst the surroundings of the sea.

Handing it to Lo'ak, he smiled, clearly grateful to her. Then, making sure that everything was in there, he peeked inside. Relief took over him as he realized everything was still in there and inside of his mind, he thanked the Great Mother. Placing the watch, bead, and tags in the pouch, he closed it tightly.

Going back to the surface, Lo'ak held on to it with a tight fist, not wanting anything to fall out again. And when they neared the surface, Tsireya took the gill mantle off him and off herself. Taking their breaths, they were silent for a moment and holding your pouch out of the water, Lo'ak couldn't contain his excitement to give it to you later.

Tsireya had only met Lo'ak the day before, but she noted early on that Lo'ak would never smile at anyone the way he would smile at you.

Swimming toward the docks, she suggested, "This will be y/n's first songcord?"

"Yeah, it is," Lo'ak looked up, tilting his head, "Why?"

Her eyes brightened, "Come with me. I know how you can make y/n very happy."

Stopping by her marui, she fished out a handful of items from a basket near the ground and showing them to Lo'ak, she described them, "You can use this twine to put it altogether and then you can add something to symbolize your connection, here are some things—just a few shells, sea crystals, beads, and rocks that you can put on there to make it even more special for her."

Instantly smiling as an idea popped into his head, he took out his knife, "I know exactly what I'm going to add. Thanks Tsireya."

"You are very welcome. Here, I will measure out the twine for you."

He nodded gratefully as he began carving through one of the shells. Tsireya unraveled the twine and looking up, she watched Lo'ak for a moment, moved by how focused he was, his concentration showing how much he cared about the efforts he put into it. When he finished, laid out your mementos, one by one, organizing them with intention.

He remembered all the things you told him about yourself, even the smallest details helping him figure out how to put them all in the right order. As he continued to think, he instinctively touched the ikran claw on his necklace, and eyes widening, he unfastened it, undoing the entire thing to release the claw from its position.

Once again, Tsireya saw that huge smile, her heart warmed by the sight, "You’re putting the claw from your necklace in it as well?”

He nodded, placing it delicately next to the shell he carved for you, “I was wearing it when we met.”

He also remembered vividly how you had hooked your hands around the claw of his necklace when you kissed him. But, he kept that reason to himself, too shy to admit it to Tsireya.

“You are very fond of her,” Tsireya knew she was pointing out the obvious, but it didn’t stop Lo’ak from blushing, "And she is very fond of you too."

"Your father thinks we're married." Lo'ak looked up at her from the side, chuckling.

"So did I." Tsireya said with a giggle. Her eyes wandered to your mementos, curiosity bubbling inside her.

"I have never seen things like this before." Tsireya admitted, intrigued as she eyed each one closely, "These are from the Sky People, right?"

"Y/n is from the same star that my dad is from." He replied as he played around with different combinations of beads and rocks.

"How? How are y/n and your dad Na'vi?" Tsireya asked, sheltered from the very idea that it could be a possibility.

Norm and Max had tried to explain it to him once before in the lab while Kiri was visiting Grace's avatar, but he couldn't recall all of the scientific terms or processes. And not wanting to confuse her any further, he avoided the question, "I don't really know. You'll have to ask y/n. She knows all about it. She was a scientist, one of the natural observers of our world."

Tsireya nodded, seeming to comprehend Lo'ak, "I will ask her later when we have time after our lessons. But for now let us hurry, so you can give it to her! I will help you put it altogether."

Giving him directions on how to weave the pieces, Tsireya helped Lo’ak, making different shapes and manipulating the differing pieces to make a cohesive line. Lo'ak kept a careful watch on the sun, once low, a half dome in the reflection of the water, approached near highest peak, the once pinkish tone of the sky slowly settling into blue. When Lo’ak finally got to the last part, he secured what he had carved for you with a double knot, leaving extra room before cutting the end off.

"There! It’s done!" Coiling it in his palm, he presented it to Tsireya and he took it with haste, already up from his seated position and halfway to the entryway of the marui.

"Thank you Tsireya!," Lo'ak began to whisper-yell as he realized that it was still too early for many of the villagers, "Thank you! I have to go give this to y/n. I'll see you later."

Overwhelmed by hopelessness, you had let your impulses take over the night before, so much so that you had woken up in a daze, not feeling like yourself as you mindlessly rolled your hammock. Although you had so confidently uttered aloud how much you wanted to forget, you were beginning to regret it. You hadn't noticed that you were just turning it over and over until Kiri put a hand over yours.

"Are you okay?" She slowly took your hammock out of your hands, trying to find an answer in your blank stare.

“Oh yeah. I'm fine." You replied cheerily, although she wasn't convinced, the glint of sadness still remnant in the way you were looking at her.

When Jake figured out that Lo'ak was missing, what could have been a peaceful morning turned into a very stressful one as he scolded Neteyam for not keeping an eye on his brother. Apologetic, Neteyam could only manage an obedient nod, taking the heat for it, despite his own inner protests.

Hearing Jake, you pulled yourself out of your daze, quick to defend Neteyam, "Why are you blaming Neteyam? This isn't his fault, Jake. Lo'ak probably just went to go ride his ilu or something."

"That's not the point y/n. The point is that I told him to stay out of trouble." He was absolute in his strict rule, but you didn't care, still continuing to argue.

"How do you know he's in trouble?" You challenged him. narrowing your eyes.

Jake opened his mouth with an outstretched finger at you, "It's Lo'ak. I know."

"Like father, like son." You muttered under your breath, rolling your eyes.

"What was that?" Jake's fists balled, the slight annoyance in his voice amplifying.

Putting your hands at your sides as you turned on your heel, you took Neteyam by the shoulder, "Stand down Corporal. Neteyam and I will go look for him before you have a stroke."

Jake watched the two of you go, Neytiri urging Kiri and Tuk to follow after you.

"Thank you for coming to my defense." Neteyam peered at you from the side, grateful as he smiled at you.

You slung your arm over his shoulder with your other hand out for him to bump, "Anytime. I love seeing that vein stick out of your dad's forehead whenever I do something like this."

Neteyam bumped your knuckles, chuckling loudly, "I have noticed it come out a lot lately."

When he laughed, the way he smiled flashed you back, a warm, but sullen feeling taking over, "Has your mom ever told you that you look a lot like her sister, your aunt, Sylwanin? When you smiled, just now, you really look like her."

He blinked, trying to remember, but shaking his head, "No, she's never told me, but I have seen her when I've connected to the Tree of Souls," He looked at you, amazed, "Now that I think about it, I see it."

"Wait! Wait for us!" Tuk's little voice yelled from behind you.

Letting your arm fall, you let out a laugh as you watched her bounce over, the material of the dock moving up and down with every step. Kiri was watching her intently, making sure she didn't suddenly fall into the water.

"Guys! What's happening? What are we doing?"

All of you shifted your attention to that familiar voice, the slight gravelly texture of it not hard to distinguish.

Neteyam immediately scolded his little brother, taking him by the neck, "Skxawng! We were looking for you. Dad has been wondering where you were all morning."

You all continued to walk on the docks until you got to the beach, Neteyam giving his brother an earful.

"Yeah seriously brother." Kiri began, eyes narrowed, "We've been here a whole day and you're already off on some little adventure. Where did you go?"

Lo'ak, wholly expecting it and being so used to being in trouble, shrugged casually, his eyes going to you as he stepped forward, "I had to go look for something."

"What are you talking about?" You knew what he was alluding to, but it felt too good to be true.

From behind his back, he held your pouch up by its drawstring and you furrowed your eyebrows in disbelief, "You found it."

Grabbing hold of your right hand, he placed it gently in your palm, "I know you said some things are better forgotten. But, songcords aren't just about how you began. They're also about how you continue life," He paused, chuckling softly, "And, I also know that if my grandma was here, she would kill me if I let that pouch sit at the bottom of the reef.”

Shocked, you couldn't move for a second, overwhelmed with warmth as you took in Lo'ak's words.

Eager, he looked at you expectantly, "Open it."

Neteyam, Kiri, and Tuk were equally as eager, Tuk annoying Neteyam to pick her up so she could see properly. All of them leaning forward, they watched as you pulled the opening apart, the drawstring shortening to their knots at the end.

When you opened the pouch, you softened instantly, "Lo'ak," You spoke in a soft, gentle voice, pulling out the finished songcord, the sight of it giving way to butterflies in your stomach.

You couldn't believe your eyes. Every piece was perfectly placed exactly how you would have done it. With intricate weaving, the bigger pieces were accented by crystals and rocks, the colors all different kinds all along the twine. As you trailed your fingers down, you stopped at the claw and you looked at Lo’ak again, your eyes going to his bare neck. Touched that he had given it to you, you held it with your left hand as your eyes went to the last addition.

You saw what Lo'ak had worked so hard to carve for you and holding it up, you looked at him proudly, "You made this star?” Pressing a finger into each of the points, you praised him, “Aren’t you a quick learner. It’s perfect.”

Kiri found the whole interaction endearing, watching the two of you with a grin on her face. Even Neteyam was moved, proud of his little brother.

You paused, uncertain what to say next, and impulsively you showed your gratitude as you hugged him, your arms around his neck, finding the words finally, “This is perfect. I can’t believe you did all this for me. Thank you.”

“I-I'm glad you like it.” He put his arms around you, and from behind, Kiri and Neteyam mocked their brother, blowing kissy faces at him when they noticed his sudden shyness.

Tuk though, whined, "No fair Lo'ak! You didn't even ask us if we wanted to add something to y/n's songcord!"

Overcome with annoyance, Lo'ak scowled and you let go of him, putting a hand up to shush him. Moving closer to her, you patted her head, "Like your brother said, songcords are about continuing life. You'll have so many more opportunities to add something, okay?"

Smiling wide, she nodded, putting her arms out for you to hold her. Neteyam loosened his grip on his sister as you took her into your arms and she hugged you tightly, "I love that you're part of our family!"

"Yeah, y/n. You're a Sully. You're one of us." Kiri proclaimed proudly.

The other Sullys gathered around you, Kiri and Neteyam putting their hands on your shoulder while Lo'ak shifted to face you.

"Yeah and when I marry you, you'll be a Sully officially."

You were about to flick his forehead when Tuk did the honors, getting back at her brother with a snarky reply, "You're too annoying to marry y/n! I'd feel bad for her."

The outburst was so unexpected, you let out a boisterous laugh, Kiri and Neteyam following suit as their laughs reined in with yours. Lo'ak though held it in, keeping half a smirk as he glared at Tuk and pinched her cheek.

Day by day, you were learning more and more about the sea.

Much like the Forest held the flow of energy in the branches of its trees and in the flight of the creatures that called it home, the sea regarded it in the kinship between life and the water that connects all things.

This wasn't just the mindless repetition that you were used to in your military training or even your countless hours of lab training. You were thrust into the depth of a culture that moved your soul and reignited your love for the natural world. And because everything was so new, you felt like a kid again, trying out new things and throwing caution to the wind.

And although you already felt close to the Sullys before, that closeness only solidified as you all were thrown into this new frontier together.

You and Neteyam would hold contests to see who could hold their breath in the water the longest. Tuk and you would spend time making jewelry or hanging out on the sea floor to look for shells and ocean trinkets. You and Kiri always enjoyed diving to the sandy bottom of the reef to observe the sea creatures, keeping their company sometimes until night would fall.

You usually would cast nets to go fishing with Jake or spar with one another to practice fighting with spears. Neytiri enjoyed watching the two of you do either, usually sitting nearby and weaving materials as she did so. Still reluctant to conform, she did her best to adapt with the help of all of you, But, because you knew she missed home so much, you would often ask her to help you with using a bow and arrow, your request almost always inciting excitement in her eyes.

Tsireya was in the center of all these activities, proving to be a good teacher, leader, and friend as she worked diligently to ensure that you were learning the ways of her people well.

And while you did all these things in your new routine, you spent most of your time with Lo'ak.

Lo'ak and you would take every opportunity to ride your ilus together, and when you all finally tamed your own tsuraks, the two of you would sneak off and race them whenever you got the chance. You had even started playing games in the water, creating obstacle courses for yourselves to train your speed and agility or even just simple ones like hide and seek with different objects like shells or rocks—a favorite of Tuk's when she would come (to the dismay of Lo'ak) spend time with you.

When you weren't riding, you were usually sat across from him on the shore of the beach, detailing your latest discovery in the water, your urge for knowledge making itself known in your endless theories and conclusions about their natural world. In conversations like these, Lo'ak found himself falling in love with the sound of your voice every time you spoke science to him.

And when you would just dive in the water together, you would often try to go all the way to the bottom of the reef using the gill mantles, your constant adventures to the depths leading you to unforeseen caves that surprisingly had air pockets, those places being your refuge when you would get tired of swimming.

You all were beginning to get accustomed to the sea, no longer babies taking their first breath.

Yet, despite how well you all were doing, Aonung and his friends, hardheaded and callous, still met you all with hostility and prejudice.

You were just coming back from an underwater dive with Lo'ak, the two of you walking along the beach as he listened to you enthuse, "I can't believe that cave had that sea glass above it. You could see the reflection of the sun through it that far down."

Spotting Kiri in the distance, you nudged Lo'ak, "Come on, let's go tell Kiri about it."

She was in the shallows of the shore, her head and body under the water with her feet above the surface. Even though you called out to her, she didn't respond and you chuckled to yourself, knowing she was focused on whatever it was she had stumbled upon in the sand.

As you made your way over, Aonung had beat you to it, making a spectacle of Kiri to his friends as he walked up to her, prompting her attention out of the water.

"Are you some kind of...freak?" Aonung asked, the others snickering as he taunted her, "I mean you're not even true Na'vi," He gripped her hands forcefully, "Look at these hands."

"Get your hands off me!" She shook her hands out of his grip with a disgusted look on her face, turning away from them and walking in the opposite direction.

Not satisifed, Aonung followed after her, calling out taunts once more until Lo'ak saunted over, pushing Aonung as he snarled, "Back off fishlips."

"Oh good, other four fingered freaks." Aonung mocked, unfazed.

"Look at their little baby tails." One of his friends insulted, grabbing onto your tail aggressively.

Lo'ak turned ready to punch him, "Don't touch her."

But, you had already grabbed the man by the queue, jerking him backward, "Man, I should have brought my damn spear."

His friend, scowled and looking down at your hands when you stepped forward, he clicked his tongue, "This is just a whole family of freaks."

"Leave us alone!" Kiri yelled out, frustrated and annoyed.

"Yeah, you heard what she said." Neteyam had come too, marching to Aonung, his growl sending Aonung backward slightly and his arm up in front of his friends who all snarled at him, "Back off."

Aonung didn't say anything, scoffing softly as he put his hand up in voluntary surrender.

"Smart choice. And from now on, I need you to respect my sisters." Neteyam said, backing away, "Let's go." He put a hand on Kiri's shoulder and another on Lo'ak's head.

You turned on your heel reluctantly, following them until you heard one of them call out mockingly, "Buh-bye!"

Hearing that, Lo'ak stopped, sighing heavily, unable to help himself as he made his way back to Aonung, smirking as an idea popped up in his head.

"Lo'ak—" Neteyam began, but Lo'ak put his hand up reassuringly.

"I got this bro."

Aonung turned, the others along with him.

"I know this hand is funny." He wiggled his pinky at him, Aonung watching intently, "I'm a freak. Alien. But it can do something really cool. Watch. First, you ball it up real tight like this. Okay? Then..."

One...two...three blows to the head and Aonung was flying backward toward the water, the impact of his body splashing the others.

"It's called a punch, bitch. Don't ever mess with them ever again."

Coolly, he walked off, but he only got to the brink of the shore when Aonung tackled him. Without warning, the friends joined in, one of them slapping Lo'ak with his tail.

"I have to get in there." You began, marching up, but Neteyam put a hand on your shoulder to stop you.

"No, no. I'll go," He grumbled, scratching his head.

"Let me get—"

"Just let me a big brother and defend you guys, okay?" Neteyam let out before grabbing one of the men and kicking him in the stomach.

"Show off," You muttered, putting your hands on your hips.

"This is so stupid!" Kiri put her hands around her mouth, projecting as you both watched Neteyam and Lo'ak.

The villagers nearby quickly noticed, and it wasn't long before a group of them came by and stepped in, separating them from Aonung and the others.

Two of the men held Neteyam and Lo'ak by their queues, leading them toward the village while they let Aonung and everyone else go.

Kiri stayed in the water, but you followed after them, a few paces behind. Jake was outside of your marui, sharpening his knives when you all arrived. Asking what happened, the two men explained to Jake that Lo'ak had started the fight.

Jake looked at them apologetically before they took their leave, and pushing them into the marui, he scolded, "What was the one thing I asked? The one thing?"

Looking downward, sand still caked onto their bodies and a few bloodied gashes, they both said in unison, "Stay out of trouble."

"Yes! Stay out of trouble." Jake emphasized

"Sir, it was my fault." Neteyam put his hands up in surrender.

Jake dismissed him, "I don't think so. You gotta stop taking the heat for this knucklehead."

"He called Kiri a freak, Jake." You said from behind them, leaning onto the side of the entrance, "And then he called us, freaks. What did you think was going to happen?"

Sighing, Jake pointed out of the marui, "Go apologize to Aonung."

"What?" You and Lo'ak both questioned together.

"He's the Chief's son. Do you understand?" Jake, frustrated, he put his fingers around the bridge of his nose, "I don't care how you do it. Just go make peace."

Trudging, Lo'ak walked off, shaking his head. He didn't even stop to give you a second glance, his anger festering.

You got up from your leaned position, lowering your eyes at Jake, "Come on, old man. You know that wasn't right."

"Chief's son, remember?" Jake repeated, but you scoffed at him.

"It's not our fault the Chief's son wants to be an ass." You muttered under your breath, which Neteyam and Jake both heard clearly.

Jake couldn't argue against that, sighing again as he turned to Neteyam, "So, what'd the other guys look like?"

"Worse." Neteyam gave his father a meek, but proud smile, "A lot worse."

"That's good. Now, get out of here. Both of you." You saw behind his stern expression that he was pleased, even it was under unfavorable circumstances.

You both obliged, walking out of the marui. Slinging your arm across Neteyam's shoulder and tousling his hair, you told him, "Let's go get you patched up with Tsireya, yeah?"

"What? Don't you want to go find your husband?" Neteyam raised an eyebrow at you, shocked.

"I think your brother needs to cool off by himself." Ignoring his teasing as you replied and remembering how he barely spared you a glance as he went to find Aonung, "And besides, if we go with him and Aonung is there, we're going to end up fighting again. Ugh, I want to punch him so bad."

"It was a great feeling finally punching him. I've been holding that in for weeks now." Neteyam agreed, chuckling proudly.

Letting a deep breath out, you scowled, "I know and I'm jealous. I should have just joined in, honestly."

Placing a hand on your shoulder, you walked side by side together, Neteyam explaining, "Had I let you, I don't think they would have survived by Lo'ak's hands if they landed a blow on you."

"If they landed a blow on me." You repeated, brushing some of the sand off his shoulder and face, "And you know they wouldn't have survived with all three of us."

Neteyam laughed, "You're right, you're right." Tapping his hand to his chest, he reassured you, "You're lucky to have such a mighty warrior as your future brother-in-law."

You pressed into the skin of one of his wounds and he flinched, the reaction making you chuckle, "Alright, "mighty" warrior, I think I see Tsireya up ahead."

Waving to get her attention, she finally noticed, running over. Looking at Neteyam. Her mouth dropping as concern flooded her eyes, "What happened?"

"This mighty warrior needs a couple bandages after fighting your brother and his friends." Taking Neteyam by the back of the neck, you pushed him along, Tsireya signaling for you to join her in her marui as she gathered supplies.

You all sat down on the floor as Tsireya grabbed bandages made of seaweed. You watched her intently as she instructed Neteyam to lift his arm up. Rubbing the underside of the seaweed, it began to glow slightly, revealing a jellied paste that was already slathered onto it.

"What is that?" You asked curiously, your mind filtering through all the possible properties of the plant.

"There are many types of seaweed. Some for our clothes, others for eating, but this one is for healing. You rub it to activate the part that heals the body." Tsireya clarified, passing you a piece that you could look at.

Trailing your fingers along it, you squinted, observing the plant's ridges, texture, and smell, highly intrigued.

"What else do you use for healing?" You placed the piece back onto the ground near the other ones.

Tsireya, happily, described the other healing practices of her people, the many rituals that they do to heal their sick and wounded combining their spirituality and their knowledge of the body.

Fascinated, you urged her to go on and she did, taking out a myriad of items from a basket in the corner, "As future tsahik, I am obligated to learn how to heal, but for now, I help my mother with rituals. These are just some of the many tools we have."

Displaying each of them in front of you, you were eager to learn and Neteyam listened as well as she described the usage of all her instruments.

As you took in the information, your eyes brightened and putting a hand over Tsireya's you stopped her, "I'm going to go find Kiri. I know she'd love to hear about this too."

"Yes! It would be wonderful for her to join." Tsireya beamed and you stood up, making your way to the beach where you last saw her.

It didn't take long for you to spot Kiri among the coral, the sea creatures entrancing her as they swam by her. She didn't notice you approaching until your movement stirred the fish she was looking at.

"Tsireya's teaching us about the tsahik's rituals. Healing plants and whatnot. I figured you'd want to learn too."

She didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes troubled as she looked downward.

"What's wrong Kiri? Don't tell me they tried to mess with you again 'cause I—"

"It's not that." She sighed, hugging her arms, "I don't care what they think of me. I just..." She paused, putting a hand at her forehead, "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"What? What is it?" You took her hands into yours and she made eye contact with you, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking.

"I feel Her, y/n. I feel Eywa." Suddenly, fish came from the depths of the water, circling Kiri's feet, "I hear Her breathing. I hear Her heartbeat. She's so close. She's just there...like a word about to be spoken."

You're not crazy, Kiri." You noticed the fish, the movement isolated only to her as you moved your foot near them, and crouching you looked closer, "These fish seem to know you feel Her too."

Kiri couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief, covering her hands with her face before crouching with you, "Just look."

When she placed her hand in the water, the fish moved from her feet to her hand, following her motions, "I don't know why I can do this. I don't know what the Great Mother wants from me."

You were amazed as you watched them flock to her, "If you can feel Her so strongly that means she can feel you too. You wouldn't have this...gift, if you weren't supposed to use it."

"You think of it as a gift?" Kiri looked at you with wonder, smiling.

"Yes! And you should too." Getting up from your crouched position, you extended your hand to her, "Now, are you going to come with me to see Tsireya?" You looked down, "The fish are invited too if they want to come."

She laughed at your joke, taking your hand as she stood up, "Yes, let's go to Tsireya."

Walking back toward the village, you asked Kiri more questions about what she could do, but she had only just grazed the surface of her abilities before she told you, uncertain of what more this inner power could offer. You were almost at the marui when you saw Aonung, whooping happily with his friends. You were surprised at first at the sight and expecting to see Lo'ak with them, you had assumed they all made up.

But, when you found that Lo'ak wasn't with them, you stomped over, trying to keep the fumes that were igniting inside of you at bay as you asked, "Where's Lo'ak?"

They all exchanged looks with one another, Aonung shrugging his shoulders as he replied with a snobby grin, "I thought it wouldn't be easy getting him outside the reef. But when we said we'd ask Neteyam instead, he was all for it. Then, we left him. Poor Forest Boy won't stand a chance out there."

His friends snickered, egging on more insults and Kiri watched as your whole demeanor changed, "What?"

Aonung put his hands up in surrender, "Do you Forest people not have good hearing too? He's probably dead now that—"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as you threw your knife at him hard, barely hitting him as it grazed his cheek, blood dripping from where it hit him, then landing on the column behind him.

"You better start telling me where he is because the next time, I don't plan on missing." You snarled and Kiri, knowing there was no use in calming you down, left to find her older brother.

"I'm not going to fight a girl." Aonung spat, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about all of you." You spat back, throwing his own joke back at his face.

His friends hissed loudly at you, grabbing their knives out as they hunched over into their fighting positions. They lunged at you both, but you quickly disarmed the first one, kicking the knife away and sending him to the ground as you elbowed him hard.

The other attempted to slash his knife at you, but you dodged it, jumping backward and grabbing onto the hilt of it, leveraging your weight and flipping him over onto his friend that was groaning from your hit.

With the two of them out of the way, you made your way over to Aonung, grabbing him by the throat and backing him up into the column where your knife had landed.

You watched as his usual arrogance melted into panic and fear, your knife right beside his head, "This is me being nice. So, I'm gonna ask you again. Where is Lo'ak?" You took the knife out of the wood, placing it along his neck, "And you better start praying to Eywa that I like your answer."

"Y/n! Y/n!" You turned your head to find all of the Sullys with Tonowari, Ronal, and Tsireya, panicked as they took in the scene.

You let go of Aonung with a thrust, him and his friends gathering together.

"What the hell is going on?" Jake leaned forward, clearly embarrassed and trying to tame the situation.

"Tell them what you told me." Your eyes shooting arrows at Aonung, "Or should I?"

He was silent until Tonowari plunged his spear down forcefully, "Speak boy!"

"We took him outside of the reef." Aonung admitted, avoiding his father's eyes.

You looked at Aonung, your mouth hung open with disgust at his purposeful omission of the truth.

Neytiri put her hand over her mouth, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she was overcome with worry and anger. Jake put a hand over her shoulder to comfort her.

"This is true, Aonung? What were you thinking?" Ronal grabbed her son by the neck.

Aonung said nothing again as his mother pulled him away, scolding him harshly. Tonowari looked at Jake and Neytiri apologetically, "We will signal the horns and look for your son."

Nodding, Jake agreed, looking at Neytiri, "Stay with Tuk. I'll fly out to find him."

You were about to follow the other warriors for the search party, but Jake put a hand on your arm, "And you."

"What?" You tried to shimmy your arm away, but Jake maintained his grip.

"You pulled a knife on him? What was going through your head?"

You took a deep breath, "I was threatening him! I wasn't going to kill him!"

Jake groaned and you put your hands up in surrender, "Okay, fine nothing was going through my head. I was just angry...you know because he left Lo'ak out there to die. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Go be with Neytiri and Tuk." Jake demanded, letting go of your arm.

"No, I'm going with you. I have to help." You refused, but he shook his head.

"No, you need to cool off. We'll find him, y/n."

As much as you didn't want to, you trudged over to Neytiri and Tuk, catching up with the both of them.

"Is Lo'ak going to be okay?" Tuk asked you, holding on tightly to her mother.

"Don't worry about your brother. He'll be alright." You provided her that comfort on the exterior, but inside you were a nervous wreck.

You did well trying to hide how you felt, not wanting to create any more tense worry in Neytiri and Tuk, who busied themselves with weaving as they waited for Lo'ak to be found.

It wasn't like hunting outside of the reef was completely forbidden, but in the time that you had been at Awa'atlu, you had only ever gone outside the reef once while under the supervision of Tonowari. And he had instructed that only the skilled hunters would frequent those waters.

Tsireya had warned you all about the dangers of the open ocean. It was the exact reason why their village was separated from it through those huge wooden barriers. There were dangers beyond even the scope of the metkayina, and knowing that sent you spiraling.

Although your mind wanted to think rationally, your heart's troubled murmurs drowned out any possibility of that.

That fear of loss was so deeply rooted into you. You had died all those years ago to save Jake.

But who were you not able to save?

The memory of Grace and Trudy lay like stones in your heart, wounds on your heart continually fresh but torturously cauterized as you tried to put at the forefront that you are not your father's sins; that inner battle within you amplifying this unexpected influx of desperation and fear.

Mixtures of guilt and regret flooded inside of you as you compared how you felt dealing with your losses when you were human and the seemingly inevitable potentiality of them at that moment.

You shivered as you anxiously wondered what you should have done.

You should have followed Lo'ak out when Jake told him to apologize. Maybe if you had done that, he wouldn't have ended up getting lost out there alone. Because at least if you had went, you would have ended up getting lost together.

And as you reflected on your past, that present moment begged for you to consider that perhaps you should have jumped into the helicopter when you helped Grace, Jake, and Norm break out of their cell, that maybe you would have pushed Grace further enough so she wouldn't have gotten hit. Then maybe you and Trudy would have ended up having one last flight together.

When the horns finally blew again and the outcries of the warriors shouted Lo'ak's return, the three of you all immediately got up. Following the villagers who were riding in the water on the walkways, you moved through the crowd of people gathered at one of the docks.

When you caught a glimpse of him, you ran as quickly as you could, Neytiri and Tuk following behind you. Lo'ak was walking away from the dock, his shoulders slumped and his head down.

Neteyam was right behind him, following closely. You were running too fast to slow your pace down, too overwhelmed and happy to see him. Catching him off guard, you hugged him tightly, almost knocking him to the ground.

You closed your eyes as you wrapped your arms around him, a sigh of relief escaping you, "I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

Lo'ak didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around you too, savoring in your embrace with a wide grin, "You really missed me, huh?"

"She almost killed Aonung." Neteyam revealed and you glared at him, causing him to shrug, "What? It's true. I have never seen you so angry before, y/n."

He exchanged a look with his brother, Lo'ak mouthing, "Really?" and Neteyam nodding profusely, mouthing back, "Yes!"

When Neytiri and Tuk caught up, they were both relieved to see Lo'ak. Neytiri inspecting Lo'ak before going to Jake. Tuk stayed with you though, Neteyam picking her up as you noted the cuts and scratches on Lo'ak.

You leaned back, your arms still attached to him, "Tsireya showed me how to use her seaweed bandages. Let's go get some from her."

"The blame is mine. Why did you speak for me?" Aonung's voice rang out from behind you, his voice becoming louder as he approached.

You pulled your knife out again, extending your hand as you stepped protectively between him and Lo'ak, "Back up."

Then, realizing what he said, you raised an eyebrow at Lo'ak, "What did he just say you did?"

Lo'ak merely shrugged, cavalier as he glared at Aonung, "Because I know what it feels like to be one big disappointment."

Without a second glance, Lo'ak took you by the hand, walking off with you quickly, leaving Neteyam and Tuk.

You put your knife back into your sheath, questioning him again, "Seriously?"

"Did you see his face when I said that?" Lo'ak laughed, satisfied as he smirked, "This might have been the best thing that's happened to me here."

You pinched his ear hard, "I was so worried about you and you're telling me this is the best thing that happened to you?" You let go of his hand and started heading in another direction, "Go to Tsireya by yourself."

"Wait, wait where are you going?" He chased after you, catching your arm but you swatted him away, "I thought you were never letting me out of your sight again?"

"I change my mind." You dove into the water and he swam after you.

Nightfall commanded the bioluminescence of the plants and creatures, illuminating the water that reflected the darkness of the sky. Your own skin was glowing as you swam, the light blue of your markings matching some of the colors around you.

When he finally caught up with you, you signed for him to go away, but he didn't listen, swimming alongside you anyway until you breached the surface for a breath.

Only a few meters from the beach, you looked up at the sky, the sight of the moons glorious and with them, you spotted Earth, a tiny star compared to the orbs near it.

"I didn't know you cared about me this much." Lo'ak was just trying to get under your skin, his tone unserious as he attempted to lighten the mood.

Frustrated, you swung at him, but he dodged it, sending him toward the water with a splash. Wiping the water from his face, his eyes widened as you yelled fervidly, "I've lost almost everyone I've ever cared about, so maybe I should stop caring about you too! It'll save me all the worrying and the pain for when you do stupid shit like this!"

Lo'ak's face dropped, his heart aching sorely as he watched you quickly turn away from him, hesitant to look him in the eyes as tears that you couldn't control began to fall.

"Hey, hey," Lo'ak came up from behind you, placing an affectionate hand on your shoulder, prompting your attention as you turned.

He wiped the last of your tears, but you still avoided looking at him, focused on the water below, "I'm sorry y/n. This is my fault. I'm an idiot."

"You are!" You highlighted and you exhaled, finally meeting his gaze, "They left you out there to die! And you really could have! All because you wanted to show off in front of them!"

"I'm not going anywhere." He pulled you into him, hugging you as you kept your arms at his chest, your head rested on his shoulder.

"That better be a promise, Lo'ak." You pulled away, looking at him, still angry.

“I promise I’m not going anywhere only if you promise too, alright?”

“I promise,” Hands at his chest, your eyes fierce, the words coming out like a sacred command, “No dying.”

“Yeah, no dying.” Lo’ak repeated, and guiding your head back to rest onto his shoulder he wrapped his arms around you once more.

Feeling the warmth between your bodies, comforted by the feeling of safety, your heart spoke for you, "You're not a disappointment, by the way."

Lo'ak was moved, unable to find anything to say, but hugging you even tighter to acknowledge you. You knew exactly what that meant and reciprocating it, you moved your arms away from his chest, gliding them along his back until you found the spot you liked, closing that gap between you as you met him with an equal force of affection, and feeling it deep within as you closed your eyes.

When you finally opened them, you immediately took notice of his wounds, sporadic on his body, the blood from his cuts long clotted and his bruises turned purple.

Extending your arms out, Lo'ak sighed at the sudden break in contact. He already knew what you were thinking and trying to ease your worries, he placed his hands on your cheeks lifting your head up to meet his eyes, “I’m really okay. These are nothing.”

“Yeah but we should still go to Tsireya and have her put those bandages on.” You protested.

Lo’ak grunted, squishing your cheeks playfully, “I don’t want to go to Tsireya, I just want to be with you right now.”

In retaliation, you pinched his cheek back, "I think you missed me more than I missed you."

"Of course I did." He said back to you without a second thought, "And honestly, I wish you were out there with me. I—"

He stopped himself, choosing his words carefully as his smile faltered. It was instantly worrying to watch his face drop and you asked urgently, "What? Why? What happened?"

"Okay, I did almost die out there—" It was as if he saw your heart drop as your expression matched that sinking feeling, your concern shrouded from your eyebrows to the frown of your lips, "But, I wasn't alone. I got saved."

"Saved?" Begging for more answers, you blinked at him, "By who, by what?"

"A tulkun."

Author's Note:

My lovers,

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged for the new chapters in the comments! :)

How did you like this new one? I swear holding hands is Lo'ak and reader's thing!!

Plus, Tonowari thinking they're married just made so much sense to me, don't you agree?

From my heart, thank you again for reading this new chapter! Please please please let me know your thoughts and favorite moments!

I feel like this is my version of the beach episode in an anime— I wanted it to just be filled with small moments between all of them while also showing how they were getting along with their new lives.

Again, thank you guys again for reading and staying tuned. I appreciate you all! For everyone who's waited for this series to come back, I love you!!

Please always take care of yourselves!

love,

nana <3

new tag honor list! @emilymikado — thanks for the recent love on this series <3

#nanasloversclan #nanasilwefic!#nanasavatarfics #avatar way of water #avatar fanfiction #avatar #avatar x reader #avatar loak #lo’ak x reader #loak x reader #lo'ak imagine #loak sully #lo'ak x you #loak #atwow loak

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