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shu-box-puns · 1 year ago

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Shell-Shocked

(Neteyam X Reader)

Part 1 -> Next Chapter

If you prefer to read on Ao3, you can find the fic here!

Summary: Shells appear whenever you’re around Neteyam.

Word Count: 8229

This is a Metkayina Reader and they use they/them pronouns.

A little snack to keep you all entertained until Ao3 is revived :)))))

Y/n was terrifying. And after the horrors of war that Neteyam had witnessed, he did not admit that to himself lightly.

Maybe it was the fact that regardless of what he did or what jokes he cracked, they never seemed to warm to him.

Or perhaps it was the permanent scowl carved into their features. Or their short, authoritative way of speaking. There was no warmth in them, not that he could decipher anyway. They watched blankly from the water, whilst Tsireya explained today’s lesson, eyes scanning the village as their tail idly swayed the waves.

There was just something about them. The quiet but dominating way in which they held themselves. How they commanded all of his attention despite standing behind both Roxto and Tsireya, who Neteyam really should be paying attention to instead.

How their eyes were piercing, picking apart weakness within seconds. So large and breathtaking, but closed off and emotionless. Neteyam couldn’t read them. Their face was a blank slate to him. He couldn’t tell when they were genuinely mad at him or if they were teasing.

Tsireya clapped her hands, smiling wide and Neteyam blinked. His siblings made to follow her into the shallow cove, leaving Neteyam standing on the beach like an idiot. He was quick to fall into step beside Lo’ak, Kiri attempting to reign in Tuk who had already rushed to Roxto’s side.

His brother barely spared him a glance - too infatuated with Tsireya’s warmth as she beconned him over. Which left Neteyam wandering aimlessly into the water, the last of the Metkayina watching him with disinterest.

<”Let us begin.”> They said simply as he approached. They didn’t bother waiting for his response as they turned and waded further into the waves, hollering to an ilu as they went. Neteyam followed, and the lesson progressed with as little talking as was strictly necessary.

And here he was, sweating bullets astride an ilu that was just as agitated as him.

Y/n had barely explained the mechanics of riding the animal before ordering him to clamber on and start practising.

Their grip was firm on him, adjusting his limbs into the correct mount position. Those eyes critical and their ears perked. This close, Neteyam could tell they weren’t much older than him, and yet, he wouldn’t be surprised if they were close to passing their rite. The way they held themselves had his back instinctively straightening, which in turn hindered how he held himself in the saddle.

They would tut quietly to themselves, making Neteyam flush as his hands were swiftly repositioned by those strong fingers. The ilu chirped between Neteyam’s thighs, and Y/n was quick to soothe it with a gentle pat to the side of its head. Neteyam could feel the touch through the bond and shared in the ilu’s resulting calmness.

They stepped back, and Neteyam stubbornly kept his head facing forwards. Absently, they nodded to themselves once, seemingly approving of his positioning.

<”Now, go with the ilu.”> They explained, mimicking the motion with their hands. <”Dive.”>

The word flickered across Neteyam’s mind and in an instant the ilu was doing just that. Plunging forward and down into the icy depths of the cove with little to no warning. Neteyam’s eyes bugged as he stubbornly choked down what little air he could suck in before the crystal blue waves closed over his face. Panic had the ilu kicking up its pace. Racing away at a speed that had Neteyam’s fingers slipping and unwillingly releasing the harness.

He was swept off his mount’s back in a current of bubbles, his kuru yanking free.

Neteyam came up spluttering, his braids obscuring his view. He struggled to swipe them away, ears flapping in distress as he realised the ilu had left him in a spot where he couldn’t reach the floor. His head kept dipping jerkily beneath the waves in his panic, water rushing up his nose and blurring his vision.

Unexpectedly, a strong hand wrapped around his bicep, unrelenting as he was lifted through the water and held above it. Neteyam sucked in a much needed breath. He turned in place, peering through his obscured view to find Y/n nodding silently to themselves as they effortlessly tread water. Grip still firm, they swam back towards the shelf of rock they’d been standing on with a few powerful swipes of their wide tail.

<”That was better than yesterday.”> Y/n told him as they dragged him up onto the rock behind them. Neteyam scrambled to find his feet, sensing a ‘but’ on the horizon. <”You held on longer than Lo’ak. As expected from-”>

Whatever else they were going to say died on their lips as Neteyam’s ilu sidled back up to their side. For the first time that morning, Neteyam watched genuine surprise melt away the mask of neutral indifference.

The ilu seemed to grin back at them, chirping merrily and presenting the motionless na’vi with a gorgeous, bright pink shell. Y/n’s hands visibly shook as they took it from the animal, who squeaked proudly. They seemed to get lost in inspecting the pretty shell, turning it over and over, examining it with a flush. Their nose was scrunched as if it smelled awful, but all Neteyam could smell was the salt of the sea accompanied by the bitter undertones of seaweed. Nothing that would warrant such a look of disgust.

Curiosity got the better of him as he carefully stepped closer, ears pricked in interest at the small gift. Y/n visibly jumped as his shadow fell over the shell, hands snatching it back and their eyes wide as if caught doing something they weren’t supposed to.

His eyes found theirs and stayed.

They blinked.

And the spell was broken.

The na’vi looked back down at the pink surface of the shell, their expression pinched. Then their face hardened, and with a sigh, they dropped the shell into the water off the edge of the ledge. Neteyam couldn’t help but watch it go, eyes transfixed by the beautiful dips and weaves of the thing as it slipped out of sight. Dragged down by its own weight.

<”You sit too tall in the saddle,”> the metkayina snapped unexpectedly, dragging Neteyam back to the task at hand and rekindling his unease from before. <”It creates too much resistance. You need to lean closer to your ilu’s back.”> He was nodding along again, watching dumbly as they called to his ilu and coaxed it into staying put whilst he climbed on. Before he knows it, he’s being guided back into the correct sitting position and being ordered to dive.

This time he manages to hold on a little longer.

>_<

The shells were everywhere.

Wherever the oldest Sully boy was, the blasted shells were too. And they were PINK of all colours. And only getting brighter. Always around Neteyam, and only around Neteyam. There was no doubt in your mind who Eywa was nudging you towards.

Since that first riding lesson, more and more of the pretty little things had been washing up around you. They got caught in your hair whilst you helped teach breathing lessons with the Sully children. When fishing, the shells got caught in your nets, tearing through the fine fibres.

It was infuriating, but you kept every single one.

Even that first, baby pink shell, which you had gone back to the cove for after handing Neteyam off to Tsireya for the breathing portion of the lesson. It had taken countless dives and plenty of rooting around in the pebbly bottom of the training grounds, but eventually you found it and snatched it up.

It had been the first of many shells to find a home on the topmost shelf of your pod. Tucked out of sight, but not forgotten. A dirty little secret that pulled at the edges of your mind and distracted you from your tasks.

>_<

After those first few riding lessons, you began to see the oldest Sully more and more often. Neteyam was constantly asking for extra tips, never quite meeting your eye as he explained that he feared he was falling behind his siblings and needed to improve.

Initially, you wanted to turn him down. It was annoying to be constantly pulled away from your duties, especially since your participation in the lessons only happened because Aonung was being a child, and Tsireya needed both you and Roxto to help babysit so none of the Sullys accidentally drowned themselves.

However, with Aonung constantly disappearing to get out of teaching them, Tsireya openly flirting with the younger brother and Roxto being preoccupied with Kiri, you found that you had no choice other than to help Neteyam. If you didn’t and it wasn’t evident he was improving, you feared what Ronal would say.

Useless students reflected poorly on their teachers after all.

In the beginning, it was simply a couple hours spent teaching him how to properly breathe. Time spent on the rocky outcrops overlooking the reef, soaking up the afternoon sun and breathing in time with the waves. Neteyam would sit a little way away, eyes clenched shut as he focused on his heartbeat, trying to relax. You found that if you brought something else to do, like mending, he would relax much easier without your gaze on him.

Then the breathing became extra ilu riding classes.

And at some point, it turned into just hanging out for the hell of it.

You would spend your mornings carrying out your usual duties, before helping Tsireya with the Sully children’s lessons after the sun crawled past noon. Then during your free time, like clockwork, Neteyam would turn up sprouting some lame excuse about practice.

You began looking forward to your daily time spent together. You found yourself excited to hear his stories about the forest, in exploring the islands and messing around in the waves together. A warmth filled you whenever you found a pink shell now. And you privately agreed with Eywa that her choice for you had been accurate.

Neteyam was in all sense of the word, perfect. Easy to be around and fast to learn. Driven by his need to prove himself, whilst not allowing his own goals to consume him. Your time spent with him was pleasant, and in many ways, you never ran out of things to discuss or complain about.

You loved Aonung and Tsireya, they were like your siblings, but you were very different people. Tsireya was warm to strangers where you were cold and wary. Aonung believed himself to be too young to take his future position in the clan seriously. And then there was you, constantly keeping him in line and struggling to find your place with your iknimaya fast approaching.

Neteyam was your escape. And a lot of the time, you privately believed you were his too.

Even from a distance, you could see the heaviness of the responsibility his father placed on his shoulders. And although Neteyam carried it with his chin high and his shoulders back, you could tell he was weary. Alongside learning an entirely fresh skill set, he was tasked with looking after his siblings. The hours you spent beyond the village together, was the only time you saw him truly relax.

Before you knew it, he had mastered the ilu and you began teaching him how to dive. How to work the currents of the cove and remain underwater for longer periods of time.

With the sun as your witness, the pair of you spent countless afternoons exploring the colourful reefs all around the island. You watched with a private smile as he stared in awe at the countless fish, his useless tail working furiously to move but getting him nowhere. More often than not, you’d find yourself grabbing his hand to move him along faster. And he’d hold on tight, grinning brightly as your powerful tail cut through the water and made you reach speeds he could not achieve on his own.

His breathing still needed work, but you found you didn’t hate the frequent breaks between dives. Especially when he’d take the time to pull pink shells from your hair, commenting on how they seemed to love you considering how frequently he found them on your person. You would simply roll your eyes at the comment, playfully trying to snatch it from him, only for Neteyam to grin mischievously and hold it out of your reach.

You thought the unspoken spark between you had bloomed into an understanding. Perhaps even a connection.

And as such, you took it upon yourself to honour Eywa’s suggestion.

You began working hard on your courting gift.

It took countless moons. Several sessions with Ronal to renew your weaving skills and enduring her knowing looks. And a few nights of you stuffing the gift into your hammock and shoving Neteyam back out of your pod when he unexpectedly invited himself in.

He’d laugh at your antics, perhaps tease you if he was in the right mood, before inviting you out for a night time swim. Considering how gorgeous your island home was at eclipse, you could never deny him.

Finally, your courting gift was almost complete.

You grinned as you examined your knot work. It had taken you several days of sorting through the pink shells Eywa had gifted you and weaving them into the neck piece how you wanted, but it looked alright. You had hand woven the cord, ensuring it was strong enough to withstand the might of the sea. Had hand picked the shells from your shelf, selecting them for their appearance in the sunlight as well as their bioluminescent glow.

Leaning back in your hammock, you slid a critical eye along the piece. Frowning at the tight knots and the uneven gaps between the shells which gave them a little too much room to slide around. It looked shabby, maybe a little pathetic.

Absently, you considered stopping by Tsireya’s marui to ask for her help in improving the stitches, but then thought better of it. Around this time, the Olo’eyktan’s family would be sitting down to dinner, and although Tsireya’s skill would greatly improve the gift, you wanted it to be firmly your own work. If you were going to do this, it was gonna be because you earned it, not because you took the easy way out.

You would give it to him like this. You decided, slipping out of your hammock. It just meant the next stage - after you passed your iknimaya - needed to be impeccable.

Nodding to yourself, you held the necklace carefully at your side so as not to draw attention to it whilst you walked the short distance from your pod to the Sully residence. Judging by the position of the sun the family wouldn’t be eating for another hour, so there was plenty of time to grab Neteyam and drag him off to somewhere more private.

With Eywa as your witness, you soundlessly approached the Sully pod, your ears pricked in order to figure out how many witnesses you were about to have. The walkway creaked softly underfoot as you paused just short of the entrance, your hand raised to knock on the wooden support when Lo’ak’s voice distracted you.

<”Come on bro!”> The younger brother begged, and your hand froze where it hovered.

<”No!”> Neteyam immediately hissed, sounding exhausted once again. Your frowned, mind already decided on where you’d take him to work off that restless energy. He had seemed alright during training this morning, but perhaps it had been a trying day keeping Lo’ak in line; again.

Curiously, you poked your eye around the doorframe to find Lo’ak hanging off of Neteyam’s arm like he was four years old, whilst Neteyam stood there, expression deadpanned as if this was a common occurrence. The older boy’s tail was swaying, expression unamused as Kiri fumbled around in the background.

<"I already met with them this afternoon. They will think I’m being clinging if I go back before dinner."> Neteyam reasoned, pushing firmly at Lo’ak’s forehead to dislodge him.

Lo’ak playfully snapped his teeth the motion but wasn’t deterred. Not even by Neteyam wiggling free and turning his back to unroll his hammock.

The younger boy watched, tail flicking mischeviously as he geared up. <”But it’ll only be for a couple hours.”> He argued, giving up on tugging on Neteyam’s arm to instead standing in the way of where Neteyam wanted to hang up his hammock. The older boy huffed again, leaning around him to fasten the sheet onto the low hanging hook. <"I wanted to take Tsireya out after the eclipse tonight.">

Neteyam didn’t look up from his task as he replied reflexively, <”you took her out yesterday.”> <”I know, but I promised to show her a spot I found further inland.”>

<”I want to sleep Lo’ak, it’s been a long day.”> Neteyam groaned, still focused on the task at hand as he began unrolling the rest of the hammock to hook the bottom onto the central support beam. His tail was still thrashing, a motion only made more sharp by the sound of shells clattered out of the rolled up fabric. He froze in place and you felt your heart pound at the dozens of pink shells that tumbled out across the floor.

Neteyam cursed in the Sky Person language. Hissing something about his younger sister, to which Kiri giggled but didn’t bother to help.

Completely ignoring the mess, Lo’ak was still talking.

<”Come on bro! I know they scare you shitless, but I NEED this.”> Lo’ak argued, and you felt your brow furrow. <”I'm not going to get anywhere with Tsireya if her guard dog is glaring at me the whole time.”>

Neteyam bristled, gaze narrowing as your heart sank. It didn’t take a genius to know who Lo’ak was referring to.

<”You sound pathetic Lo’ak.”> Kiri interjected from across the fire.

<”Shut up, no one asked you.”> Lo’ak fired back on reflex, before returning his attention to his brother. <”Come on Neteyam, just once more. We’re so close to being friends, I can feel it. Then I won’t have to worry about them chasing me off for breathing wrong.”>

<”Coward.”> Kiri interjected again. <”Don’t you think Neteyam has other shit to do than distract Y/n?”>

Neteyam’s head snapped towards his sister at that. <”I am not distracting them-”> <”Alright.”> She acknowledged, then turned back to Lo’ak. <”Aren’t you ashamed of sacrificing your only brother so you can get some local tail?”>

<”Kiri!”> Neteyam reprimanded at the same time Lo’ak confidently said,<”Nope.”>

The pod briefly lapsed into silence as Neteyam finished fixing his hammock and purposefully brushing the pink shells onto the floor. Your stomach dropped painfully with every sharp thump of them striking the woven floor, chest tightening painfully as Neteyam’s foot crushed one as he shifted his weight.

<”I will see what I can do.”> The boy said quietly.

Lo’ak promptly cheered and you felt bile rise up the back of your throat.

With an audible swallow you stepped away from the pod entrance, the necklace at your side now hanging limply like a severed limb. Your feet kept backing up, your ears falling lower and lower as realisation hit you like a fallen tree to the head.

You almost laughed at your own stupidity.

At the classic mistake of getting swept up in your own head and being blind to what was truly in front of you. Of getting so excited about making a friend, of FINALLY getting signs of Eywa, that you stopped seeing. Stopped thinking.

Obviously, Neteyam wasn’t seeking you out because he enjoyed your company. It was a favour for Lo’ak.

Neteyam didn’t care for you. Until a couple weeks ago, he couldn’t even look you in the eye. He’d been clearly uncomfortable in your presence, and your idiot self had interpreted that discomfort for bashfulness. The shells had tinted your eyes pink as well as swaying your heart.

And better yet, he was scared of you. Friends were not scared of their friends. And soulmates certainly didn’t fear one another.

Your tail had stopped swaying, falling still as your eyes stung.

Stupid.

So incredibly stupid and naive.

You were a year away from passing your iknimaya and here you were, looming outside of someone’s hut, the personification of your heart in your hands, and listening to the subject of your affection practically confess that he only spent time with you to get you out of the picture. As a favour to his brother no less!

You expected this kind of naivety from a village kid half your age.

The sadness and shock rapidly morphed into a hot slice of anger. Your limp fingers clenched into a fist, eyes hardening as your gaze snapped to the necklace at your side.

You were a fool.

The kind of lovesick fool who put countless hours into a shitty gift that would never be worn. What a pathetic waste of resources.

That irrational anger took hold again. Your tail thrashing uncontrollably as your gaze slipped from the pathetic courting gift to the open ocean.

Internally, you cursed Eywa for making a fool of you. For pretending to give you someone, only to cruelly remind you why she thought it best that you remain alone.

It was easy to draw back your arm, but harder to let go as your fist swung forward intending to hurl the stupid thing into the water. Your fist didn’t let go. You tried again. This time, you made yourself recall the words Lo’ak had spoken. Neteyam’s quiet confirmation. His heavy sigh. The tired slope of his shoulders as he resigned himself to another exhausting night in your presence. The crunch of that blasted shell beneath his foot, the crack of which had echoed as if it were your own heart getting shattered. You ensured your rage was burning bright as you hurled the ridiculous necklace into the ocean with all you had.

It hit the water with a soft plop, floated there for a moment, before the ocean welcomed your discarded gift and dragged it down and out of sight.

You did not feel better.

<”Shit.”> Someone gasped at your back. You turned, expression thunderous.

Lo’ak was retreating back into the pod, eyes glued to your own as if your presence alone terrified him. You simply watched him retreat, eyes cold and your tail thrashing.

He turned slowly. <”Neteyam. Your friend is here to pick you up.”> He yelled over his shoulder, gaze refusing to break.

You scoffed. If you saw that scheming coward, you didn’t know what you’d do. Maybe you’d punch him, or you’d break down and start crying.

Regardless, you didn’t want to find out. Turning sharply on your heel, you stormed back the way you’d come. The rhythmic bounce of the walkway greatly decreased the heavy fall of your feet, but the firm set of your shoulders didn’t make the stride feel too comical.

Clearly, your tense shoulders and the clench of your fists was not clear enough an indicator of your current mood, because Neteyam jogged up to you like nothing was wrong. He fell easily into step beside you, and you hated how used to his presence you had gotten. How right it felt for his taller frame to appear at your side and remain there.

<”-didn’t realise we made plans-”> He rambled, although you gave no indication that you were listening. Your eyes flickered to the edge of the walkway, mentally judging how far you could jump compared to him to put distance between you that way. The minute you hit the water, you’d have the advantage. But he could leap further than you, and you’d witnessed his jumping ONTO Lo’ak once when the younger boy tried to escape him that way.

<”Hey? Are you listening to me?”>

His hand gently tapped your shoulder and you instinctively shoved him away from you, mentally hating how badly you craved that touch.

Neteyam froze, eyes wide at the out of character reaction. You’d NEVER shoved him before, and doing so now made your stomach recoil uncomfortably. But he had backed off now. Looking shocked with his stupidly cute face, and his stupid swaying braids and his stupid little shocked expression. His stupid glowing freckles that you spent one night tracing with your finger, locating all the hidden constellations and remarking on how pretty they were.

It took every ounce of control you possessed to smooth out your expression. To stop baring your teeth and simple tell him straight up.

<”No.”>

He blinked. Taken aback by the hostile tone. <”What happened?”>

You laughed, the sound strangled and humourless, then kept walking. Your pace picked up, shoulder bunching around your shoulders.

<”Y/n?”> Neteyam called to your back. His hand reached for you again, long fingers winding around your bicep in an attempt to turn you to face him. <”Are you okay-”>

The minute that warm touch made contact, you spun, ripping yourself from his grip with speed that was startling. <”Do not touch me!”> You growled threateningly.

His concerned expression floundered, eyes widening comically as if he were staring down a pissed off akula. It practically confirmed all your accusations. You could see the fear in the slight shake of his palm, in his uncertainty at how to continue.

This time, you were not blind to the evidence displayed so clearly at your feet.

With control that came from your training, you fought to smooth out your posture as you forced yourself to relax. <”I am going for a swim.”> You said evenly, forcing your shoulders to loosen. <”Tell Lo’ak he has until sunrise to flirt his little heart out.”> <”Lo’ak? Why are you pissed at Lo’ak?”> The fear melted into confusion.

<”We’re done here.”> You replied with, <”go to Roxto for lessons. I’m done dealing with you.”> His ears fell at that. The confusion morphing into raw hurt. His mouth opened to retaliate, but no words came out. You watched him shrink before his eyes. You saw his bravado melt away into the shell of some shy kid that couldn’t get their tongue to cooperate. You almost pitied him.

This time when you tried to leave, he did not stop you.

>_<

Keeping your distance from Neteyam was harder than you anticipated.

If you weren't making a conscious effort to try, you'd find yourself instinctively gravitating towards him regardless. Only to be reminded of why exactly you were avoiding him. It was hard to remember, but you managed.

The only time you couldn’t outright escape him was during lessons. Of course by now Aonung had been roped into helping out, but Tsireya still needed your support. You were the oldest of the friend group and therefore more experienced in finding the flaws in someone’s form and how best to correct it.

That morning after the fight, you had attempted to remain in your pod, but she had come looking for you like she always did when you tried to retreat into yourself. She had let herself into your home only to find you curled up in your hammock, arms wound around yourself and your eyes staring into nothing.

She had called your name. Gently touched your shoulder. Startled, you swung your gaze up to her, expecting to find Neteyam asking for another one on one lesson, only for your heart to sink at her kind smile instead.

<”It’s time to get up.”> She said cheerfully, politely not mentioning your puffy eyes or the lack of pink shells littered around your home. After stumbling home the night before, you’d scooped up every morsel of physical evidence you could find and promptly dumped them into the sea, where the current whisked them out of view.

<”I want to sleep in today.”> You told her bluntly, ready to nestle back down and forget about the world for a bit.

<”And I would love to let you.”> She soothed, <”but Aonung and Lo’ak are at each other’s throats again and I can’t figure out how to get Tuk to breath correctly.”>

<”And you left Roxto in charge?”>

<”I left Roxto in charge.”> She confirmed.

That got you rolling out of your hammock. <”They are gonna eat the poor boy for breakfast.”>

She prepared a snack whilst you changed, made sure your hair was where it should be as you ate, and then dragged you out into the sunlight where the clan was pausing for lunch. You were pleasantly surprised to find your various tasks already completed as she dragged you across the village to the training grounds.

<”Aonung and I figured you’d needed a break.”> Tsireya explained kindly when she caught you staring at the buckets full of fish you were supposed to have collected yourself at dawn. <”You’ve been training so hard for you iknimaya and helping me with the Sullys, we thought you deserved it.”> You could only nod, silently assuming it had been Tsireya’s idea and she’d blackmailed Aonung into helping out so Ronal didn’t skin you for slacking. Although they would have had no way of knowing what had happened last night, you were warmed by the kind gesture.

Surprisingly, nothing was on fire as you approached the training grounds. Kiri and Neteyam were already practising diligently, whilst Roxto attempted to diffuse a yelling match between Aonung and Lo’ak. Little Tuk was still sitting on the beach, looking adorable as she studied some green shells.

<”You help Tuk. I’ll get Aonung.”> Tsireya said over her shoulder before dropping your arm and charging into the water to wrangle her brother.

Dumbly, you stood on the shore, feeling raw and useless in the face of the ease of the group. Your arms hung loosely at your sides as your eyes tracked the movements of the ilus beneath the waves. Kiri was in her element astride the beast, whilst Neteyam was doing visibly better than when he came to the reef.

It took great effort to turn away and focus on the task at hand, but you managed.

Keeping your footsteps light, you carefully approached Tuktirey. She glanced up as your shadow fell over her. Her ears pricked, as large eyes following the length of your body up until her gaze met yourself. <”Hello!”> She greeted enthusiastically and you forced a smile.

You greeted her in turn, dropping into a crouch before her. <”Tsireya tells me you’re having some trouble staying under the water?”> Her little brows furrowed. <”No.”> <”No?”> You parroted.

<”I’m the best.”> Tuk returned confidently. <”Roxto said I’m a better swimmer than Aonung.”>

You had to bite back a smile at Roxto’s cleverness. <”I believe you. Aonung looks like a dead ilu with how slowly he moves beneath the waves.”>

Speaking of, Aonung and Lo’ak were still going at it, with Tsireya looking comically tiny between them, a hand on either boy’s chest to keep them from flying at one another. Roxto stood off to the side, hands on his hips and his expression annoyed as he watched the pair bicker. It was clear they were having no success in diffusing the situation.

<”AONUNG!”>

Your voice rang out across the bay, sharp and as authoritative as you could muster. The boy abruptly froze, his shoulders hiked up to his ears. Slowly, he turned to make eye contact, already wincing. You let your irritation shine through, tail thrashing unhappily. He shot Lo’ak one last venomous glare before grabbing Roxto’s forearm and dragging him into the waves.

Tsireya was quick to place a delicate hand on Lo’ak’s shoulder, her face kind as he glanced to her. You watched the tension bleed out of him, how his ears pricked as she spoke. How he seemed to relax under her gaze, the way he reached for her in turn, tail wagging.

Your stomach tightened at the sight of them. How in tune they were. If anyone should be seeing pink shells, you knew it had to be them.

<”What’s wrong with your face?”> Tuk asked innocently, with brutal honesty.

<”There is nothing wrong with my face.”> You replied quickly, tearing your gaze from Tsireya beginning to lead Lo’ak into the surf, their bright expressions mirroring one another. <”But your eyes are all puffy.”> Tuk pointed out, <”and you look really said.”> <”I’m not sad.”> You reassured her, forcing a tight smile onto your lips.

Tuk was clearly not convinced as she continued to share her seven year old wisdom. <”When I’m sad, Neteyam always gives me hugs.”> <”That’s very nice of him.”> You told her, before struggling to steer the conversation away from her brother. <”Why don’t we go find some more pretty shells in the water?”> <”Will that help you feel better?”> Tuk asked, and when you nodded, her expression brightened. <”Okay!”> She chirped, launching herself to her feet before dragging you into the water.

>_<

<”Why are you still sulking?”> Aonung asked from your pod doorway, later that evening.

<”‘m not sulking.”>

He didn’t dignify the lame utterance with a response. Judgmentally, he ducked into the pod, eyes raking over your messy living space and the pot bubbling away at your elbow.

Ignoring his blatant curiosity, you focused on preparing some rainbow clams you’d foraged earlier for the pot. They would pair nicely with some fruit that Tsireya had dropped off yesterday.

<”You’re retreating from us. Why?”> Head bent over your work, you continued to wedge your knife between the stubborn shells of the clam.

<”’m not.”>

And you’d made a conscious effort not to. Especially not from Aonung and Tsireya, not when you’d known them since childhood. It was simply because whenever you had a spare moment with them, Neteyam would show up like clockwork.

You hadn’t really noticed before how present Neteyam had become in your daily life. How he had a tendency to wander up to whoever you were talking with. You hadn’t realised how often he spoke with Tsireya and Roxto either. Or how much you’d begun to share chores until you’d turned to ask for his help in untangling the nets, only to remember you’d purposefully started working in a part of the village you didn’t normally frequent so he couldn’t find you.

It was childish really. But surely Aonung hadn’t noticed a change in your behaviour so quickly.

The boy in question hummed thoughtfully. He approached on quiet feet, padding across your mats to sit down heavily across from you. In silence, he watched you work through a couple more clams before deciding enough was enough.

With surprising gentleness for a boy like Aonung, the younger na’vi reached across the space between you and stilled your knife hand. The confidence in the motion surprised you enough that you glanced up at him.

His ears were lying low, head tilted with an expression on his face that practically mirrored Tonowari. The warmth in his eyes practically melted away your defences.

<”What happened?”>

He asked simply. Level and kind. It made you want to hide.

The fact he was looking at you with undivided attention made you squirm. You were so used to shying away from such gentle concern, to taking on the brunt of any situation and shoving forward regardless, that the sudden attentiveness made you uncomfortable. In truth, you wanted to admit what had been bothering you. But a tiny nugget of your soul didn’t want to express vulnerability to someone who looked up to you.

At a younger age, Aonung had proudly declared you an older sibling. He hadn’t been shy in referring to you as such, in following your lead. And in turn, you’d been more than happy to look out for both him and Tsireya. This was not something for him to shoulder however.

Slowly, you slipped your knife hand out of his grasp and returned to prying open the clam shells. <”Nothing happened.”> You said with more certainty than you felt.

<”If it was nothing, then you wouldn’t be hiding instead of mucking around in the shallows with the Sully boy.”> Aonung pointed out.

<”Shouldn’t you be out training with Tonowari?”> <”Shouldn’t you stop deflecting now that you’ve been caught?”> <”Becoming Olo’eyktan requires training.”>

<”Lying requires being believable.”> <”Asshole.”> You offered half heartedly, not that Aonung took it to heart. Instead, he kept that same knowing look, that same gentle tone. <”Dad sent me to come check on you.”> Aonung admitted. <”He’s noticed you’ve been distracted today. He was worried.”>

Great. Just great. At this rate, the entire clan would know your business before the week was up. Eywa, you could already see the sympathetic looks they’d throw you.

A heartbeat of silence in which you picked up a fresh clam after depositing the last into the cooking pot. Aonung let the words hang between you for a heartbeat before pushing more firmly.

<”So, I ask again. Has Neteyam done something?”>

You took a deep, irritated breath. Aonung made a point of making himself comfortable, pulling out his own knife to help deshell the rest of the clams. It was clear he wouldn’t leave without a response. Not unless you physically removed him or his parents came to find him.

Shame heated your cheeks as you dropped your gaze. You could already hear the teasing remarks Aonung would throw at you when you admitted what had happened. Could already see the disgust flickering in his eyes. The curl of his upper lip.

Better to get it out of the way quickly.

<”I made him a courting gift.”>

The words slipped from your lips, taking with it an indescribably weight. You immediately felt lighter, the hunch of your shoulders not so tight.

Aonung seemed to wind up like a spring in comparison.

<”YOU, WHAT?”> He squeaked, practically yelled in your face. <”Yo-you made him a courting gift?”> Hesitantly, you nodded. <”And you didn’t tell me?! Did you tell Tsireya?”> <”No?”>

He relaxed. <”You ballsy akula.”> He laughed good naturedly, giving you a playful shove. <”Why didn’t you say anything? Tsireya could’ve helped you with the weaving, we both know you’re terrible.”>

Snapping your fangs at him jokingly, you tried to hide your relieved smile. <”Focus, Aonung.”>

He shook his head, forcefully wiping the expression of glee off his features. <”Apologies. So why the long face? The hiding? Were you keeping it a secret?”>

<”I didn’t end up giving it to him.”> <”Oh.”> He breathed, discreetly glancing around your pod. You knew he couldn’t find a hint of pink on any shelf or stuffed beneath any hammocks. <”Was it not the right time?”> The tension from before swept in faster than the change of the current. <”I never got the chance to present it to him. Turns out, we’re not even friends. He’s only keeping me occupied so Lo’ak can spend more time with Tsireya.”> You told Aonung simply, unable to meet his eye. <”He’s afraid of me.”>

That finally stunned him into a long, painful silence. His hands completely stilled on the clam, tail falling inanimate.

<“He said that?”> A whisper. Barely a question. <”I overheard him and Lo’ak arguing over it.”>

With a slow, practised motion, Aonung slid his knife back into its sheath. <”And the gift? Where is it?”> <“Tossed it in the sea. I was too embarrassed to take the time to disassemble it.”>

He hummed, sounding distracted, before rising to his feet. Gently, he patted your head, pulling you out of your thoughts. <”I’ll be back.”> He promised before motioning to the cooking pot. <”Leave me a few, would you?”> <”Where are you going?”>

<”I said I’ll be back.”> He replied simply, and crossed the pod to the entry before wordlessly ducking outside into the evening.

Perplexed, you stared after him, mind churning from his silence and sudden departure. Then you recalled the last time a pissed off Aonung had been unleashed on the village. The last victims had been a group of boys who had thought it a good idea to pick on Tsireya, and they’d promptly lost their front teeth and still spoke with whistles.

Groaning softly, you jammed your knife back into its sheath and went after him.

>_<

<”Oi! Forest boy!”> Aonung yelled from behind Neteyam, scaring the boy out of his head. Before he could pull his feet from the water, the walkway at his back drooped under the weight of the other boy and there was a hand on his shoulder, spinning him round. A fist connected with his cheek before he could get out a response.

The force of the blow startled a gasp out of him as he bit his tongue and was thrown clean off the walkway and into the soft glowing water. The sounds of the village were abruptly muffled as Neteyam struggled to orient himself. Then he was kicking for the surface, rage bubbling low in his stomach.

He broke the surface with a greedy inhale, eyes zeroing in on the glowering boy looming above him. Spitting out a mouthful of salty water, Neteyam shook his head to clear the braids from his eyes.

<“What the hell Aonung?”>

A mocking smirk slid onto the younger boy’s face, head tilting dangerously. <”That’s for messing with Y/n, you spineless coward!”> He snarled venomously. Hand falling onto the hilt of his knife at his hip, Neteyam’s eyes followed the motion.

He wasn’t afraid of Aonung. The boy hadn’t yet passed his iknimaya, but Neteyam was conscious of his position in the village. His relations. Also that he was the superior swimmer if he decided jumping on Neteyam was necessary for whatever justice he was trying to carry out.

<”Do you know why they’re upset?”> Neteyam asked hopefully, trying to steer the conversation in a direction that wouldn’t end up with one of them stabbed. Tuk had mentioned that she wanted him to give them a big hug for her. That the Metkayina had been unusually quiet during training today, that she thought they’d been crying.

Neteyam had been looking all over for them. Tuk’s observation just fueling the uncomfortable tightening of his stomach that something had drastically gone wrong. Between the unexpected rage the night before and their odd avoidant behaviour this morning, Neteyam had a constant sinking feeling.

Aonung scoffed. <”Don’t play dumb. They heard everything.”>

That only served to confuse Neteyam more. What could the had possibly-

Oh.

His stomach sank to the bottom of the cove. Shit. Depending on when they’d walking in on that conversation last night, they were either feeling betrayed or he was in incredibly beep shit.

<”How much did they hear?”> Neteyam demanded, praying this situation could be salvaged.

Somewhere deeper within the village, Neteyam could hear Lo’ak’s distinct voice. Yelling at Aonung to no one’s surprise, calling him fish lips and every other insult he knew. English and na’vi. Aonung huffed, oblivious to the younger sully brother rapidly approaching his back. <”They heard what you and Lo’ak were doing. Trying to keep them occupied so your screwup little brother could get in good with MY sister.”>

Oh shit.

<”Aonung. It’s not what you think. Lo’ak-”>

<”Don’t go near them AGAIN!”> Aonung cut in, gaze piercing. <”Or you’ll be far more scared of me than you’ve ever been of them.”>

Scared? Of Y/n?

<”Okay, this-”>

Whatever situation saving speech he was about to give was abruptly disrupted by his bull-headed brother finally arriving on the scene.

<”LO’AK DON’T-!”> Tsireya warned, but it was too late.

<”YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT FISH LIPS!”> Lo’ak shrieked, promptly tackling Aonung around the small of his back and sending both of them off the walkway and down onto Neteyam.

The trio came up spluttering, with Lo’ak still trying to strangle Aonung, and the boy in question snapping his teeth in a very obvious threat that he would chomp through any fingers that got close enough. Neteyam stared at the pair in bewilderment. Slowly processing what Aonung had admitted, and partly amused by Lo’ak willingness to jump in without warning to defend his pride. Then again, the younger boy could simply have been itching for a reason to give Aonung a black eye.

“Lo’ak, get off him.” “But bro-” “Lo’ak!” Neteyam spat more firmly, struggling to look serious whilst treading water. Reluctantly, he obeyed, scooting back so he couldn’t continue to murder Aonung, but remaining between his brother and the boy.

<”Stop speaking in your demon tongue and explain yourself.”>

<”Explain what the hell that was first!”> Lo’ak retorted stubbornly. <”Why the hell are you putting your filthy hands on my brother?”>

The appearance of Tsireya on the lip of the walkway interrupted Aonung’s response. <”Neteyam, are you okay?”> Dumbly, he nodded, watching the tension in Tsireya’s shoulders melt away before she turned a surprisingly sharp glare on her brother. <”What were you thinking? You could have injured someone.”> <”He deserves it!”> Aonung declared childishly, inviting Lo’ak to lunge at him, only for Neteyam to yank him back by his forearm.

Tsireya looked as confused as Neteyam felt. Her voice dripped in sarcasm when she next spoke. <”And how, were you so grievously wronged this time, brother?”>

Ignoring her mockery, Aonung replied sharply, <”Y/n intended to court this asshole, but Lo’ak was just using him to get to you!”>

Court?

<”Court me?”> Neteyam squawked, eyes blown wide. Oh Eywa. This was rapidly becoming a lot of problems tangled into one enormous knot.

<”Not that you deserve anything they could make you!”> Aonung spat.

A fifth and final creak of the walkway signalled someone else racing up to the shitshow. <”Tsireya, have you seen Aonung? He stormed out of my pod and I’m afraid someone is going to lose their teeth.”>

Tsireya stared wide eyed at her friend, tail stone still. Her gaze was glossy. <”You were going to start courting Neteyam?”> She said dumbly.

From his position in the water, Neteyam couldn’t see Y/n, but judging by the silence that followed, they weren’t overly pleased.

It was Tsireya who continued speaking, her voice abruptly kicking up in volume as she practically shrieked, <”YOU’VE BEEN RECEIVING SIGNS FROM EYWA AND DIDN’T TELL ME?”>

<”Hey!”> Y/n immediately retorted, <”you’ve been sneaking off with Lo’ak for Eywa knows how long, so don’t you dare start barrating me about keeping secrets. I had to find out by accident! Do you know how humiliating that is?”>

<”That’s besides the point.”>

<”It is perfectly on point. I bet you’ve been finding pink shells everywhere too!”>

The silence that followed spoke volumes.

Aonung was the one to break it. <”Wait! You’ve both accidentally found your mates and NEGLECTED to mention it?”> The boy demanded, looking royally pissed off as he glared at Neteyam and Lo’ak with equal venom. Neteyam wanted to punch him. <”I can’t believe either of you!”>

Y/n’s head popped over the lip of the walkway, their gaze narrowed dangerously. That expression twisted tighter and tighter as they noticed Neteyam and Lo’ak dripping wet as they treaded water alongside Aonung.

<”THIS is what you ran off to do?”> They demanded, making Aonung dip lower into the water in a fruitless attempt to hide. <”Instigating a water fight instead of helping me finish dinner?”>

<”I was defending your honour.”> Aonung tried to argue.

They rolled their eyes. <”Of course that’s what this is.”>

<”Will you please explain what the hell just happened?”> Lo’ak pipped up. <”Shells, and mates and Aonung losing his shit. What the hell?”>

<”I’ll explain later Lo’ak.”> Tsireya replied calmly, although Neteyam saw the nervous thrash of her tail. <”But first, you need to get out of the water or you’ll catch cold.”> She knelt over the edge of the walkway and offered her hand to Lo’ak, who didn’t hesitate to take it.

<”Aonung.”> The boy glanced up guiltily at Y/n still stood behind Tsireya. <”If you injured anyone, take them to Ronal.”>

Aonung shook his head firmly. <”They can suffer.”>

<”Ronal will skin you if she finds out about this later.”> Was all they offered before sharply turning on their heel and storming off, tail whipping to and fro.

Neteyam watched them go feeling all kinds of confused and tired. This was certainly not what he’d been expecting when Tuk said Y/n was upset. He also he’d foreseen a split lip for his troubles either.

Obediently, he swam closer to the walkway when Tsireya bent back down to offer him her hand. Her expression was pinched as he approached, mind clearly far away.

Neteyam couldn’t help but feel the sentiment. He made to reach for Tsireya’s outstretched hand, Aonung’s irritating muttering falling to the back of his mind, only to be distracted by the soft chirp of an ilu. The water shifted at his side as the animal swam past before circling back.

He recognised the markings of the animal to be the ilu he usually used for training. Elegantly, the animal lifted its head from the waves, something glowing caught between its teeth. Hesitantly, Neteyam reached for it, surprised when the playful creature dropped the item into his outstretched hand with no attempts at jerking it away or making him work for it.

Tsireya made a sad little sound at the sight of the object, and Neteyam glanced up at her in surprise. <”What is it?”> He asked, to which Tsireya’s expression turned guilty.

<”A courting gift.”> She explained softly. <”But I do not recognise it as anything the clan owns. Surely, someone would have noticed if they dropped it.”>

Aonung swam up beside Neteyam, his own face pinched as he looked at the unassuming necklace. Eyes raking down the pink shells accenting traditional metkayina knotwork. <”Y/n said they tossed the gift in the sea, instead of dismantling it like we would normally.”>

<”It’s definitely their work.”> Tsireya confirmed.

Part 1 -> Next Chapter

#Neteyam x Reader #part 1 of 3 #shells #bad omens #Metkayina!Reader #attempts at courting #strangers to friends #idiots in love #misunderstandings #Neteyam #neteyam sully #avatar

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