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lovebeinaprincessworld · 11 months ago

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Another world (Neteyam x reader)

Masterlist

Description: Falling into a world you only knew from a movie wasn’t in your cards, but falling for Neteyam - maybe life dealt you the right ones this time.

Warnings: smut, oral (f receiving), p in v, breeding kind, talk abt getting pregnant, small wounds and blood, talk abt dead parents/grandparents (readers)

Neteyam is aged up to like 21, reader is abt 19, the humans never came back and there’s no spider bc you know I don’t like him ahaha

15716 words

It had been a normal day for you - until it hadn’t. You were on your way home from work, your shift in the dingy little kiosk finally over, and your small apartment was waiting for you. You thought of the empty room that was once your grandmas, who would’ve been waiting for you a few months prior, but now she was gone and you had no one left. She and your grandpa had raised you, when your parents had died in an armed robbery. You were so small you didn’t really remember them, and your grandparents didn’t like to talk about the horrible day their daughter and son-in-law were ripped from them but you saw the newspaper cutouts they kept, and your heart broke everytime you caught a glimpse of them.

They did the best they could with their limited resources and their old age, even if money was tight most of the time, you never once stayed hungry and always felt loved. But now that the both of them were gone, you were all alone in the world and without being able to afford a college education, your future looked really depressing. The only thing you were looking forward to after working was watching your crime shows and crocheting.

You turned left, only needing to cross through the small park now and you would’ve been home, but when you started to descend the stairs at the entrance you were startled by a bright white light at the bottom. Being your clumsy self, you missed a step because of the distraction, your hand not grabbing the (probably disgustingly dirty) handle quick enough and you were falling forward.

Cursing you squeezed your eyes shut, bracing yourself for impact and hoping that the light you saw wasn’t some kind of new human trafficking tactic. But instead of landing on the hard concrete, everything around you turned so bright you even saw it though your eyelids, and when the light suddenly stopped, and you were still falling and falling and falling, you forced yourself to open your eyes.

Your scream got stuck in your throat, on one hand from all the air that was blowing in your face, and on the other from the view that revealed itself. For a moment you forgot that you were falling towards it, and just admired what seemed to be an almost endless jungle, that glowed like the bioluminescent algae you once saw on discovery channel.

But then your brain seemed to catch up after all and you let out a bloodcurdling scream when you realized that - as beautiful as the sight was - it was also coming closer and closer really fast. The only question bouncing around in your head was ‚What the hell was happening here?‘

The canopy came closer and closer and just before you hit it, you squeezed your eyes shut again, shutting your mouth out of instinct and shielding your head with your arms. It hurt like a bitch, the twigs and leaves scratching and slapping you on your way down, but simultaneously you were glad you hadn’t hit the ground or a big branch yet.

The trees were slowing you down quite a bit, but suddenly you did hit the ground with a thud. You just stayed there for a moment, contemplating if you were dead, but then you noticed that the „ground“ you hit, was moving and making noises, and suddenly you were hauled up by your upper arms, and sat on the real ground.

„What the hell?“, someone grumbled from the left and you finally opened your eyes, the adrenaline in your body blending out the pain from your injuries. What the fuck. What the actual fuck! You were sitting on the ground, surrounded by what seemed to be characters from the movie Avatar, but this couldn’t be real, could it?

You had of course seen the movie, it had been a huge success when you were like 13 or something, but that was a fictional world! This had to be a dream or something - nope it wasn’t, you were pinching yourself so hard you were sure you would bruise and you were still there - or maybe you died when you fell down those stairs? Oh god, oh god they were staring at you and damn they were tall what were you supposed to do oh-

„Who the hell are you?“, asked someone you immediately recognized - your brain was digging for the right memories. „I-I’m (Y/N)“, you stuttered out, your eyes wide opened as you scanned the people around you. The one who asked your name was Jake Sully if you remembered correctly and next to him should be…Neytiri. You didn’t recognize the others, but they liked a lot younger, there were a girl and two boys, the older looking one sat on the ground next to you and you realized you must have fallen on top of him. Your brain wasn’t really catching up to what was happening, and they seemed just as confused.

„Where did you come from?“, Jake’s eyebrows were now furrowed like he wasn’t sure what to make of you. „I’m from…I’m from Chicago? I really don’t know what happened I swear, I was just walking back from work and there was t-that light and I fell down the stairs and then I was falling and falling and oh god this can’t be happening, this is only supposed to be a movie-”, you were panicking and rambling on and on until Jake and Neytiri exchanged a look, and he bend down, effectively shutting you up.

„Okay take a deep breath kid“, he urged you and you did your best to force air into your lungs, suddenly wondering why you could even breathe here. If you remembered correctly the humans couldn’t breathe on the planet in the movies, and almost out of reflex you looked down at yourself, a helpless and kinda pathetic squeak leaving your mouth when you saw you were blue. „What the hell, why am I blue“, you didn’t even care about all the scratches that adorned your skin, the only thing that registered in your mind was that you were the same color blue as the people around you, you were even wearing the same stripes, just your clothes remained the same.

Your breathing picked up the more you panicked and before Jake could try to calm you down again, you passed out.

—————————

Neteyam watched the girl fall unconscious, and caught her quickly before she hit her head on the ground. It was weird, almost like an instinct. Since she fell on top of him he was a bit dazed - partly because he was questioning where she was coming from - but also because he was charmed by your beauty.

It was confusing, there were lots of beautiful girls in his clan, but the one that seemingly fell from the sky (from a weird place called sheekago?) and laid in his arms, made his heart pound in an unknown way. Before he could dwell on it, his family interrupted his thoughts and he finally snapped out of it.

„You think the sky people came back ma Jake? Is she with them?“, Neytiri looked at the young woman with suspicion, but Jake only shook his head and slowly pointed to the atokirina floating down from everywhere, landing on you for a moment before spreading into the forest again. „Eywa“, Kiri whispered, and looked at the girl with a small knowing smile.

————————

You woke up and the first thing you noticed was the dull pain all over your body. You were confused for a moment, wondering if something happened at work for you to wake up like this, but then you opened your eyes and saw the brown ceiling of a tent, everything came rushing back to you. Oh my god, you were blue, you were a blue alien!

You contemplated just laying there, staring at the ceiling some more and maybe this would all turn out to be alright, but a head popped into your focus. „You’re awake!“, the girl grinned and you cleared your throat a bit, taking a deep breath (as not to panick again) and sat up with her help.

Your body resisted because of all the cuts, but you managed and noticed they had all been treated with some kind of ointment that was a bit cooling. „My name is Kiri“, the girl introduced herself and you mustered a smile, looking around the tent curiously, „How are you feeling?“

„Kinda hurts“, you sighed and she smiled at that. „Considering you fell from who knows where, you’re pretty lucky! Also lucky that Neteyam cushioned your fall“, she grinned a bit, and you figured he must be the young man that sat next to you in the ground earlier. „Ugh that must’ve hurt too, is he okay?“, you worried that your first impression in this new world (or parallel universe or whatever) was already a bad one.

„My brother’s fine don’t worry“, she reassured you, „I’m going to get my dad, he said to tell him when you wake up!“ She gave you one last nod, before disappearing out of the tent and leaving you alone with your thoughts. This really didn’t feel like a dream, and you were starting to feel like it was a more permanent thing, but you were forcing yourself to stay calm.

Was ist really so bad? You didn’t particularly enjoy your life back in your universe or on your planet or whatever, so maybe this would be okay? Of course you had a few friends, but you worked so much to make ends meet, that you barely saw them, but other than that there wasn’t much.

You sat there and tried to rack your brain for any helpful details from the movie you would need, but you felt like the plot itself must already be like 20 years in the past here if your guess that Kiri is Jake’s daughter is right. You remembered the people living here were called Na‘vi and that they won a war against the humans and most of them left except for a few allies (you remembered the face of that one science guy that came here with Jake in the movie).

And of course you remembered the love story between Jake and Neytiri, which means if Neteyam is Kiris brother, he is also their son. „Hey there“, you were startled out of your thoughts by Jake, he was already kneeling next to you, but you must’ve been so lost in thought that you didn’t notice. „Oh! Hey“, you smiled timidly, not sure what would happen now, and suddenly well aware that you were practically defenseless and they could just abandon you in the jungle.

„I hope you feel a bit better?“, he started the conversation and you just nodded, a bit shy under the leaders gaze. Suddenly another woman entered the tent, and after a second your brain pulled out a name that sounded right - Mo‘at. „Is she feeling better?“, she asked Jake, a strict look on her face, making you shrink a bit.

„She hadn’t got a chance to answer yet“, he grinned and you immediately relaxed with his layed back attitude. „I do“, you nodded and hugged your knees to your chest for comfort, „still hurts a bit, but it’s better, thank you.“

„Do you think you can walk? Maybe we can figure out what happened over dinner, hm?“, Jake rose from his squatted position and held out a hand for you, and you nearly flinched when you saw that your own hand reaching for his was blue. You definitely had to get used to that, and you also would like to look into a mirror sometime soon.

You silently followed behind him, you knew he probably adjusted his pace to yours, you were really slow and limping a bit. Plus you were simultaneously taking in everything around you in wonder - it looked just like in the movie, but even more beautiful and majestic. It seemed to still be nighttime, so you couldn’t have been passed out for long, and you were overwhelmed by the glowing flora and fauna.

You were so distracted that you didn’t notice Jake stopped and you ran straight into his back. „Oh sorry“, you blushed and looked down, god could you make any more of a fool out of yourself? „Don’t worry kid“, he reassured you, and then pointed upwards into the big tree you were standing infront.

„For familydinner we have to climb up there, you think you can manage? Just follow my footsteps okay?“, you wondered if that was the military man speaking - wanting you to climb a tree when you had just fallen from the sky - but you had no choice, so you did your best. Jake was way quicker than you, but you did make it at least halfway before you cuts and bruises were taking too much of a toll on you.

„I’ll get her“, you heard quietly from somewhere above, Jake was already out of sight - it seemed like his muscle memory kicked in and he forgot about you until he was up there. You didn’t dare look down, you had always been a bit frightened of heights and were trying to hold on to your courage. Your heart was still thrumming in your chest and almost leapt out of it, when suddenly a tall Na‘vi landed next to you.

You bit back a frightened squeak and looked up at the familiar figure with big eyes. Neteyam. The one you fell on top off. Ugh, talk about embarrassment. „Are you alright?“, he asked, and it was the first time you heard his voice, since you passed out in the forest before you could. It was rich, dark but more sultry than his dads and made a shiver run down your spine involuntarily.

„(Y/N)?“, he smirked a bit and you couldn’t help but notice he remembered your name. But then you realized he was waiting for an answer and you were staring at him like an idiot. „Oh sorry! Uhh yeah, I’m just not used to climbing trees, plus I still kinda hurt all over“, you grimaced and looked up at him. It was crazy how you seemed to be in a Na‘vi body yourself now, but he was still towering over you by more than a head.

„Yeah my dad is like that sometimes, he forgot he was supposed to help you up until he was already at the top“, he chuckled making, „I’ll help you.“ You agreed and thought he would just pull you up now and then, but instead he firmly but still mindful of your injuries, hauled you onto his back and climbed the tree with you clinging onto him in shock.

You were up there three times faster than you were climbing before and he carefully set you down in the hut that was build in the tree. „T-thank you“, you were beyond flustered, you remembered - and saw here - that the Na‘vi had no problem with lots of naked skin, but only wearing a torn up summer dress and being pressed to Neteyams muscular back made you blush.

„You’re welcome sevin“, he grinned, but before you could ask what that meant, you were interrupted by his family. You swallowed and shrunk under their gazes, but you kind of felt safe with them, so you settled down around the food and started taking.

—————————

„That is crazy“, Lo‘ak was the first to break the silence you ended your story about what happened. And god was he right, it really was crazy. „Like I told you, it was Eywa“, Mo‘at looked a bit smug that she had been right from the start it seemed. It made the most sense that Eywa sent you here - considering the light, that you didn’t fall to your death and the atokirina the Sullys told you about.

You knew all their names now, Jake and Neytiri had Neteyam, Lo‘ak and Tuk, and Kiri was Grace‘ daughter - adopted by them. They were still speechless from what you had told them, reciting a summarized version of the movie to prove you were telling the truth and they didn’t know what to say.

„I think we should all probably sleep on this, it was a really long day“, Jake pulled everyone out of their thoughts, earning nods from everyone and and uncertain expression from you. Where would you go?

„Come on, you can sleep in my hut for now“, Kiri beckoned you to follow her and you were relieved they didn’t move you somewhere else, somewhere you would feel even more alone than here. „Thanks“, you told Kiri and then turned to the other Sullys, „and thank you for dinner and helping me!“ The Sullys wished you a good night, but only one particular pair of eyes on you made your heart speed up.

—————————

You had tried to keep it together the first few nights, thankfully falling asleep as soon as your head hit the hammock, because you were so exhausted. But it seemed like today it really sunk in that this would probably be your life from now on and you’d be here for the rest of it too.

You had been turning in your hammock too many times already trying to find sleep, so you finally gave up when the loud jungle noises drove you crazy and as quietly as possible snuck out the hut and onto the small platform in front of it, sitting down with your legs dangling in the air.

And then came the tears. It wasn’t that you were overly sad or missed your old life, it was just so so much to take in and so insanely overwhelming (you were blue for gods sake!) that you just couldn’t keep it together in that moment. And maybe you were mourning your old life a bit, but who could blame you for that - all the memories connected to your grandparents possessions, and maybe even your shitty job and apartment.

Trying to cry silently, you winced when someone sat next to you. „You okay?“, Kiri asked, bumping you gently with her shoulder in sympathy. „Yeah“, you tried to wipe your tears away, but she already saw them.

„And now again, but with an honest answer“, she squeezed your arm in encouragement and the tears were falling freely again, „are you okay?“ „Not really“, you sobbed, and to your surprise she immediately took you into her arms, making you feel comforted.

„You miss your home?“, she asked quietly while looking out into the glowing forest. „A bit, but not really it wasn’t a nice life I had there it’s just…a lot of change“, you mumbled and she hummed in understanding, continuing to hold you til you had cried it all out. Maybe that was what you needed in the first place - just to let it all out once and for all.

—————————

It had been almost two months already, and you were settling in as much as you could. You didn’t really miss your life back where you came from, putting your handcraft-skills to use was so much more fun than working in that dingy little kiosk. Plus, eventhough you didn’t have that many friends here, you were really close with Kiri and she was a much better friend than yours back at home. You two bonded over being kind off the weird girls of the clan, her with her deep connection to Eywa and you being the demon girl who fell from the sky.

It took some time getting used to your new body, you had looked into a mirror the second day you were here, and it surprised you that you still kinda looked like yourself, but you also didnt. You liked it though. The tail took some more time, as did the ears, because they more often then not acted without your permission and betrayed how you felt. But in true Omaticaya fashion, you were wearing the traditional tweng and chest covers (eventhough you felt a bit exposed at first), first borrowed from Kiri, but she quickly showed you how to make your own.

Other than Kiri, only Lo‘ak, Neteyam and of course little Tuk were honestly nice to you. The other Omaticaya girls your age either thought you were weird because of where you came from, or they seemed to dislike you because you interacted with Lo‘ak and Neteyam a lot - at least that’s what Kiri told you. You had just laughed at that, they were both nice and handsome of course and you might even have a little crush on the oldest Sully, but from what you’ve learned over the last months, he was the most sought after bachelor of the clan, so no way would he be into some former human who spend her day weaving with his little sister.

The Sullys (weirdly enough even Neytiri) took you in and Kiri didn’t mind sharing her hut with you for now. All the older Sully kids had their own smaller huts in the trees surrounding the family’s main one, so they had privacy until they moved out once they found a mate. They were all old enough to choose one already, but neither had picked one yet.

You on the other hand were reluctant to think about a future here, because you never knew if one day you would encounter that bright light again and be swept off back to your own world. You tried to blend that out in your everyday life here, but it was always looming over you.

The only thing you were missing from earth were books. Like, you loved going swimming with Tuk, foraging with Kiri or strolling through the forest with Neteyam when he wanted to show you something. But when you were alone, you really missed reading a good book. Which was why you were currently one the way back from the human outpost, having exchanged the book Norm gave you a week ago for a new one. Weirdly enough they actually did have quite a lot physical copies of books, curtsy of Grace from what Norm told you.

It was almost eclipse now, the forest starting to awaken in bioluminescence. Uh oh, this wasn’t good, considering you went alone when you shouldn’t have (but you didn’t want to bother anyone) and now you weren’t even halfway back to the village with nothing to defend yourself if you stumbled upon a predator.

Clutching the worn out copy of ‚Twilight‘ to your chest, you hurried along the familiar path and just crossed your fingers you would be fine and no one would find out you went alone. Eventhough your ears were alert, you were still tremendously startled when Neteyam suddenly landed infront of you. You stopped in your tracks as not to run into him and let out a frightened sound, before realizing who it was.

Oh no, he looked kinda angry. „What do you think you’re doing syulang?“, he sounded accusatory and eventhough you started to get a hang of the language, he refused to tell you what the little nicknames meant he called you. Consequently his siblings refused to aswell when you asked them, but not without giving you a stupid grin.

„I-I just wanted a new book?“, it sounded more like a guilty question then the innocent answer you wanted it to be. „Alone?“, you could see he was gritting his teeth trying to stay calm. „I didn’t want to bother anyone, it’s not that far! You didn’t have to come looking for me we’re almost there anyway“, you tried to protest weakly, eventhough the thought that he noticed you were gone and came looking for you (and knew you good enough to know where to look) made your heart race pathetically.

„Good thing I did though“, he raised an eyebrow and suddenly threw a small knife into the bush next to you, an animalistic howl ringing in the air before it was silent, „there was a stray viperwolf following you the last few minutes.“ Okay, maybe he was right after all and you really shouldn’t wander of too far on your own, especially not in the dark.

„Thank you“, was the only thing leaving your lips and Neteyam just rolled his eyes. He could never stay mad at you, even if he was angry with you for being so careless with your safety. Eywa, he really had a weak spot for you. Even now, looking so guiltily with your eyes glued to the forest floor, he thought you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Ever since you fell on top of him, his heart felt like it was fate that you came into his world. He could see his siblings were suspecting his infatuation with you - considering their glances and smirks. But he couldn’t help that he was protective, even if his siblings giggled when he told them he was going to search for you earlier.

He was glad he did though, he didn’t want to think about what could have happened to you. Plus showing off in front of you was an upside too. „Come on, let’s get you home“, he ushered you forward, not able to resist his tail slipping around your thigh. Your own tail swaying behind you restless as a reaction made him smirk.

—————————

„That’s really what the book is about? That’s crazy“, Kiri laughed while you two walked to communal dinner. Most of the time the Sullys ate here with the rest of the clan, only sometimes would they eat in private. „Don’t judge before you read it“, you chastised her with a grin, but you got her - especially in this world a love story about vampires must sound insane.

You two settled down in your usual spot at the edge of the busy clearing, waiting for the hustle to calm down a bit before getting your food. „Yeah, no I’m defiantly judging. But to your credit, if you read something like that you must really be a hopeless romantic“, she dramatically held her heart and fanned her face in mockery, making you giggle and pinch her side.

„Who’s a hopeless romantic?“, a familiar voice interrupted your conversation, making you blush immediately. „Not me“, Kiri said with a grin, and when she saw what her brother was carrying it got even wider. „It’s nothing“, you just shook your head and your heart jumped a bit when Neteyam sat down next to you. He normally ate with the other hunters or his friends, and sitting next to him made you incredibly nervous. Especially because of all the eyes on you.

To your relief everyone minded their own business relatively fast again, and you noticed Neteyam was looking at you. „What is it?“, you were curious now, looking up into his kind eyes, ignoring Kiris chuckles. „Here, I brought you dinner“, you only now noticed he had two leaves with freshly cooked meat on them in his hands.

„Oh thank you!“, you were suprised, but kinda glad you didn’t have to make your way though the crowd yourself. „It’s from the hunt today, I brought the sturmbeest down by myself“, he smirked, and you nodded trying to seem impressed. You weren’t really in the hunting game plus you weren’t even sure what a sturmbeest looked like yet, but it was cute how proud he was.

„Wow, that’s cool! Thank you“, you smiled at him in appreciation and he gave you a blinding smile. „Nothing for me brother?“, contrary to what she said, she didn’t look mad - she was wiggling her eyebrows with a grin. „Ahh get lost Kiri“, Neteyam waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, but he actually seemed a bit embarrassed - was he blushing?

Kiri just rolled her eyes and left to get food, leaving you two alone. „What was that about?“, you smiled and he gave you a roguish little smile. „Nothing yawne, just eat“, he urged you with a gentle hand on your elbow that made your skin tingle. Huh, that was a new nickname, you wondered what it meant.

—————————

You shouldn’t have let Lo‘ak convince you. But you wanted to see an ikran so bad! You hadn’t wanted to ask anyone in case it was like something private or sacred not to be shared, but when Lo‘ak offered to take you to see his ikran when you were both in the village bored out of your mind, you had only needed a bit convincing to leave without telling anyone.

You werent sure if you really weren’t allowed to go, but Neteyam always seemed hell bent on keeping you from each and every risk possible, so you assumed that extended to encountering an ikran.

„Come on (Y/N) don’t slow down!“, Lo‘ak always seemed to have an infinite amount of energy and you did your best to keep up with him without falling on your face. „Are we almost there?“, you called ahead, just narrowly avoiding a branch that would’ve knocked you in the head otherwise.

„Yeah just a bit ahead“, he called back and you rolled your eyes - this was the fourth time he said that. But it seemed like he was telling the truth this time, because you broke out of the treeline and stopped on a wide open cliff, looking out onto the hallelujah mountains.

„Wow“, you were amazed by the sight, Lo‘ak grinning cheekily at your stunned face. „Pretty cool, huh?“, he asked, bumping you with his shoulder and you only nodded. Your brain couldn’t make sense of the flying rocks, making it even more magical.

Lo‘ak suddenly whistled and after a moment or two, a mighty beast shot upwards from the abyss infront of the cliff, startling you so much you let out shocked yelp. Lo‘ak snickered at his successful attempt to mess with you - and then his ikran landed infront of you.

It was towering over the two of you, screeching at Lo‘ak like a greeting and eyeing you with alert. „He’s a sweetheart, just don’t look into his eyes“, he was already petting the dragon-like creature. You immediately averted your eyes towards the ikrans body rather than his head.

„Come here slowly“, Lo‘ak motioned for you to move closer and you did, trying to keep calm as not to startle the creature who could probably eat you with two bites. „Here“, he smiled when you were standing next to him, taking your hand and laying it onto his banshee, the creature not startled by another hand on his back.

It felt similar to a snakes skin, but the colors were even more intense up close. „This is so cool“, you breathed and could almost feel his proud smile. You knew it wasn’t always easy for the younger Sully, but it made you happy how carefree he seemed in moments like that.

„Neteyam might kill me when he finds out, but you wanna go for a ride?“, he grinned mischievously. „Are you kidding? Hell yes!“, you nodded in excitement, infected by Lo‘aks troublemaker vibe, the thought of messing with perfectly correct Neteyam a bit (even if you thought that part of him was adorable) making you grin too.

„Come on then!“, he hopped into his ikrans back with ease, pulling you up behind him. „Hold on tight!“, was the last warning he gave and then you were off, flying and maneuvering the hallelujah mountains with excited squeals and shocked gasps when Lo‘ak wanted to show off.

„This is amazing!“, you called, taking in the otherworldly view around you and the thrilling feeling of flying on a banshee. Lo‘ak only laughed, and suddenly dipped down straight, making you squeak in terror.

It had been about an hour or so, when he suddenly stiffened a bit. „Uh oh, the fun police“, he groaned, and when you looked over his shoulder you saw Neteyam on his ikran, a bit farther away.

With a sigh, Lo‘ak was making his way over to the cliff where you started from, landing there and helping you down before bidding goodbye to his banshee. As soon as he was gone, Neteyam landed. His ikran was a mighty beast, even bigger and a bit meaner looking than Lo‘aks and the rider himself looked just as mad.

„What are you two doing here?“, Neteyam was addressing Lo‘ak right away, not even looking at you, and to your shock he was basically seething. „We were bored so I offered to show her my ikran“, to his credit Lo‘ak didn’t even flinch under his brothers angry glare, only rolling his eyes.

„Why do you always have to do the things you’re not supposed to?! Take things that aren’t yours?! Putting others in danger?!“, Neteyam was basically shouting, and even Lo‘ak looked a bit startled by his brothers intense reaction.

„Neteyam it wasn’t his fault“, you tried to calm down the older Sully, but it only seemed to work a bit when you gently squeezed his upper arm. „Yeah sooo I’m gonna go“, Lo‘ak took the chance to dip now that Neteam was distracted for a second and Neteyam almost went after him if it hadn’t been for you hanging onto his arm.

„Don’t be like that, he just took me flying. I don’t think I was ever in any real danger“, you tried to look as innocent and sweet as possible as not to get yelled at too. Neteyam looked down at you for a moment, scanning you over once and then sighing, losing all the tension he previously had.

„Yeah you’re right, it’s not really about the risk, it’s just that…“, he started but let the sentence hang in the air, turning his head away from you and you were wondering what was happening. „Come on, you can tell me“, your hand slipped down his arm almost on its own, taking his hand in yours and making him look back at you.

„If you wanted to see an ikran why didn’t you ask me?“, he looked a bit embarrassed when he finally spilled what he was bothered by and you were taken aback for a moment. „I didn’t necessarily want to see an ikran, I was just bored and Lo‘ak was free - if you would’ve been around I would’ve asked you Neteyam“, you didn’t know why exactly he was so bothered by Lo‘ak taking you to fly.

„You…wanna meet mine too?“, he motioned to the beast behind him with his head and a hopeful glint appeared in his eyes. „I‘d love to“, you agreed, happy to see his spirits lifted again, „but makeup with Lo‘ak later okay? And don’t be so hard on him.“ He begrudgingly agreed while pulling you over to his banshee, who didn’t look so mean anymore now that his rider wasn’t angry either.

—————————

Every once in a while the Sullys had family dinner together in their hut and not in the communal area with the rest of the clan, just like tonight. It was a bit chaotic but you loved it - and you especially loved that they naturally involved you as part of it.

Everyone was there already except Neteyam, and you were settling down in the middle of the hut, the food laid out in the middle. Lo‘ak was still in the corner, filling his waterskin, and was about to make his way to sit in the free place next to you, when his older brother came in, a bit out of breath.

„Sorry I’m late, incident at training“, he explained, and you had to look away quickly before your gaze would get caught on his flexing muscles as he laid down his bow. Kiri next to you snickered - she had known about your crush on her older brother ever since she saw you ogling him when all of you were at the river.

You didn’t really catch what happened next, only seeing Lo‘ak who was almost standing next to you, about to sit down, and suddenly it was Neteyam who sat there (closer than his brother would’ve ever sat), and a grumbling Lo‘ak was walking away to sit down next to his mother, who seemed amused by her eldest behavior.

Before you could dwell on it too much, your train of thought was interrupted by Jake, but the way Neteyams thigh brushed yours when he helped you to some food (he was such a sweetheart), before helping himself to some, distracted you significantly.

„So (Y/N) tell me, as a former human yourself, what do you miss most about earth, like foodwise?“, Jake addressed you with a grin. The topic of earth was the thing the both of you bonded most over and next to the actual humans here, it was nice to have someone who could empathize with your situation a bit closer. Plus, Jake loved playing these little games with you, even if you were kind of from the past - at least from his perspective.

„Uh that’s a hard one“, you had like a million foods and drinks you missed from earth you missed, „if I had to pick like top 5 I’d probably say Ice cream, Sushi, cheesecake, coffee and maybe a nice cold coke.“

Jake nodded like he approved of your choices and then added, „only thing I’m really really missing is an ice cold beer.“ It was so funny to see the confused looks of the other family members, and maybe that was what actually prompted Jake to talk about this, you thought with a grin.

„Or a bag of chips and Guacamole“, you added and the both of you were laughing while Neytiri fondly rolled her eyes and the siblings just continued eating in confusion. „I’m glad you have someone to play your stupid little games with other than the sky people ma Jake“, Neytiri acted like she was annoyed by Jake’s antics, but you could tell she loved exactly that about him.

The conversation shifted from human food to the training incident Neteyam talked about earlier, but you didn’t really listen, because you were concentrating on eating your food without chocking when Neteyams tail wrapped itself around yours.

———————————

„Come on (Y/N)!“, Tuk beckoned you into the water she was already splashing around in and with a grin you joined her there. All of the Sullys were busy today, so Neytiri had asked if you could accompany Tuk to the Lagoon she was begging everyone to go to for days. It wasn’t that far, so it was safe, Tuks mother reckoned.

„Wanna see how good I can jump?“, Tuk was so excited to finally come here, that she was bouncing around like crazy, but her enthusiasm infected you too. „Of course! Show me!“, you laughed with her, sitting on a rock that was only a little submerged in the lagoon - you could see her jumping from the boulder perfectly from there.

It went on like that for a few hours, the two of you hanging out by the lagoon, talking, laughing and you even decorated her hair with little flowers. It made you a bit nostalgic, back on earth - if you would’ve had the money for college - you would’ve loved being a kindergarden teacher and hanging out with Tuk kinda made you wonder if you were to have your own children some day. You tried to bury the thought of her older brother as their father just as quickly as it came.

„Hey you two!“, as if you had summoned him, Neteyam strolled out of the bushes and Tuk excitedly leapt of the rock you two were sitting on, swimming over to her brother. „Neteyam!“, she threw herself into his arms wet as she was, but he didn’t seemed to mind and only caught her with a loud laugh. Damn, that didn’t really help stifle your previous thoughts.

„You’re having a good time?“, he smiled at her and she nodded vigorously, already moving around to be let down from his arms. „Yes! I wanna show you how good I can jump now!“, before he could even answer, she already ran over to the boulder she was jumping from the last few hours. „Give me a second, I’ll watch from over there“, Neteyam called out to her and when he pointed to you, and dived headfirst into the water like a pro, you had to admit you got a bit wet in your tweng.

He surfaced right in front of you and you could only look at him with a flustered expression - you didn’t think you would ever forget his smirking face right in front of your slightly spread legs. Before you could slip further into a naughty fantasy, he moved to the side and pushed himself up and you had to force yourself to move your eyes as to not ogle his wet and muscular body.

„Neteyam! Neteyam look!“, Tuk screamed before jumping into the water head first and the both of you laughed at her enthusiasm. „I don’t get how she has so much energy, she’s been doing that for hours“, you smiled and shook your head in disbelief. „Yeah, sometimes I wish I had that much energy too“, he grinned and playfully bumped your thigh with his.

God, the size difference between your kinda squishy one (you reckoned you had some human features because the female Navis were all corded muscle) and his thick muscular one was making you flustered, especially when he didn’t pull it away, instead keeping it pressed to yours.

„You did great Tuk!“, Neteyam called over to his little sister who had just emerged and tried to calm his racing heart at feeling you pressed up right next to him. He had waited for you to settle in fully, and it took some time for him to sort out the things you made him feel, but he decided he couldn’t wait anymore and started courting you when he heard the other male hunters talk about making a move on you. The thought alone made his tail move over yours.

Tuk continued showing of her jumps, while Neteyam worked up the courage to give you his gift. You had accepted the meat he gave you at dinner yesterday, the one he had hunted for you, so you should also accept the necklace he made you, but he was nervous still. Taking a deep breath, he fished the jewelry out of the little bag that was strapped to his loincloth and turned a bit towards you.

„I made something for you“, Neteyam said next to you and you averted your eyes from Tuk to look at what he meant. In his hands laid a beautiful necklace out of thin leather stripes with what you identified as gemstones braided in, and it looked almost identical to the one he was wearing. „Really? You made that for me?“, you looked up at him .

Neteyam had to remind himself that his little sister was still jumping around happily a few feet away, otherwise he would have kissed you on the spot. „Yeah“, he was breathless from the way you were staring up at him and the anticipation of your answer to his offering. „It’s beautiful 'Teyam. Can you help me put it on?“, you smiled at him and he almost lost his grip on the necklace when you called him that nickname.

„Of course“, the grin his face was sprouting was making your heart feel like it was expanding in your chest, so you quickly turned around for him to fasten the necklace. His fingers gently brushed your hair to the side and left a path of tingles in their way. The necklace was more like a choker and considering it was a gift from him, the thought sent a slight shiver through you.

When you turned around again, the way his necklace sat snugly against your pretty throat satisfied some primal side of him. Everyone could see who they had to answer to now if they decided to make a move on you, he thought with a smirk. „Thank you“, your pretty blush made him go feral and when you took his hand and squeezed it, he would’ve kissed you - if it hadn’t been for the water suddenly showering you two. „You aren’t even watching!“, Tuk complained, pouting in the water a few feet away.

——————————

„Pretty necklace you got there“, Kiri was smirking at you the next morning, when her, Tuk, Lo‘ak and you went foraging - but instead sat on a clearing and talked. „Oh thanks, 'Teyam gave it to me“, you smiled, your hand automatically reaching for the chocker like it had done many times til he gave it to you. „Teyam?“, Lo‘ak was grinning mischievously and you could feel yourself blush.

„You’re so in love it’s almost disgusting“, Kiri laughed, and you were rendered speechless for a moment. „I think it’s cute! When you two are mated, you’re our sister, that will be so cool!“, Tuk seemed excited, but you looked at them with wide eyes. „Why would we be mated?“, you pressed out and they all paused in their teasing.

„What?“, Kiri asked confused, „what do you mean? He’s been courting you for the last two weeks.“ She was looking at you like it was selfexplanatory. „He’s been what?!“, your voice took on a shrill note and you sat ramrod straight. „He hunted that sturmbeest for you and brought you the meat, sits with you at dinner even if he almost has to take me out for the seat, made you that necklace, took you flying after getting insanely jealous over me taking you for a flight and is way over the top protective over you?“, Lo‘ak looked at you as if you were stupid, but now that they labeled what had been happening as courting, every interaction with him ran through your mind with a different filter.

„You’ve broken her“, Tuk whined and snapped you out of your trance. „He’s…he’s been courting me? Why didn’t he say anything?“, you whispered and were surprised they heard you. „You really didn’t know?“, Kiri looked a bit shocked. „No! I’m not from here, remember? How would I know that? 'Courting‘ in my world is vastly different!“, you started panicking a bit.

„But you like him don’t you? I mean it’s quite obvious you two are into eachother“, Lo‘ak shrugged and didn’t really seem to see a problem here. „I-I do, a lot, but I still can’t mate with him“, you blushed when suddenly you realized what that mating would include but pushed the thought to the side.

„What? Why? Don’t you wanna be my sister?“, Tuk climbed over her older brother in order to sit in your lap, hitting him in the face with her tail in the process, making Kiri giggle. „Oh Tuk“, you cuddled her close, „I’d love to be your sister. I’m just worried about the possibility that one day the light that brought me here will take me back again - and I’d be gone just like that. It’s better not to form such permanent attachments as mating, no matter how much I like your brother.“

„Eywa brought you here for a reason (Y/N). You said you didn’t like your life on earth and I think she sent you here to live a happier life - a life with my brother“, Kiri tried to reassure you, but you still weren’t convinced. „Yeah (Y/N), he’s so in love with you, he’s never acted like that before. There are so many willing females throwing themselves at him, but he doesn’t even glance at them, because he’s only looking at you“, Lo‘ak looked as serious as you’ve never seen him before.

„Promise me you’ll at least talk to him? Soon? But knowing him I can tell you that much - he’d rather take all the time he can get with you even if it’s limited, than not having any time with you at all“, Kiri wisely told you and you sighed, nodding and hugging Tuk closer to you.

„Plus, I really hope you’ll stay here too“, Kiri almost seemed a little bashful, „you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.“ You looked at her and tried to stop yourself from tearing up. „Come here“, you opened your arms and beckoned her to join yours and Tuks hug, hugging her tightly when she finally moved with a roll of her eyes. „You’re the best friend I’ve ever had too Kiri“, you smiled and she squeezed you gently as a response.

„For what it’s worth, I think you’re pretty cool too“, Lo‘ak chimed in from next to you with a grin and after exchanging a mischievous grin, you and Kiri pulled him into the hug too with a laugh, ignoring the groaning Tuk (and Lo‘ak).

It seemed like you really had found a family here too. And it was weird to think that Neteyam really returned your feelings, for gods sake he was courting you! Your heart wanted to jump out of your chest and you just prayed that Eywa would give you a sign or anything else to let you know you would never have to go back and could spend your life here - and that you could accept his advances and stay here with all of them.

————————

Neteyam decided he couldn’t wait anymore and would ask you to be his mate tonight. You seemed to accept his courting and he just wanted you to be his. So he decided to talk to his parents about this, eventhough he was sure they had already heard through gossip that he was courting you - and by gossip he meant Kiri and Lo‘ak.

„Mom, Dad, can we talk for a moment?“, he weirdly enough had found his parents in the same place - they were at home sorting through herbs. He could only guess they were told by his grandmother to do so. At his appearance they stopped their work and he settled down with them. „It’s about (Y/N)“, his mother guessed and gave him a knowing smirk and he was almost offended by how easy he was to read.

„(Y/N)? What about her?“, Jake was confused and Neteyam was reassured that it seemed to at least be only his mother that could see right through him. Then again, his dad was generally pretty clueless about things like that. „Ma Jake, he’s been courting her for two weeks now“, Neytiri rolled her eyes at his dads density.

„What, really? And does she know that?“, Jake asked and Neteyam and his mother were looking at him in question. „She accepted my gifts and the meat I hunted for her, and my offers to spend time with her if you mean that“, Neteyam shrugged and his stomach fluttered when he thought about you.

„No, what I mean is, that she’s not from here, humans don’t 'court' like Na‘vi do, are you sure she knows what you’re doing is leading to you two being mated?“, his father explained himself, „Because I’m not sure anyone ever explained that part of our culture to her.“ Mother and son were in thought for a moment, as they had to grasp the concept that she was from a completely different world - she had adapted so well they forgot about that sometimes.

When none of them said anything, Jake cleared his throat and continued. „I don’t doubt she likes you, even your daft old dad sees that, and I’m not telling you she will say no or anything - just be patient with her because she might not expect it, okay?“, he reassured his oldest son. „Thank you Dad“, Neteyam nodded gratefully and then looked over to his mom, „but the reason I came here for originally was to ask for both of your approval and permission to ask her to be my mate tonight.“

His parents exchanged a fond glance, proud of the man their son had become and proud of his choice. „Of course you have our approval. (Y/N) might not be able to become Tsahìk without training, but my mother and I talked to Kiri about this possibility - and she is more than suited and willing to take on that role when the time comes“, Neytiri smiled encouragingly at her older son, happy that he found someone to spent his life with.

„Your mother is right, you’re perfect for eachother“, his dad clapped his back proudly and Neteyam felt significantly lighter than when he arrived in the family’s hut. „I think you should know that you might need to keep a closer eye on her if you announce your bond though“, his mother looked a bit thoughtful, „I heard that some of the other woman already suspect your affections for her and they don’t seem to be happy about being overruled by what they perceive as an outsider.“

Neteyams previously light mood, darkened in record time. His mother thought they would compromise you somehow? He couldn’t even fathom the thought of you being hurt, but he knew you weren’t the best at defending yourself so if they caught you alone it was absolutely possible. „Don’t worry Neteyam, we’ll all keep an eye on her“, his Dad try to calm him, the dangerous glint in his eyes unsettling him. „Thank you, both of you“, he gestured a goodbye to his parents, „I’m going to find her now.“

—————————

He had been searching for you a while before he found Kiri who told him you were off reading again, on the small Plattform he had showed you weeks ago that was high up in the trees. With a grin he had run off, that actually fit perfectly into his plans. The platform was private and cozy, just right to ask such an important question.

When her reached the tree, it started to get dark slowly and he quickly climbed upwards. He could hear you turn a page when he was close and when he could finally see you his chest got all warm. You were so beautiful, tucked into the corner with the blanket you brought and completely immersed in your book.

„Hello yawne“, he grinned when you were startled and looked at him in surprise. „Don’t scare me like that 'Teyam!“, you playfully scolded him and sat upright, closing your book after marking the page. With a soft smile, he moved onto the platform and sat down on the bouncy material next to you, so close he could see you blush a little - but when you seemed to automatically lean into him a bit, his heartbeat quickened ridiculously.

He didn’t know where to begin. „What is it?“, you looked at him in worry and carefully took his hand, yours so small and delicate in his. He immediately cradled it lovingly. „You always asked me what the nicknames I called you meant“, he started and stroked the back of your hand with his thumb.

„Yes“, you were a bit breathless at the affection he was showing you. „Syulang means flower, because you’re just as unique as every single one on this moon“, he gently pushed a piece of hair out of your face and your eyes widened in wonder. „Sevin means beauty, because you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever encountered“, he whispered, his tail moving to tangle with yours and your breath momentarily stopped.

„Neteyam“, was the only thing you could whisper, not knowing if you wanted him to stop or to keep going. He sent you a shaky smile and moved his head closer to yours, almost touching your forehead to eachother. „Yawne means beloved“, his breath hit your face softly and you could guess what came next, closing your eyes in agony, „because I love you. Eywa (Y/N) I love you so much and I see you. Oel ngati kameie. I’m yours, if you’ll have me. Be mine? Be my mate?“

You wanted him so bad, you wanted to love him and you wanted to let him love you - but you couldn’t. You couldn’t bare the thought of leaving him behind if you would encounter the light that brought you here again. And you had every intention to tell him, but when you opened your eyes and looked into his golden ones, so full of love and desire you were left speechless.

His hand slipped to your cheek, and you noticed how he moved in even closer - just a tilt of your head and you would’ve been kissing your love. Closing your eyes again, you couldn’t bear to see the heartbroken look on his face as you pulled away from him. „I can’t Neteyam“, you had to force the words out, your heart not wanting to say them at all.

It was silent for a second and you thought maybe he was gone as quickly as he came, but a big firm hand pulling your face back around proved you wrong. „Did I do something wrong? I thought you accepted my courtship, did I read you wrong? Please (Y/N) look at me“, he pleaded with you, the desire and love in his eyes now overridden by panic.

„No! No you didn’t do anything wrong and you didn’t read me wrong I do…I do love you“, your heart couldn’t take hie broken expression, even if you couldn’t be with him you had to atleast make sure he knew it wasn’t him. He brightened up a little at that, but his ears were still low and close to his head. „What is it then? Talk to me yawne, please“, he looked so concerned for you and was so gentle still, that you were sure he would be the right choice if you could let yourself be his.

„I didn’t…realize you were courting me at first, not until your siblings pointed it out to me“, you started to explain yourself, trying to keep your composure. „When they told me I was elated at first that you returned my feelings, but then…then I realized I could be pulled out of this world any moment again, we can’t be sure it won’t happen and I can’t bear the thought of leaving you, especially not after making the bond“, you continued, „not to mention that you’re the next leader of your clan and some people still see me as a demon, it’s not an appropriate match anyway.“

„Bullshit“, Neteyam blurted out after a moment of silence, repeating something that his father said when he’s frustrated. You just looked at him with wide eyes. „You’re perfect for me, the clan will have to deal with that, most of them have accepted you already. I already talked to my parents and they approve yawnetu, Kiri will be Tsahìk when the time comes and they love you, they couldn’t think of someone better for me either“, he ranted on and you had to smile at his vigor to convince you, your hand gently stroking his cheek.

„You forgot the most important part“, you sighed, letting your hand fall down. He caught it and pressed it back to his cheek, not willing to lose that feeling. „I don’t care. I’d rather have only a year, a month or a week with you than not have you at all“, he was desperate, wishing you would just let him love you. „I can’t“, you were on the verge of tears, he could see it and his heart broke even more. „Maybe Eywa sends a sign, letting me know I won’t ever go back, but we don’t know that will happen“, this was worse than all the scenarios he thought about, knowing you wanted him too, but feeling like you couldn’t was torture.

„Do you want to? Go back I mean?“, he suddenly asked, catching you off guard. You were lost in thought for a moment. Back home? Was it even home anymore? You missed your true crime and your crochet, and going to the bar with your friends once in a while, but that was nothing compared to what you’d miss if you would go back. You couldn’t even fathom how much it would hurt to leave all of this behind.

„No. Never“, you shook your head decisively.

—————————

You were essentially hiding from Neteyam the last two days. He was somehow convinced if he would just dote on you enough he would get Eywa to send a sign and you to agree to mate with him. It was probably not working on Eywa, but your resolve on the other hand was crumbling with every sweet gesture and every gentle touch. That’s precisely why you were avoiding him, trying to stop yourself from falling into his arms.

But you couldn’t run forever and Kiri had bullied you into attending communal dinner tonight, so there you were, making your way to your usual spot to meet her. „Evening (Y/N)“, someone greeted you from behind and you stopped in your tracks, and turned around. To your surprise it was Au‘tel, one of the hunters from the clan - not nearly as impressive as Neteyam though. You had to reprimand yourself for thinking about him.

„Good evening“, you smiled at him politely, still wondering what he could possibly want from you. He had never talked to you before now. „I brought you some of the food“, he grinned and held out a portion of cut up fruits, and your eyes widened. Now that you knew what it meant, you couldn’t possibly accept what seemed to be a courting gesture.

You were raking your brain for an acceptable rejection, when you felt him before you even saw him. His hand possessively went around your waist and you could feel your heartbeat in your throat. This wasn’t good. „She doesn’t need you to provide food“, he was basically growling at the other man, you had never heard Neteyam sound so venomously, Au‘tel shrinking visibly under the larger man’s glare.

„Sure, I apologize“, he was gone as suddenly as he came, and you were glad he scurried away instead of talking back, because you were sure Neteyam wouldn’t have hesitated to hurt him. Suddenly you were very aware of how quiet it was around you, the people eating dinner pausing and looking at the scene unfolding infront of them.

Oh god, that were definitely way too many eyes on you, and they were looking curiously at the way their future leader was still holding you closely. And the way some of the other young women were eyeing you with murderous envy was making you panic, pulling yourself out of Neteyams grip hastily and disappearing into the forest quickly. You would apologize to Kiri later.

You were blushing massively and breathing too quickly, not even knowing where you were going. You had to admit it was kind of hot how he staked his claim on you, but then you remembered all the people looking at you, judging you and you were so blinded by the tears that were suddenly running down your face from your feelings that were pulling you into all different directions the last few days, that you nearly missed the steep cliff that suddenly opened up infront of you.

You gasped, trying to stop yourself from falling down into the dark abyss, but you couldn’t catch yourself anymore and you were sure you would’ve fallen hadn’t it been for Neteyam. You didn’t even notice him following you, but thank Eywa he did, pulling you back from the cliff and into his chest safely.

Neteyams heart almost fell out of his chest when he saw you nearly fall down that cliff, holding you even tighter at the thought of what could’ve happened. „You’re okay, you’re okay“, he tried to soothe not only you but him, turning you around and pulling you into a tight hug.

You let yourself be held for a moment, just enjoying the close proximity you had forbidden yourself the past days, before pulling yourself away from his chest and wiping your tears away. He reluctantly let you go, not looking happy with having you leave the safety of his arms. „Thank you 'Teyam“, you mumbled, looking to the ground and trying move around him to go back to Kiris hut to just sleep. You really lost your appetite anyway.

„Don’t go“, he pleaded, trying to hold you back, but you shook him off. „I told you we can’t. You shouldn’t have done that back there, everyone saw“, you looked up at the taller Na‘vi in desperation. „Good. Let them see who you belong to, so no other skxwang will try to make a move on you“, he was basically seething at the thought of that idiot trying to court you back at dinner.

You were stunned at the intensity of his possessiveness for a moment, some primal part of you was urging you to lay down and mate with that perfect male, but you quickly squashed the thought. „Don’t…don’t say that“, you whispered, and Neteyam seemed to realize all too quickly what effect he had on you and stepped closer.

„Why? Does it make you want to mate with me?“, he was smirking, something rumbling deep in his broad chest, his pectorals flexing under your gaze. You knew if you would’ve stayed only a second longer you would’ve given yourself to him - so you ran.

—————————

You knew it was childish and you had to talk about it, but you just needed a day to have some peace and quiet. In the morning you had immediately fled the trees that housed the Sullys huts and settled in a small clearing with a basket to weave and keep you occupied until you were ready to go back.

You were seriously contemplating giving into your heart and accepting Neteyam, but you just couldn’t shake the image of a heartbroken Neteyam if you really would be taken back someday. You knew what happened to Na‘vi when their mates died (and you doubted disappearing would be different), and you didn’t want Neteyam to wither away slowly because of you. Not if he could’ve had a chance to live a happy life with someone else some day if you were sent back - but mating with him and making the bond would rob him of that.

It was already getting dark and you knew you had to go back, so you slowly made your way through the forest, holding your finished basket in one hand. You were a few minutes away from the Sullys huts, when you encountered Saelia, Nes‘ti and Tizon, three of the women who were thought to be picked as Neteyams mate - if it hadn’t been for you.

„Look what we’ve got here“, Nes‘ti laughed when they spotted you and you just looked at them like a deer caught in the headlights. „It’s the demon“, Saelia chuckled darkly, „probably coming from a secret date with Neteyam.“

Oh no, this wasn’t going to turn out pretty, you thought as they stepped closer to you. „I don’t see it, do you?“, Nes‘ti was eyeing you in mockery. „No, no I really don’t“, Tizon cackled, and they exchanged glances. „See what?“, you had the courage to ask, but realized immediately that was stupid. They suddenly dropped the fake humor and looked at you in rage.

„See whatever the hell he sees in you!“, Saelia spit out, taking a step forward and startling you. „Yeah we have been wondering what it could possibly be, you’re not even one of the people, and you managed to take Toruk Maktos eldest son“, Tizon pushed you back by the shoulders, and you stumbled back, luckily catching yourself.

„Yeah, he’s been completely ignoring us ever since you fell out of the fucking sky!“, Saelia seemed to be seeing red and suddenly pushed you back way harder than Tizon did, making you stumble and you turned trying to catch yourself. Your foot got caught on a root, and you fell head first against a rock laying on the ground, effectively splitting your forehead open.

„You shouldn’t have done that!“, you heard them bickering behind you. „What?! You did it too!“, someone hissed back, and you felt them scurry away quickly, now that they realized they injured you. Groaning you sat up, already feeling the blood running down your face. Great. This was just great.

——————————

„Ouch“, you hissed as Neytiri cleaned the cut on your forehead, but her grip on your chin stayed firm. „Now, tell me how this happened, and no lies this time“, she berated you. Maybe trying to sell that you only fell wasn’t the smartest idea with her - would’ve worked with Jake though. „It was just those stupid girls, pestering me about Neteyam“, you sighed and she looked down at you in concern.

„They hit you?“, she inquired further, putting some paste on the cut now that it stopped bleeding and it immediately soothed the stinging. „No, they pushed me around and I tripped“, you recounted the events from earlier, and looked up at her. She finished up with your cut and sat down next to you in her family’s hut.

„And now tell me what else is bothering you child“, you rarely saw her this gentle and took a deep breath. „It’s just… Neteyam and I-“, you were suddenly interrupted by Neteyam and Lo‘ak coming into the hut, and your eyes immediately found his.

„What the hell happened“, against your expectations Neteyam was deathly calm while looking at the cut on your forehead. This seemed to be even worse than his anger, considering his mother and brother left the hut immediately. You were scrambling up, standing on the woven material the floor was made out of, and tried to think of something to say.

Neteyam crossed the space between you in seconds, cradling your face gently despite his obvious anger simmering underneath the surface. „What. Happened.“, he asked again, and as if he could sense you were trying to think of an excuse he added, „and don’t even think about lying to me.“

„It…it was just those girls“, you started, but his eyes told you his anger was flowing over. „They didn’t mean to! The were just pushing me, I fell by accident“, you tried to calm him down, because eventhough you didn’t like those girls, you didn’t wish Neteyams wrath upon them either.

„Nobody hurts you“, he hissed, his jaw clenched tightly, letting go of you slowly and turning towards the door. „Wait, don’t do this Neteyam“, you tried to hold him back, but he was walking towards the entrance with purpose, and you just stood there helplessly thinking of things that could convince him to stay.

„Neteyam! Please!“, you called for him, but it seemed like he was in tunnel vision, not snapping out of it. So you did the only thing that came to your mind right then. „Kiss me!“, you blurted out, and that indeed made him stop in his tracks.

„What did you say?“, he sounded agitated still, his back to you, but at least he stopped moving. „Kiss me, please“, you whispered in a desperate attempt to keep him there - and also because you finally let your heart speak its mind.

He turned around slowly, like a predator not wanting to scare its prey, and looked into your eyes for a moment. He seemed to find what he was searching for, because in seconds he wrapping one arm around your waist pulling you close, while the other gently cupped your face - then he bend down and his lips were on yours.

It was passionate and needy from the start, his lips were slightly rough against your soft ones, but it was the perfect fit. They moved in sync, his tongue carefully finding its way into your mouth, and you couldn’t hold back the whimper that left your throat at the animalistic way he claimed you right there.

Your little sound egged him on even more, greedy hands pulling you closer, because now that he finally had you in his arms, so soft and pliable, he was gonna make damn sure to show you how much he loved you - how much he wanted you. His tails possessively wrapped around your thigh, while he felt like for the first time in his life he was complete. Like this was where he needed to be.

The kiss turned softer, full of love and desire, his hands roaming your waist, grasping your hips while you clung onto his biceps, his muscles flexing under your grip. He was basically kissing you senseless, you didn’t know up and down, you only knew where he was. The feeling of his lips was exhilarating, and you wanted nothing more then to give yourself to him fully - but you couldn’t .

Finally needing to breathe, you pulled back slightly, smiling when the tall warrior chased your lips desperately. „Say you’re mine (Y/N)“, Neteyams voice was husky, a raspy, primal edge in his words. „I am 'Teyam. I always was“, you sighed, not being able to lie to him anymore, he deserved to know, even if you couldn’t make the bond with him yet.

Hearing your say that you were his made a growl rise in his throat that seemed almost instinctual, acknowledging that he had you, not only in his arms but he had your heart. „Just…just hold me tonight?“, your breathless whisper made his heart swell. „Of course, yawne“, he smiled happily, knowing this was a step towards mating with you, even if you wouldn’t tonight.

He swept you off your feet, grinning at the little squeak you let out at his sudden action, and carried you quickly into his hut. It was in a tree close to the Sullys, but from all of his siblings it was the farthest away. You had your face buried in his neck, and the way he could feel your lips ghosting over it distracted him like crazy.

There were no words exchanged between you two, Neteyam laid you down on his bed gently, pulling you into his arms immediately and wrapping his tail around your waist for security. Having you in his arms, all safe and warm and smelling so good, made him feel a bone deep satisfaction that almost scared him - he could never lose you.

————————————

It wasn’t as hard as you would’ve thought to resist Neteyam the next day, because he was gone for an out of the ordinary hunting trip until dinner was almost over. When Jake had told him in the morning he had to accompany the hunting party, he had almost refused to go because he wanted to stay with you. But with a bit of sweet encouragement (and the promise of more kisses when he returned) you were able to convince him.

After the events from last night, you had been praying to Eywa regularly throughout the day to just please, please send you a sign so you could fully be with the Olo‘eyktans son. But there was nothing so far, dampening your mood significantly.

You were pulled from your thoughts, when suddenly someone sat next to you, pulling you into his arms. „'Teyam“, you giggled when he kissed your cheek gently, turning so you could look at him better. Eywa, he looked so handsome with his visor and bow still sling over his back. „Hello syulang“, he mumbled into your ear and you hummed contentedly.

Before either of you could get any more handsy infront of the clan, your ears were assaulted by a loud 'woosh' sound, the fires that were burning blown out and in the middle of the clearing was something that made you heart stop. The white light that had brought you here.

Everyone was frozen, staring at the slightly pulsing and swaying white orb, that looked otherwise harmless, when you were pulled out of your rigor by Neteyams arms tightening around you. You looked at him and could see the horror in his eyes, knowing exactly what that was from the description you had given him.

You felt like this was it, this was your sign, and somehow you had the urge to get a bit closer. You were wondering why Neteyam let you go so easily, but you felt like you were in trance, having to face the thing that changed your life.

Everyone else didn’t move, looking either at you or still at the light, and you slowly moved through the crowd. Did this mean you had to go back home? Your thoughts strayed to your apartment, your books probably still sitting on the side table. Your crochet blanket abandoned on the couch. The little dingy kiosk you worked in, your rude neighbor complaining about going up the stairs too loud.

You stopped infront of the light. Was that home? You raised your hand a bit. But back where you came from, that wasn’t really home.

Home was gossiping with Kiri while weaving baskets, and trying to talk Lo‘ak out of whatever stupid thing he had planned again (but going along with it in the end). It was swimming with Tuk and reading in that hammock above the trees. It was laying in Neteyams arms, falling in love with him.

This was the sign you had been praying for, Eywa was giving you the choice to stay here or to go back. You smiled for a moment, lowering your hand and turning to where you knew Jake and Neytiri were sitting. „I’d like to stay if that’s okay“, you were talking quietly, but going by the leaders grin, he heard you loud and clear.

As if the tension snapped, the light disappeared into the sky as quickly as it came, the fires mysteriously burning again, and then you were engulfed by a happily sobbing Kiri. Tuk was clinging to your leg and even Lo‘ak joined the hug making you laugh in relief. „I’m so glad you stayed tsmuke“, Kiri grinned, before letting go to let her parents step forward. [sister]

To your surprise, Neytiri pulled you into a hug too, followed by Jake and you were smiling but also blushing a bit from all the attention. Not to mention the clan cheering around you. „Thank you (Y/N), thank you for staying“, Neytiri said, Jake squeezing your shoulder in gratitude and you know they meant 'thank you for not breaking our sons heart’.

But where was said son? Kiri pulled you close, seemingly knowing what you were thinking when you were looking around searching for him. „When he saw you raise your hand he took off, I don’t know where he went“, she looked concerned, and you knew why - Neteyam probably thought you were going to take the chance to go back home when you had raised your hand for a moment.

———————————

He didn’t know how long he had been running through the forest, he didn’t feel the leaves hitting his face or the bark scratching his body when he passed the trees to close. He was panting, trying to suppress the feelings that would be his downfall, but when he arrived in the hammock you were always reading in - his brain leading him there instinctively - and the last book you’ve read laid there forgotten, he broke down.

You reached out for the light, you left him, leaving him alone in this world while you went to another. He couldn’t even bear to watch you disappear, his heart feeling like it was shriveling up and dying at the thought that he would never get to see you again. Hold you in his arms, feel your lips on his like last night. He couldn’t even blame you for wanting to go back, if he would be thrown into another world he would probably want to too.

He could feel tears streaming down his face and the way he began to panic, the book you were holding in your hands just two days ago taunting him, and he felt like he could hear you call his name. 'Teyam!' he was sure he was hallucinating your voice, kneeling down infront of the book in anger, begging Eywa to make it stop.

The pain mixed with your soft voice drove him insane and he was about to rip the book apart in anger, when your voice suddenly sounded a lot closer and a lot more real.

„Don’t you dare destroy my book 'Teyam“, you had known exactly where he would go when he was this upset about you, finding him in the hammock just like you thought. Your heart was breaking for the man you loved, he seemed to be so broken thinking that you were gone.

But when he heard your voice so close, he finally seemed to snap out of it, his eyes meeting yours and a sob left his mouth. „You’re not real“, he whispered, shaking his head in desperation and you immediately scrambled closer with a concerned look on your face.

„I didn’t leave, I’d never leave you Neteyam“, you promise him, your hands settling on his cheeks and making him look into your eyes again. „But…but you reached out to the light…you left“, he whimpered, not sure if he should believe you or not. „If you would’ve stayed two seconds longer, you would’ve seen I decided to stay, stay here with you“, you smiled, wiping away his tears, but he still seemed reluctant.

„This can’t be real“, his eyes moved over you in wonder, seemingly trying to decide if you were really here or just a bittersweet trick his mind was playing on him. Until he felt a sharp pinch on his biceps, looking at you slightly offended. „You believe I’m real now?“, you grinned, and when it sunk in that you really were here, that you stayed for him, he tackled you to the floor (carefully of course) and pressed his lips to yours.

Now that you knew you would never have to leave and could be with him fully, the kiss felt different than before. Less desperate and more on the deeper side, your emotions running at an all time high. You pulled back slightly, blushing at the way he was laying on top of you and looking at you with hooded eyes full of passion.

„This sign…it means I’ll never leave 'Teyam“, you whispered, a bit flushed from the kiss and from what you were trying to insinuate. His eyes immediately darkened in understanding. „Please say it. Please say you’ll be my mate“, his voice was husky, and as if that wasn’t enough, with the way he was laying between your legs, you could feel a very prominent bulge pressing right up against your moist tweng.

You nodded your head with a gentle smile. „I’m yours if you’ll still have me. Please take me ma 'Teyam“, you bit your lip in nervousness, not usually this bold, but the way a punched out groan left his mouth made it worth it.

He couldn’t hold back anymore when you called him the pet name usually reserved for mated couples, pulling you into another kiss immediately. You were finally his, and he would make sure to show you and everyone else that you belonged to him - some primal side of him set free at the permission to finally bond and mate with you.

He kissed you senseless til you both needed to breathe, his lips then trailing down your delicate neck, leaving marks along the way and leaving you breathless. You were so perfect, the way you were completely giving yourself to him, trusting him and being so pliable, it made him almost cum into his tweng. You would be the perfect mate, and perfect mother. Eywa, he was so in love.

His large hands freed you of your chest covering, his eyes never leaving your breasts, your nipples peaking under his intense gaze. „Don’t just stare“, you whined, already desperate for his touch and with a predatory grin he took you into his mouth. You chocked on our moan, his tongue a rough texture that felt oh so good on your nipple, sending shockwaves of pleasure right to your pulsing core.

Neteyam was lost in your soft and heavy breasts, clearly your human DNA had an influence there, considering they were bigger and softer than normal Na‘vi breasts. But he was loving it, and he was especially loving your sensitivity, arching your back and pushing your chest into his mouth.

He switched to the other nipple, grazing it with his teeth, and you swear if he wanted to he could’ve made you cum just from that. But you needed more. „'Teyam please, I need you“, you begged, your thighs trying to clench in order to get some friction, but his massive body blocked them.

He finally pulled himself away from your chest in order to take of your tweng, and shuffled down your body, so that he could bully his way between your thighs with his broad shoulders and expose your wet and swollen pussy to him.

„Eywa you’re so perfect ma yawne“, he groaned when he saw the way you were clenching around nothing, your smell making him dizzy in the best way, and before you could plead with him to touch you, his hot mouth was already on you. He was stroking your clit with his rough tongue painstakingly slowly, pulling your legs over his shoulder and holding you so firm by your hips that you were sure you would be sprouting bruises later (that you would wear around the village with pride).

You could only take what he gave you, his vice grip not giving you much space to do anything else, but the way he was in control scratched something primal inside you, making you submit to him even more. Suddenly he pushed two fingers into you, slowly fucking you with them and making sure you’re prepared to take him.

Your tail subconsciously wrapped around his arm, making him groan into your pussy and you squeezed around his fingers at that. But when he started sucking on your swollen and sensitive clit, adding a third finger and hitting that spongey spot inside you perfectly, you came without warning, breathless moans and whimpers leaving your mouth.

He growled at the feeling of you cumming on his tongue, your pussy sucking in his fingers desperately and he couldn’t wait for them to be replaced by his cock. He only stopped when you were pushing him away in oversensitivity, unhappy with having to stop tasting your sopping pussy.

But then you pulled at his arm to get him on top of you again and quicker than you would’ve thought possible he was kissing you again. He tried to pour all his adoration and love into that one kiss, telling you all the things he currently couldn’t form into words.

He pulled back panting, a loving smile adorning his face. You were breathless with anticipation when he pulled his kuru over his shoulder, urging you to do so too. „Are you ready yawne, ready to become mine forever?“, he asked in a husky voice, the anticipation killing him. „Of course I am ma 'Teyam“, you smiled and then the two of you were already exposing the sensitive tendrils at the end of you braids.

Slowly you were moving them towards one another, letting them wrap around eachother, joining you both forever through the sacred bond. A shudder ran through the both of you, your tails and ears moving in ecstasy. You could really feel him, feel your souls joining eachother, effectively making you one, making you mates.

„Ma muntxa“, Neteyam growled right next to your ear, not being able to hold back his primal urges anymore. So he got rid of his loincloth quickly, hissing when his hard cock slid between your pussy lips, covering him in your essence. You whimpered when his head caught you clit, effectively spreading around his precum on your already weeping cunt.

„Please ma 'Teyam, need you“, you pleaded, moving your hips in an effort to catch his head in your entrance. Seeing how desperate you were, he didn’t waste anymore time, bracing himself onto of you more securely, before carefully sinking into the hot cradle between your thighs.

He had to refrain himself from pounding into you right away, reminding himself that this was your first time. You were holding onto his biceps for support, the feeling of fullness spreading through you like wildfire. It was overwhelming, feeling the bond and then feeling him so deep inside you physically too, stretching your poor pussy almost past its limit.

He was thick, his cock adorned with ridges that rubbed your sweet spot just the right way with every inch he pushed in, until he was finally bottomed out. His heavy balls were resting against your ass, basically pulsing with all the seed he had ready to fill you up.

Neteyam was growling next to your ear, his muscles tense in struggle to keep still and letting you adjust. But your tight, wet heat was pulling around him like a vice, trying to suck him in and he felt his hips start moving on their own account.

He started dragging back his hips more with each thrust, your walls clamping down tight and breathless whimpers leaving your lips. The way he was moving above you, all coiled muscle and pleasured expression was making you feel some type of way - especially the way he was so dominating and primal, starting to lose control and pound into you with vigor.

He gripped your thigh with one hand, angling his hips different, and then he was thrusting into your sweet spot with every move of his hips. The moans and whines were falling freely from your mouth, spurring him on further and when he thought about how you were finally his, his mate, he pulled you into another deep kiss.

„Oh god 'Teyam I’m g-gonna-", you tried telling him you were about to cum, but he interrupted you with another kiss, his hips never faltering. But it seemed like he knew what you were saying, one of his hands moving between you and firmly circling your clit, pushing you over the edge so suddenly, you could only open your mouth in a silent scream.

Neteyam groaned in despair when he felt you tighten around him, almost blowing his load right then, but he was determined to have you cum a third time so he continued fucking you through your orgasm until you were whining from the overstimulation.

He slowed down a bit, but never ceasing his thrusts entirely, letting you catch your breath for a moment. „You okay yawne?“, he kissed your cheek gently, making your eyes open with a satisfied smile. „Yeah, perfect“, you answered, and his heart melted at the way you looked at him with so much love.

With a grin, he picked up the speed and force of his thrusts again, suddenly overcome by the reality of getting you pregnant. He let out a loud moan, the thought of you swollen with his child, the evidence of your bond and the way everyone would know to keep their hands off of you, made him slide in and out of your tight heat with determination.

„Eywa, I’m almost there ma yawne“, your mate groaned above you, „gonna fill you up so good love, gonna make sure you’ll carry my child.“ The suddenly carnal desires spilling out of his mouth awakened something deep inside of you, and you whined pathetically, clinging on to your mate while your next high was - to your surprise - already approaching.

„Fuck, you just got so tight, you want that mhm? Want your mate to fill you up? Get you pregnant?“, he panted above you, abs flexing against you and cock still relentlessly abusing your sensitive cunt in just the perfect way. „Yes, please ma 'Teyam“, you gasped, feeling his urges through the bond intensely.

And then he changed his angle a bit, his lower abdomen grinding into your clit just slightly with every harsh thrust he gave you, and it didn’t take long before the breath was knocked out of you with your next orgasm.

You were gripping him so tight, your whole body begging him to breed you, sucking him deeper than you thought was possible. He only managed a few more thrusts before burying himself as far as possible inside you, almost painfully hitting your cervix, before spilling his seed into you with a loud growl.

He was grinding into you a little still, his cock so tight inside of you that his cum seemed to flow directly into your womb, making you feel oh so deliciously full - and also prolonging your high significantly, your body trying to take all it was given.

When you were both slowly coming back to yourselves, Neteyam carefully turned you around, laying on his back with you on top and making sure his cock stayed inside of you so nothing could spill out. „Ma (Y/N)“, he sighed dreamily, pushing your hair away from your face and kissing your forehead gently.

The satisfied but tired smile never leaving your lips, you looked up a bit with hooded eyes. „Are you okay yawne? I didn’t hurt you?“, the man who had been mercilessly fucking you stupid just a few minutes ago was suddenly the sweet and caring male you knew.

„No you didn’t my love, everything is just perfect“, you sighed happily, feeling safe and whole in his arms, the soft kiss he pressed to your lips only intensifying that feeling. „Promise me you’ll never leave?“, you almost didn’t hear him, your mate suddenly sounding so insecure it made your heart break. „Never. I’ll never leave, I love you so much 'Teyam“, you kissed him again, humming a bit when his (somehow still hard) cock moved inside of you.

„Oel ngati kameie“, he whispered, holding you even tighter and your burrowed your head in his neck softly kissing it. „I see you“, you whispered back.

=================

Sooo finally after for fucking ever I had the motivation to write again and I think this is actually my longest single one yet! I hope you enjoyed the somewhat more complicated starting situation and I hope I didn’t rush it too much, I thought if you didn’t enjoy your life on earth you would adjust pretty well, but I don’t know :) If you wanna be on my Taglist let me know!

Leave me some feedback your sweet replies always motivate me to finally get my ass up and write ahaha and thank you for the likes and reblogs in advance!! Love you all xx

Tags: @eywas-heir @brooklynscherry-z @liyahsocorro @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed

#x reader #fluff #angst #smut #avatar #neteyam #neteyam x reader #james cameron avatar #navi #pandora

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nilsavatar · 3 months ago

Text

All's fair in war and love

Parings: Neteyam x Fem!Sarentu

Genre/Warnings: NSFW/MDNI +18, no use of Y/N, ANGST, SMUT in the end, love bites, sexual tension, P in V, manhandling, fingering, praising, cursing, pet names (tìyawn, yantu, yawne, love, sweetheart), dirty talk (Neteyam has a breeding kink as request by Anon), edging (orgasm denial), soft-dom Neteyam. All characters are AGED-UP. Neteyam is a bit cheesy, but from the way he shows how much he cares for his family, it's in character to be a romantic in a love context.

!DISCLAIMER! Presence of dark and sensitive explicit themes: destruction by explosive devices, massacre, and murder (the protagonist and Neteyam kill soldiers). Please do not read if these topics are not for you.

Summary: The story takes place in one of the final stages of the video game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, in one of the most poignant and heartbreaking moments of the plot. Following a heavy earthquake at the Well of Souls that hit the Zeswa hunting party, Sarentu, who will take the name Ateyana here, travels to the site in search of survivors. Finding that many have perished, she decides to find the source of the devastating tremors. Quakes that are not of seismic origin, rather human. With vengeance in her heart, she goes to the military outpost seeking justice. There she will be joined by her lover, Neteyam, and together they will fight for Pandora. But also for themselves.

Little note: This story should have come out months ago - many months ago, way too many. Writing it was a source of great frustration for me. I found myself having a precise idea that I couldn't put into words. The biggest challenge was the action scene that you will find as you read, and, honestly, I don't even think it came out that well. It was the first time for me to deal with this type of narrative. Even if I'm not at all satisfied with the result, it feels right to publish it, for those who have been waiting for it. Anon who requested it, those who answered the poll to choose Sarentu's name, @akari-rosefield who DMed me for updates. This fic is for you.

Word Count: 9k

Masterlist - Request a fic

“Yana!”

Shouts. Shouts and gunshots. The alarm siren.

“Ateyana, we must move!”

A male voice. Nor? The noises mingled with the high-pitched whistle that filled her ears, her eyes blinded by too much light blocking her view. A wall of intermittent red cleared up only by the white of bullets and the few monitors still working.

“Telisi, Yefti-.” “Come!”

Somebody pulled her by the arm. Her legs ran as if pulled by a force she thought lost. The images blurred until they took on the contours of a face she knew. Eyes that were large and bright, but distant as if hiding a secret, now wide with terror.

“It’ll be fine. Don’t be afraid. It’s gonna be like falling into a deep sleep. When you wake up, it will all be over.” “It burns.” “I know, dear, it’ll pass now. Just close your eyes and start counting down from ten. Ten... nine... eight... seven...”

The woman’s voice became distant like a ghost's, her eyelids heavy. The fire coursing through her veins gave way to a sudden cold; a searing chill that numbed her feet, then her legs, and slowly worked its way up her entire body.

“... six... five...”

Surrounded by darkness, all she could hear was the capsule hissing shut, protecting her from everything but silence.

Neteyam remembered his first meeting with Ateyana well. The excitement and commotion that her entrance to Awa’atlu had triggered, on a par with a resurrected spirit — the dawn of a new day. It felt like déjà vu, but in reverse: this time, the Sullys were not on the side of the outsiders falling from the sky, and instead of suspicion, there was a mood of celebration. On the back of her ikran, she wore with ease the hallmarks of the clans that had touched her, each symbolizing a stage in her rebirth; the teachings of their ways. The sea breeze sighed through the soft kinglor silk of her robes, the feathers of the stiff Keme’tire cloak vibrated with every breath, while the colors of the Zewsa shone brightly in the sunlight. Her eyes even deeper and more orange by the sharp contrast with the white, purple, and fuchsia that tinged her skin. So unusual was her appearance, yet harmonious, paired with the banshee that sported the same fanciful pattern. “Look! Look at her face!” “The mark.” The young warrior's gaze followed the whispers around him and settled on the girl's left cheekbone, cut by a crescent moon and four drops just below the eye.

Sarentu. The lost clan.

Neteyam had only heard of them in his grandmother’s stories. The old woman had a sad smile as she talked about the lost storytellers, who were distant cousins of the Omatikaya and descendants from Entu, the first Toruk Makto; diplomatic wanderers who preserved the oral memory of clans’ history, carriers of Eywa wisdom. A beloved People whose terrible fate was known to all Na’vi. Exterminated by the RDA. The same organization that kidnapped their children to raise them as deviant soldiers, alienated from the Great Mother, from all that made them pandorians. Kids who disappeared twenty years ago as a result of the attack on the Tree of Souls and the dismantling of the TAP program. Or so they thought, for one of them had just dismounted her dragon, its wings still rustling with the sound of powerful beats.

Making her way through the crowd, the plaintive wails of the baby cradled in her arms acted as a herald of the tsahìk's arrival. Loran, younger brother of Ao'nung and Tsireya, born shortly after the RDA attack that nearly killed the Sullys' eldest son, seemed to have absorbed the heartbreak of his People, the turmoil of those dark times, for relentless was the torment that plagued him until he fell asleep.

The girl stepped forward, kneeling as she made a small bow before her forehead. “Oel ngati kameie, Ronal eo lu Metkayina Tsahìk.” The woman smiled, and her calmness seemed to ease the breathlessness of her son, who stared at the visitor with large, tear-filled eyes. “Ateyana te Hìtaì Kataru’ite.”

For a split second, her gaze flickered. It had been so long since she had heard her full name spoken aloud. The mention of her family, specifically her mother, sent a shiver down her spine. With a long history of being used as an experiment, trapped within the confines of sterile concrete walls, she had come to see herself as nothing but a test subject. A lab rat. A cluster of inconsequential cells employed to experiment with a substance and observe its reaction. Or worse, treated like a monkey that was given logic games to assess its intellectual growth. With each class, each shower in disinfectant, because the stench of Na’vi was unbearable, every trace of her natural self slipped away; depersonalized from everything her name stood for to the point of hating it. Ateyana, Spirit of the Dawn. It sounded like a joke, the sense of hope that her name carried. In the RDA compound, scientists educated Sarentu children in math, English, weapon use, and also introduced them to human literature and history. A series of conflicts, wars, colonization, and destruction caused by the idea of taking things simply because one had the power to do so. Throughout those years, she couldn’t ignore the eerie parallels between them and the indigenous communities who had been eradicated in certain areas of Earth. The name of one population in particular had stayed with her, as it bore a striking resemblance to her own. The Yana, a population decimated by the California genocide unleashed by the Gold Rush, ceased to exist in 1916 when the last descendant perished in a Rancheria.

Right from the beginning, she saw that historical reference as an omen of what was to come for her and her people, now down to just five survivors. Whether through brutal erasure or assimilation into other clans, the Sarentu would disappear. She made a decision that day: to only go by Yana. She abandoned her full name and any other nickname despite her sister’s disapproval, and adopted what everyone now regarded as a diminutive, oblivious to its true status as a legitimate name.

A name that signified the final chapter of their lives. Hers and those who shaped her into the resentment and anger-filled young woman she is today. And with almost absolute certainty of all those who would accompany her in her revenge.

“For a long time, we believed in the defeat of your people, but our hope for your return never wavered. The Great Mother could not fail those she had delivered her word to. We have missed you.” Ronal caressed her cheek, her thumb feathering the raised outline of the mark. A moment of weakness that surprised those present, accustomed to the woman’s stoic and fearless nature. “Come, you need rest. You’ve been through a lot, and your eyes tell me there is much to discuss.”

The girl nodded, her heart full of gratitude at the warm welcome, a gesture she hadn’t anticipated (the tsahìk's reputation preceded her). A fleeting warmth that would soon fade.

2174, PANDORA, RESISTANCE HQ, KINGLOR FOREST

“We have located the epicenter of the quakes near the Celebration Arches”. Priya’s finger pointed on the map to the demarcation point between Aranahe and Zeswa territories; just beyond the network of caves that connected the Kinglor Forest to the Upper Plains.

“Ayvitrayä Ramunong (Well of Souls),” Jake’s voice belonged to a hiss, recalling vividly the last time he had admired the magnificence of rock arches growing up from the underground, driven by the incredible magnetic force. A shell that enclosed within it a dense, lush vegetation protecting the Tree of Souls. Two decades earlier, the RDA had destroyed the Omatikaya’s most sacred site. Although the basin was at the foot of the Hallelujah Mountains, right in the Flux Vortex’s heart, their attack wiped out the clan’s memories and, almost, their spirit. Something similar was happening here. He was certain of it. The tremors recorded were too cadenced and regular to result from seismic activity. Humans orchestrated it.

“Drills.” “That's what we suspect.” “Unobtanium?” “We do not detect a relevant presence of unobtanium in the subsoil that would justify extraction. On the other hand, it is rich in carbon-fossils.” “Oil?” “Let's call it that.” “What's the point of extracting it? We have abandoned fossil energy sources for more than a hundred years.”

We have. At his side, Neytiri clutched the handle of the bow she had not laid since their arrival, her eyes darkened by the battle paint that adorned her face. Sometimes her husband still spoke as if he were one of them. After all, a part of him always would have been. Just look at the military waistcoat he wore like a second skin, the rifle always at hand, despite Eywa's abhorrence of metal weapons. The man spoke before his mate did, “We must act, but we need to be smart.” “Anqa is already on site examining the situation. Yana is with her,” she added, noting the friend's apprehensive look at the mention of one person alone in that dangerous place. “What?” The tone in Neteyam's voice was caustic; a venomous hiss barely vented between clenched teeth, but he did not have time to question the girl's presence in the field any further, as a loud din echoed from the two-way radio on the table.

“Anqa! Anqa, can you hear me? What's going on?” The purple-haired ecologist was terrified. -The RDA… Arches…! Blew up! Zeswa… the signal was disturbed. The hunting party… Everything collapsed. The arches collapsed…- Neteyam snatched the transceiver from her hand to bring it to his mouth with cold timbre and a blank stare. “Where is she?”

No further explanation was necessary for Anqa to understand to whom that male voice, she had come to know all too well, referred. Despite the number of forced interactions with the young Na'vi, despite the operations they had collaborated on side by side, it seemed impossible for her to get used to the chill that ran down her spine whenever she heard him speak with that tone. Especially at times like these. Netayam was frightening when altered, a worthy son of his mother. His lips pulled downward in a thin line, his teeth clenched to the point that his jaw snapped, the tips of his canines showing in tacit menace. His eyes fixed and alert, serpentine, his nostrils flared, and his lungs swelled to a peak and then deflated into severe rumblings in the deepest part of his throat.

-She went looking for survivors.-

Adding nothing more, the young warrior pushed the device against Priya's frail chest, who could barely stand on her own strength, and took wide strides toward his ikran; his parents at his heels. Jake grabbed him by the arm as the boy adjusted the throat-comm around his neck and set it to the frequency matched with his girlfriend's.

“Where you think you’re going?” “To get her.” “You stay here. We’ll go.” The son ignored those words by loading the bow onto the animal’s back. His mother called him back, in tune with his father’s admonition. “I won’t say that again.” “Fine. ‘Cause I won’t sit on my hands while the girl I love is in danger. I’ve never done that with my siblings, and I’m certainly not going to start now.” Jake stepped back as his son pointed his fingers to his own chest, right at the level of the scar that marked him; the everlasting reminder of when he was dying in his arms. “I’m the one who has to keep her safe. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to her.”

“Just as I couldn't live with myself if we lost you.”

Neteyam’s gaze straightened, “I wouldn’t change a thing, even if saving Spider meant giving my life. I am ready to die for those I care about.” “I know, son, that’s what scares me.” He took his face with a palm and brought it close until they were face to face, “Bring her home.” “Yes, sir.” “I expect a mateship ceremony when this whole thing is over.” The boy chuckled, “Yes, sir.”

Yana looked at what was left of the watercourse leading to the heart of the prairie, almost totally dried up except for a few puddles here and there — the water within them of an unnatural greenish hue with purplish reflections and dense consistency. Her vision was blurred by the cloud that had risen after the collapse, and made it difficult for her to breathe; the air tainted by smoke, dust, and pollutants intoxicated her lungs. Around her, the high rock walls were lined with rubble, uprooted trees, and … bodies.

Of winzaw (arrow deer), pa'li and Zeswa.

Most of the hunters had perished crushed by their own mounts, others by boulders or sudden impact with the ground. All were covered in the grayness of ash and death. The only color was the red dye they dyed their hair with, which, mixing with the blood, stained the rocks.

-Tìyawn (love)? Tìyawn, do you read me? “Teyam?” -Thanks, Great Mother, you’re doing okay. Anqa gave us a heads-up about the blast. Where are you at?- “I'm going up the river. There's so much death here. So many killed, so much life…,” her voice died in her throat, ”… destroyed. I'm going up to the drill now. Stop this from happening again.” -No way. Call off the ikran and get back here. Now. We need to regroup. We can't afford recklessness. Do you hear me, Yana? Do not attack!- “I will carry the pain to the ones who caused it.” -Ateyana…!-

Neteyam's inhaled voice died out in the metallic noise of the interference caused by the flow. She was alone. Not that it made any difference. Even though she knew she was hurting him, she would have ignored his intimate but selfish request. She would never have turned back, at the cost of annihilating him in the soul. The Zeswa had welcomed her as a clan member returning from a long, grueling journey. They had raised the festival kites to honor the rebirth of the Lost People; they had taught her their way. She would not abandon them to their grief. The Sarentu were once a peaceful tribe of storytellers and diplomats, they weren't warriors, the Sky People had made them so. Who forced them to take up arms, paint themselves in the colors of war, and swell their chests with battle echoes. If there was one valuable lesson she had learned from human cruelty, it was that there are circumstances in which one must be stained with sin to achieve the goal. Yana was willing to do that, too. She was willing to be abandoned by Eywa and the Na'vi to save Pandora. To give up her integrity and love. To force Neteyam to remain without her. Therefore, even with a grasp gripping her heart, before advancing on the path that had formed in the ruins, besides checking the state of her bow, she counted how many munitions she had in the rifle she carried. As the invaders used to say: all's fair in war and love.

“Fuck!” imprecated Neteyam, pressing the side button to change frequency and connect to Anqa’s throat-comm, his voice sharp. “Anqa, do you copy? I’ve lost signal with Yana. The flux is making the instrumentation crazy.” Static crackled in his ear before Anqa’s voice came through, laced with tension. -Copy. What do you mean, lost signal? Where was she heading?- “She moved into the rubble,” Neteyam said, his frustration barely contained. “Trying to avoid being spotted by soldiers on her way to the drill.”

The woman’s silence spoke more than a thousand words, as heavy as the burden that gripped their hearts. If flux interference was disrupting communication with the Sarentu, it could only mean one thing: she was at the center of it, right in the collapsed area. Then Anqa replied, her tone edged with worry. -Damn, girl. She always does this.-

“I’m not leaving her out there,” he said firmly, his eyes scanning the horizon as he tightened his grip on the banshee's reins. Anqa’s response was swift, resolute. -I’m not suggesting you should. But don’t go in blind, Neteyam. We need you in one piece, too.- “She’s taking out that drill whether we’re ready or not,” the warrior shot back. “You know her—she’ll make the shot even if it kills her.”

A heavy sigh crackled through the comm. -Alright. Listen, head toward the north ridge. The flux is thinner there. I’ll try to guide you remotely with what’s left of the scanners. And, Neteyam?- “Yeah?” -Don’t let her do anything stupid. We need her alive for this fight.- He smirked faintly, though his heart was pounding. “She’s not the only stubborn one here, you know.” -Clearly. Watch your six out there. Out.- The communication fell silent, and Neteyam nudged his mount forward, his gaze narrowing on the jagged horizon.

Flying over the area, he spotted the yellow-and-white-banded Scorpion below him, close to a tall tree growing crooked, almost horizontal, on the top of a hill. A lone stone arch remained intact to shield it. As he imagined, he found the tawtute at the foot of the gigantic tree admiring its leaves turning to fall; the disconsolate expression of someone who had already experienced that same desolation on their skin.

His blood froze when he saw Telisi catch up to her with her typical awkward walk, and rub her muzzle against the woman's cheek as if seeking comfort. Determination burned in his chest as he murmured to himself. “Hold on, love. I’m coming.” With a sharp whistle, his ikran spread its wings, and they dove into the flux-laden skies.

With each step, the dust thickened, and her heart bounced in her chest in rhythm with the increasingly deafening thumps of the drill. Slow and steady, the thuds that sounded by the second seemed to numb her. But even as her feet stumbled over the craggy ground shaken by the vibrations, she did not hint at stopping her progress. Gradually the path became more impassable, where the gorge had filled with giant boulders and uprooted trees, blocking access. She could have scaled what remained of the arches to get an aerial view of the surroundings, but climbing to the top would have meant exposing herself to the aim of snipers and automatic machine guns. Surveillance at that extraction site had to be on high alert, she was certain.

As she advanced, a faint glow hit on her right, warm and clear. Sunlight. A passageway free of disaster. She approached it cautiously. The entrance was just big enough for her to crouch through and gave access to a cave; the ceiling smashed by the earthquake into a natural skylight. Yana hesitated before entering; the air was cleaner but venturing inside a rocky way could be dangerous, even fatal with those continuous tremors running through the underground. A collapsing wall could easily have turned that cave into her grave. But the alternatives were few, and between standing in the mist that prevented her from seeing potential enemies and making her way through the shadows, she chose the one that would give her an advantage. When it comes to Na’vi, the sun is always expected to cast banshee shadows over the heads of their enemies, or the patter of galloping hooves to announce their arrival. It would not occur to anyone to look down, to guard ravines and underground passages to quell any surprise attacks. The People were skilled hunters who never mixed such skills with the art of war. But Yana was not just Na'vi now. Certainly, her DNA was, but a substantial enough part to create ethical contrasts in her person was human.

Penetrating inside the cave, she could ascertain that the main exit had, in fact, collapsed. The only other point of access was the skylight itself, but to reach it she would have to rely on the strength of her arms to climb. With no small effort, she reached the top, and the mammoth, frightening figure of the drill appeared before her, the building structure circling it like a barrier. A stroke of pure luck: as she ascended the passage, she had come right to the heart of the Alpha platform; the auger staring her straight in the face as if to give a defiant welcome.

“Priya? I'm at the drill. Tell me how to tear it down.” -I hear you. Destroying the drill-core will leave that monster useless. It's protected, but cut the control wires, and you should get an opening. Hurry, it's the RDA. Nothing's ever enough.- “Consider it done.” With those words, the tsamsiyu (warrior) took her leave, before turning off the transceiver and penetrated inside the platform, filled with enemies armed to the teeth. But she wasn't afraid. She possessed the skills to accomplish the mission without having to engage in open confrontation. With patience and calculated movements, she would have tampered with that contraption. What could go wrong?

The military base sprawled across the battered terrain like a metallic parasite, its angular structures jutting out from the ground, illuminated by harsh, artificial floodlights. Sarentu advanced through the shadows to make herself invisible, her breathing controlled, every step deliberate. She crouched low behind a jagged fragment of collapsed rock, her body blending with her surroundings. She inhaled deeply, her ears twitching as she listened to the heavy footfalls of a nearby patrol. Her bow was slung across her back, and a quiver of arrows hugged her side, a blade ready in one hand. She slipped between the patrols, weaving through their blind spots, and approached her prey. The monstrous drill, the beating heart of devastation.

The machine seemed alive, a colossus of metal and energy, digging relentlessly. The hum of its turbines vibrated in the air, an almost hypnotic rhythm, but the girl could afford no distractions. The base was heavily guarded; squads of soldiers moved in coordinated patterns, their exosuits clanking softly as they patrolled the perimeter, a mechanical dance of strength and control.

Moving with feline grace, she watched them for several minutes, mapping their movements. Three guards on the raised catwalk, two near the energy core, one stationed at the control room door. The others roamed unpredictably. She’d have to move fast and strike silently. Stealth was the key, and a strategy formed in her mind as she did so, accurate and deadly.

Her chance came when two soldiers paused to speak, turning their backs to her. She darted forward, her feet barely making a sound on the uneven ground. With a lightning gesture, she drew an arrow and stuck it. The string of her bow was stretched in deafening silence. The first shot struck the guard in the throat; the second fell before he could scream. When the third turned too late, her blade flashed, slipping through the crevices of his armor, her palm plugging his mouth before he could react. He collapsed with a muted thud. Yana dragged the bodies into the shadows, methodical despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. No mistakes, no hesitation.

The main control panel was located in a cabin protected by armored walls and a digital keypad lock, where the last soldier was typing distractedly. Taking cover behind a stack of crates, an arrow flew, quiet as the whisper of the wind. The lone guard fell onto the controls, his hand smearing blood on the screen, as the rustle of the drill grew louder. She pushed him aside to access the panel that displayed data incomprehensible to anyone but a skilled technician, but she had no need to decipher it, SID would have taken care of it—a portable interface capable of decoding the security frequencies of enemy forces.

After a few seconds of work, her eyes lit up as the device emitted a soft beep of success, unlocking the door. The cabin was cramped, lit by cool neon lights, and the control panel dominated the room, its screens and switches monitoring every aspect of the drill.

The hanged plans showed how the core was protected by an electronic security grid, making it inaccessible without a specific command. Quickly, she navigated the panel menus, bypassing the access codes with her device. Her experience enabled her to locate the sequence that activated the turbines' maintenance mode, which was necessary to temporarily expose the core for technical interventions.

The next step required rigor. Yana pulled out a small vibration-cutting tool and began to disassemble the panel's side plate. The metal shell was resisting, but with a sharp blow, she managed to remove it, revealing a tangle of wires and circuits. She quickly identified the wiring for the core cooling system, a critical component in keeping the turbines stable. By cutting a single blue wire and replacing it with a connector she modified, she created a controlled short circuit that sent a false overheat signal to the main panel. The lights flashed, and a low alarm went off, prompting the system to automatically open the bulkheads protecting the drill core to allow for a supposed inspection.

Before leaving the cabin, the girl deactivated the hacking device, automatically erasing all traces of her digital intrusion. She remounted the panel plate and verified that everything appeared intact from the outside. Finally, she slipped between the shadows once again.

With the core now exposed, she could see it shone with an unnatural blue-green glow, pulsing like an alien heart.

“Time to finish this,” she murmured, moving briskly to it. She retrieved a bundle of small adhesive charges from her belt, aware that every second lost could be lethal. She carefully placed them in the most vulnerable spots, her hands steady despite the time pressure. The bomb timers were set on a delay long enough to allow her to move away safely. She was just finishing cocking the last one when a cry rang out behind her. “Intruder! By the drill!”

The searchlights all pointed at her, and the camp exploded in chaos. Cursing under her breath, the girl dived behind a support beam as bullets tore through the air, arrows at the ready. She shot one, then another in rapid succession, each finding its mark. She shot down the nearest enemies, but there were too many reinforcements for her to face them alone.

The situation seemed desperate. Her eyes rested one last time on the drill, then her fingers went to the detonator as she murmured a quiet prayer, ready to make a drastic decision. Just as she was about to press the button, a shadow loomed overhead. A high-pitched whistle cut through the air, followed by the shrill screech of an ikran, its wings slicing through the chaos in a bright trail. Neteyam plunged into the fray, the claws of his beast bearing down on a squad of soldiers. He leaped from his back mid-flight, landing next to Yana with a force that made the platform vibrate.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she fired another arrow at an approaching guard. “Saving you,” replied her boyfriend, unsheathing his blade, piercing a soldier who came too close in the chest. Sarentu gave him a look full of sarcasm and defiance. Together, they fought their way back toward the drill side by side, their movements perfectly synchronized even in the crossfire. Time was against them; the charges were set, and the girl had the detonator.

“Now or never!” Neteyam shouted, shoving her behind cover as another wave of bullets ripped through the air. She took a breath, staring at the target. Everything came down to this moment. The explosion was deafening, a column of blinding flash of light rising skyward, devouring the drill. The shockwave knocked them both off their feet, flames and debris raining down around them. Yana felt the heat lap against her skin as Neteyam covered her with his own body.

“It’s not over yet!” he shouted, pulling her to her feet as the ground beneath them broke, reacting violently to the destruction. They sprinted toward the edge of the base. The warrior whistled sharply, and his dragon swooped low, its wings slicing through the smoke. He hauled her onto its back and the animal soared as the base sank into the rubble.

As they ascended, the flux pulsed ominously, a deep, rhythmic thrum that resonated through the air. From the sky, as the ikran carried them away, they watched the flames consume the drill. She turned to him, her breathing still labored. “Thank you,” she said, the word full of emotion and relief, while hugging him. He nodded in return, his gaze fixed on the horizon. That was only the beginning. The battle was not over, but for the moment, the drill was gone.

The ikran landed on a rocky ledge hidden in the tops of the tallest trees, a safe place away from the chaos. The wind, charged with the wild energy of the flow, subsided. Neteyam descended first, his movements stiff and charged with tension. When the young woman set foot on the ground, she found him already distant, his back to her.

“Yawntu?” she called, her voice low, almost hesitant. He turned abruptly, and in his golden eyes shone a storm of emotion. His voice, usually calm and reassuring, was broken by a tremor of restrained anger. “What the heck were you thinking?!” She stopped in place, surprised by the ferocity of the tone. “I-”

“You left on your own, you walked into that damn field,” he interrupted her, taking a step toward her. “You were going to-” He couldn’t even say the phrase—You were going to let yourself blow up—, too painful to even think about. The trembling that still shook him was not just a momentary fear: it was a deep-rooted feeling, born of the overwhelming love he felt for her and the horror of seeing the possibility of a future without her. The scene played out in his head repeatedly, like a vortex of conflicting emotions consuming him. Even knowing she was safe now could not quell.

He felt a surge of panic when he realized she would remain in the base, risking her life to destroy the drill even though the bombs were active. His mind, usually clear-headed in battle, filled with chaotic images: her face illuminated by flames, her hands reaching toward him as life left her, the emptiness of a world without the sound of her laughter or the warmth of her gaze. Each beat of the ikran’s wings felt like an eternity, and every second that passed was a weight piling on his chest.

“What was that all about, huh?” His chest rose and fell furiously, his breathing quickened as he drew closer to her again, towering over her with his stature. “Why didn’t you wait for backup? You always want to do everything yourself, you trust no one.” A sequence of questions and statements that sounded as if they meant something else entirely.

You didn’t wait for me. You don’t trust me?

Neteyam fought with himself not to give in to the sense of helplessness, but with each passing moment, the girl’s silence only infuriated his sense that she had consciously chosen to sacrifice herself to destroy the drill. This tormented him, for it meant that she had decided to leave him behind.

“You were ready to die in there! Do you have any idea what that would have meant for me?!” he shouted, and, for a moment, seemed about to burst, but he held back, running a trembling hand through his hair. “I... I can’t lose you, Yana. Not like this.” Those words crashed like waves against a wall, leaving a pain-filled silence. Sarentu stepped forward, her gaze catalyzed on him. “Teyam, listen to me. I had to do it. It was the only way.” “Your life is not an acceptable price!” he replied, his voice louder than he intended. He took a step toward her, his eyes staring at her as if he feared she might disappear. “Not for this war. Not for any war.”She looked at him, surprised by the vehemence of his words. “And anyone else’s life is?” she asked, calm but firm. “If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else. You know that.”

There was nobility in her intent, but Neteyam shook his head nonetheless at her disinterested altruism, his breathing still uneven. Her martyrdom might mean nothing to someone else, but to him, it would amount to the nullification of himself.

“I don’t care about someone else. I-I care about you. More than duty allows, more than I wish sometimes. When I saw you, surrounded by the RDA with the detonator in your hand, crouching in front of the ordnance ...” He shook his head again as if to banish the image, his eyes glazed over. “It was as if a part of me was already dead.” Silence descended. He ran a hand over his face, trying to regroup his thoughts. When he spoke again, his voice was lower, almost a whisper. “When I saw you wouldn’t stop ... I felt my whole world falling apart. You can’t ask me to bear it, Yana. You can’t.”

She looked at him, motionless. His words sank into her heart like knives, but she did not defend herself. Instead, she moved slowly closer until their foreheads almost touched. “You think I wasn’t scared?” she murmured, laying a hand on his chest, where his heart was still beating so fast. “You think I didn’t wonder, every second, if I could come back to you? But I did, Neteyam. I made it. We made it.” Her hands went up to graze his face, her eyes searching his with an intensity that left him breathless. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”

The Omatikaya prince felt the knot of anger and terror loosen inside, leaving a void filled only by his love for her. Saying nothing, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers, breathing her own breath. His hands moved to encircle her waist, pulling her against him. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I won’t be so reckless next time.”

The young warrior closed his eyes, lowering his head to leave a kiss on her forehead. “There won’t be a next time,” he whispered. “I’m not letting you do that on your own again.” The echo of his words bounced between them, an even stronger bond forged in the fear and love that united them. “I cannot lose you,” he repeated, his voice an almost imperceptible rustle. “I can’t. You’re my everything.”

Yana replied without speaking, laying her hands on top of his, squeezing them with a gentleness that contrasted with the ferocity of their battle. When she finally lifted her face to his, her lips found his in a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was urgent, desperate, a reminder that they were alive, that they still belonged together.

As they lost themselves in each other, the world around seemed to vanish. There were no more wars, fears, or dangers; there was only them, two souls who had defied fate to find each other once more.

Neteyam broke away from the kiss, his breath short, his face still very close to hers. He looked at her with an intensity that seemed to want to carve that moment in time. “It’s not just fear,” he murmured, his voice rough, as if the words cost him immense effort. “It’s that without you ... I’m nothing.”

She shook her head, her hands rising to clutch the fabric of his warrior belt, pulling him toward her. “Don’t say that,” she replied, her eyes shining. “You are strong, more than anyone I know. But if you think it’s any different for me, you’re wrong.” Her voice cracked as she continued. “Every time I fly with you, watch you fight, hear your voice through the wind... it’s like the world makes sense. And the thought of losing you... it would kill me.” Her words slid between them, breaking down all barriers. Neteyam closed his eyes for a moment, giving her time to see the vulnerability he rarely showed. When he opened them again, there was a warmth in them, a promise that did not need to be spoken.

“We will not be lost,” he said, with a conviction that seemed carved in stone. “No matter what, we’ll always find our way back to each other.” Yana smiled, an expression at once sweet and wistful. “Then never let me go.” Neteyam responded by grasping her face in his hands, his thumbs tracing the contours of her skin as if he wanted to memorize every detail. “Never,” he promised, before kissing her again, this time with a gentleness that contrasted with the desperation of minutes before. The kiss intensified, fueled by something more than desire. A silent communication, a dialogue of souls seeking each other, recognizing each other. Neteyam’s hands came down along her sides, clutching her as if afraid she might fade away. The girl reacted by wrapping her arms around his neck, letting go completely.

Words became superfluous, replaced by the hushed language of their bodies and their gazes. The adrenaline that had sustained them up to that moment transformed into another energy, warmer, deeper. Recognizing their vulnerability, the go-or-nothing gamble they’d taken, they seized the present as if it were their last. They lay down on the carpet of moss that covered the ledge, the sky above them tinged with the vibrant colors of sunset. The sun’s rays streamed through the leaves, casting dancing shadows on their faces. For a moment, the world seemed to slow down, allowing them to lose themselves completely in each other, without fear, without hesitation.

His hands ran all over her body as if to imbue it with his essence. With each caress, a piece of her clothing slipped away. With each kiss, the ornamental paintings faded. “What should I do with you, huh?” He asked. “Do I need to breed you to generate some reason in you?” She chuckled, but then said in a serious tone, “I won’t stop fighting even if you impregnate me.” “I know already, geez. That’s why I’m so into you. I still wanna see your tummy swell with my child, though. Still wanna fuck you senseless until my cum fills you whole.” A shiver ran down her spine until her toes curled, and she could already feel a small knot tightening in her lower abdomen. But her stubbornness, combined with a taste for having the upper hand, kept her anchored enough so that she would not get lost in the glee of carnal sensations. So that she would not say something she did not mean, or make promises she would not keep, in the heat of the moment. “It’s not gonna happen until we get the RDA out of here for good.” Neteyam agreed: raising a child in such a volatile, perilous environment was out of the question, “But we can always train for it. ‘Til we’re one forever.” “You mean in front of Eywa? Are you sure? You want to do this with me?” He beamed, in love. “You’re the only one I want this with. Are you up for it? When all this shit is over-” “Yes!” The Omatikaya prince gasped at the sudden answer to a question not quite expressed. “Yes?” “Yes, I will marry you as soon as all this shit is over. For what it’s worth, you are already my mate, with or without tsaheylu.” Their unconventional, colorful declaration of eternal love, though far from romantic, felt perfect for them.

Neteyam resumed kissing her everywhere. Her eyes, the tip of her nose, cheeks, neck, breastbone. Reaching her flat belly, he lingered there for a long time as if something was already sprouting inside. Strong fingers gripped her hips possessively, sinking into them until they left their imprint, while his nose tickled her navel, followed, then, by his tongue. He traced the outline there, then went up to one of her breasts and sucked greedily, his hand massaging it as if he could stimulate something else besides the nipple’s turgidity. As if he expected nourishment. When he was satisfied so, he gave the other tit the same treatment, and Yana had to bite her lip hard to keep from moaning.

When, at last, the warrior pulled away with a resounding pop, she could sketch out a sly giggle, partly from the ticklish sensation, partly because she knew the source of so much attention. “I love your kinky side.” His face, already flushed from the exertion and impetus that was shaking his insides, turned purple at that joke. This side of him still ashamed him. A side he could not repress. And, to be fair, he didn’t want to erase it either, being linked to the unbreakable connection he had felt with Sarentu from the very first day. The way she held Loran, the way she cradled him, captivated him. The gentleness in her manner, the kindness in her eyes, despite the belligerent times in which they lived, had forged her into resentment and death. Yana exuded a warmth and fragrance that smelled like home. He fell inexorably in love with it and longed to turn the world into a safer place for her. She was his person, he knew it immediately.

She laughed again, her face slightly bent in a canny expression. “It’s cute when you get all bashful.” Stung to the core but refreshed by the challenge, he lifted her legs, spreading them apart just enough to observe how she glistened in the sunset light. A little revenge rattling in his head. “Soaking wet already? Did the raid get you pumped? And you called me kinky.”

With both forearms on either side of her face, one knee crept between her legs to make room for himself, now bent to graze his pelvis, he towered over her in all his majesty. “You keep getting more and more beautiful,” he declared before moistening a finger and bringing it past the edge of her intimacy. His mouth stifled a sigh that faded into his oral cavity as tapering fingers flew over her inner thigh, caressing the soft skin and slowly growing a pleasant warmth. Attentive to her every slightest change of expression. A soft moan fell from her lips as he rubbed her clit, tracing tight circles, eager to make her tremble under his touch. Her hips moved unwittingly against his. She sensed him sneering when his finger probed the dewy soil of her womanhood, the ring of muscle already yearning to capture him inside. “I barely touched you.” Provocation to which Yana couldn’t hold back and, embarrassed, she intimated him to shut up. His phalanges slowly slipped between her folds and plunged inside her, caressing the soft walls. She felt him melt into her passion, wet noises filling their ears with each languid lunge of his digits. Sarentu moved in his grip, stammering his name, her heart bursting in her chest as she closed her eyelids.

“I’m here, sweetheart.” He cuddled her, and she moved closer to his caress, crossing her shins behind his back, her heels wedged into Venus’ dimples, inviting him deeper, harder. “Please don’t stop,” she purred in a moan. The walls sucked him in so deliciously, begging for more, and Neteyam was hardly the type to deprive a woman of her desires. His fingers curled, teasing her most sensitive spot, while his palm rubbed against her agonizing clit, causing an uncontrolled stream of meows. Each more desperate than the last, as they turned into acute wails as she neared orgasm. She gazed at him, her eyes filled with longing, “More,” but his hand retracted, slowing the pace almost to quell the spiral in her stomach, ready to snap. A whimper hovered in the air as he stopped, just a breath away from that wonderful spot that made her toes curl. He stared at her in amusement at the frustration that crippled her delicate facial features, her mouth open at the revelation.

Neteyam was making her pay for it. Whether it was for teasing him just before or for the headshot at the Alpha platform, she couldn’t tell.

“Neteyam,” she admonished him afflictedly. “Beg.” “Wha—” “Apologize for scaring the hell outta me out there.” “Oh, come on!” she begged him, rolling her hips against his fingers, trying to chase the sublime sensation that was slowly withdrawing from her. “Apologize.” “Sorry, okay? Sorry, sorry, I won’t put myself in danger like that ever again,” she said all in one breath, reduced to a mess of sobs and soft grumbles similar to a cat’s purr. “I need you” The man shook his head, still in her hands, and a shadow fell over his eyes. “Promise me.” Yana snorted in disbelief. But if Neteyam needed to hear her say it, to be reassured, she would. “I promise,” she sighed, drawing his face to hers and placing light kisses over his eyes, shining with desire but veiled with anguish. He slid to his side, his forehead juxtaposed against the girl’s. Yana drew the contours of his face. The arch of the nonexistent eyebrows, the feline nose, the line of the lips, the cheekbones so sharp they could slice glass. She rubbed the tip of her nose against his, at the affectionate gesture the warrior massaged her shoulders.

“Roll over your side,” he whispered, and she complied. Once her back matched his torso, his strong arms encircled her, gluing her to him. “I love you,” he claimed, kissing her shoulder blade. His palm traveled all the way down her body to her shanks, his digits again infiltrating her thighs, still finding traces of arousal. His fingertips collected the liquid and moved on to the stimulating lubrication of her intimacy. She trembled under his skilled hand, babbling his name as his fingers crept further, dancing in rhythm with her thrusting hips. She gasped when she felt a bulge rub against her butt. Then, without warning, his searing erection pushed its way inside her. Her mouth opened wide in a silent cry of pleasure, and her eyes rolled back as she bucked against his firm frame. Her mind clouded with the pulsing need to let the lust wash over her like boiling lava, as her vision turned white and her head grew light.

She no longer sensed anything around her. Only Neteyam’s thrusts grew deeper and deeper, kissing her cervix at an ever-increasing pace. This would not last much longer. The man behind her knew well. In fact, his tapering fingers took to torturing her clit in concentric motions, as precise and relentless as his cock paced her back and forth, threatening to come out, but never quite.

“T-teyam,” she uttered, earning a quick bite at the base of her neck.“Let go. Almost there” It was like being bewitched by a spell. The knot that plagued her belly melted away, releasing waves of pleasure so intense they blinded her and pinned her to the bed of moss. There, impaled on her one true love dick. It didn’t take long before the charge with which he poured into her lost its force. Neteyam was close, very close. So close that she didn’t even have time to prepare herself when, with one last, vigorous thrust, he burst free. A grunt rose in the air and an immense heat filled her.

He rested his forehead against her nape as, breathless and with a hint of malice littering his voice, he said, “I got so far down that if we were already mated, I definitely would’ve gotten you pregnant by now.” Yana started laughing in his arms. “You’re obsessed with this stuff, you know that!”He squeezed her tighter, sliding out of her. “How can I not be with a hottie like you?” She turned as far as she could to search into his eyes. Into his beautiful eyes, yellow as the winter sun, soft from exertion and surrounded by the redness of the moment. And he smiled, a full and genuine smile. A smile in love.

They remained hugged under the darkening sky, saying nothing. There was no need. Their hearts spoke more clearly than any words. Neteyam brushed her hair, studying her with a gentleness that contrasted with his usual resolve. “If this is all we have,” he whispered, ”that’s enough for me.” She closed her eyes, a smile that talked of peace and gratitude painted on her lips. “For me, too.” They remained like that, two souls entwined in a world that tried to separate them, but that night failed to do so.

“If this leads to awesome sex, I’m totally down for more trouble!” “Yana!” The sound of their laughter, carefree and light, mingled with the rustling leaves and the gentle breeze, dancing on the wind like a playful melody.

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