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Your heart felt like it was lacking, wanting something, seeking something, though you had no name for what was missing.

After few minutes, the only thing you had managed to sketch was the outline of a panopyra. It felt sooo wrong. You knew your hands were capable of far greater than this, the image was vivid in your mind, but the moment the product touched the surface, it resulted into ugly lines.

You had drawn it only because the same flower seemed to exist in everything you had ever made. It was carved into your wooden furniture, painted along the borders of your work, woven into your loincloths. Tiny beads shaped its petals in your jewelry, a carved charm swung from your songcord, and the sheets of songs scattered across your kelku had the same symbol. Against one wall hung a massive scroll, where the detailed botanical study of the plant itself can be seen, rendered good that it looked alive.

You knew its name: Tawtsngal, the love flower.

But the longer you stared at it, the more your chest ached. It was strange to recognize something so intimately without remembering why.

“Are you there, Y/n…?”

You flinched, moving the things before pushing yourself up. Pulling back the curtain, you blinked at the tall figure standing in the doorway. Neteyam, your mentor, stood there, his cummerbund on his waist and the leather armguard tight around his right forearm. In his hands, he balanced a wooden tray with different foods.

“Yes, Sir?” A smile made its way onto your face. “Good morning! Did you need something?”

He shook his head, the beaded ends of his braids swaying against his shoulders. “I do not. I came to bring you breakfast,” He held the tray out toward you.

“Oh no, Sir, you really didn’t have to!” Your hands flew up, waving in refusal as heat entered at the back of your neck in embarassment. “I was just about to head into the village to gather my own—”

“Well, it’s here now. Surely you wouldn’t have me carry it all the way back to the cooks?”

“No… of course not.” You stepped back, holding the curtain open for him. “Please, come in.”

The moment his feet crossed the threshold, a wave of self-consciousness hit you. The hut was a disaster! Smudged pigment bowls sat tilted on the floor, dust coated the edges of the mat, and crumpled papers were scattered across the floorboards. “Sorry, Sir! Lemme just—” Panicking, you dropped to your knees, clearing the clutter off the low wooden table to make room.

“It’s alright, Y/n… Take your time,” Neteyam didn’t move away or rush you. Moving the tray onto one hand, he used his free arm to bend down and gather the ones you missed, tossing them into the bin tucked in the corner.

He moved through the space without a single glance to check his footing. Once the table was cleared, you sat on the ground, waiting as he set the wooden tray down between you. You crossed your legs, giving him a polite nod. “Thank you for the food.”

“Mhm…”

Instead of leaving, Neteyam folded his legs, sinking onto the mat directly across from you. He lifted his leg and rested his elbow on his knee, his golden gaze fixed on you as he waited. You paused, your fingers hovering over the steam rising from the wrapped leaves. “Have you… not eaten yet, Sir?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “You need to eat. You’ve been shutting yourself inside for days. The children have been asking where you are.”

A knot formed in your throat, you picked at the string binding the meal, peeling back the leaf in thin strips to avoid meeting his eyes. “It’s just… weird,” you mumbled. “Walking through the village while everyone looks at me like they know who I am… and I have to look back at them like strangers. It makes me feel ashamed.”

Across the table, Neteyam gulped. His jaw clenched, his eye twitching as his hand tightened into fist. Before you could speak, his palm reached out, fingers closing around your forearm. “Y/n… you have nothing to feel sorry for. I told you that I’ll help you through this. I meant it.”

You let out a nervous laugh, pulling your arm back just enough to break the hold, scratching at the back of your neck as you forced a smile. “Right… sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful…” You looked down at the food, missing the way his hand hovered in the air before dropping back to his knee. “Thank you, really.”

“It’s nothing, Y/n…”

Moments passed before you held out a portion of the meal toward him. He shook his head, saying he only wanted to make sure you were full, but you insisted. You gave him a look he couldn’t resist until he sighed, giving in to share the breakfast he had prepared for you.

Once the food was gone, Neteyam walked beside you toward the medical tent, matching your pace. It felt like a burden, having your temperature checked every single morning, resting your head against machinery while human face after human face hovered over you.

They called themselves Norm, Alma, and Max. You were growing to trust them, remembering how they had been the first ones to greet you through the blinding lights on day one. They were the ones who helped you when you panicked at the sight of human metal, heck, even the sight of a human itself.

To make things easier, Norm and Alma stayed inside their Avatars whenever they came to treat you so they wouldn’t startle you. Max, on the other hand, apologizes, giving you space to grow accustomed to his small frame since he lacked an Avatar of his own.

Still, your eyes always searched the room for the Tsahik, taking comfort in her familiar rituals while the science team ran their tests.

Soon, a fresh bandage was wrapped around your forehead, and you were sitting in the nursery where many children surrounded you, yapping about how much they had missed you. One girl scrambled straight into your lap, thrusting a messy painting inches from your nose as she grinned up at you.

“In here, you can see the person’s skin melting,” she exclaimed, her finger pointing at the smudges, “because like I told you before, I’ve been so into nature that it feels like it’s pulling my whole body into it! And the butterfly is shining bright because the whole forest is amazing, and the butterfly represents all of it! Oh and the swirls in the background are because I forget to hear any noise when I’m busy admiring Eywa’s work!”

“Oh…” You blinked. “That’s… remarkably well thought out.”

“Of course it is! You’re always so good at what you do, Y/n, and I want to be just like you when I grow up!” Her eyes almost disappeared when she smiled.

An ache bloomed in your chest omce again. It hurt so deeply to know you had once been so passionate about a craft. “I wish I could teach you all properly…”

The room went still as the kids began sniffling, frowns replacing their smiles. They were young, but they weren’t naive. They knew what had been taken from you, and it was hard on them, too. They had spent weeks sitting by your side, retelling stories of everything you used to do for them, how your arts had guided them, and how you also managed to save lives because people carried your wisdom.

It was early but the marketplace was already awake.

“Y/n, my dear! Have you eaten already?”

You turned toward the call, seeing an older woman beaming at you from behind a table stacked with baked goods. A smile touched your lips as you gave a nod. “Yes. I just did a few hours ago.”

“Well, if you’re hungry, you should totally eat this loaf!”

“Oh no, it’s alright! It’s your business, I don’t wanna—”

She swatted your hand away with a flick of her wrist. “Do not bother, darling! The wood you carved for me attracts half the village to my stall. The least I can do is cook your favorite!”

You paused, taking a breath as the scent of the bakery hit you, causing your stomach to betray you when it sunk. She led you into the shade of her booth, the aroma wrapping around you. Sitting back against the tree, you accepted the steaming wooden cup she pressed into your hands.

“Where’s Neteyam? Not with you?”

“I’m not sure,” you said, shrugging as you took a small sip. “He’s probably doing his usual routine… training.”

Without even trying, you had his morning memorized. Every time he finished bringing you breakfast, he would disappear, taking on tasks for the council, flying out with his ikran, or just walking deep into the woods to be alone. He had been there every step of the way since you woke up. He was the one who walked you through the forest, teaching you the names of the goods, pointing out the bioluminescent vines, and explaining the world to you piece by piece.

He had kept his promise to never leave your side.

However, whenever you dared to ask about who you were before, or your past as a whole, a barrier dropped between you. You would watch the way his jaw clenches, his eyes close then brushing the question aside. “You’re not ready yet,” he would say.

You believed him.

For he was the only person your age that you felt safe around, there’s just this wall standing between you, the line between a teacher and a student.

The old woman sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. The rest of the clan knew the truth, but out of respect for Neteyam’s plea to protect you, everyone held their tongues, leaving you in the dark.

After taking the bread and bidding her farewell, you stepped back onto the main walkway, letting the crowd carry you along.

A few stalls down, a booth belonging to a Soul Seer caught your eye. That tug hit the center of your chest again, your heart skipping a beat before leveling out again as your hand flew to your sternum.

What even awaited you in this place that your heart knew, yet your mind could not?

-

You were dreaming.

Up ahead, a man stood looking back at you, like you kept him waiting. Even across that distance you couldn’t easily cross, and without features on his face, you felt your eyes meet his.

“C’mere,” He whispered it, holding out his arm.

With all your strength, you tried to walk on the sticky ground that held your feet down, reaching out to catch his hand.

The moment your fingers were about to touch, your hand went right through his skin. You stared at your own palm, then looked up just in time to see another faceless woman running into his embrace.

“—Y/n?”

Your eyes shot open, blinking fast as the sky settled into place. You looked up to see a shadow hovering over you, his features tense against the light. “Oh, thank you, Greatmother…” Neteyam murmured, pressing both palms to his face. He sighed deeply then dragged his hands down, his golden eyes searching your face. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

“My head is just throbbing… did something happen?” You wince, resting a palm against your temple as the forest tilts in your vision. The muscle along his jaw twitched, a telltale sign of the anxiety he was trying so hard to keep under control. “Are you okay now?”

“Yes, sir…”

“Why are you out here alone?”

“Sorry… I must’ve fallen asleep,” you confessed, pushing yourself up onto your elbows before looking at him. “I was looking for you.”

His golden eyes went wide. “You were… looking for me? Did something happen?” He repeated your question with nervousness, but you just shook your head. “No. I just wanted to see you.”

Neteyam’s heart dropped, his mouth opened to speak, then closed, an indigo settling down cheeks before he spoke. “You should’ve waited for me then. Something bad could happen to you out here.”

You frowned at his concern. “I’m sorry, Sir…”

The color on his face slowly faded. “I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Why?”

“It’s just… nothing. Let’s go,” he said, sitting up and gathering the basket beside you before holding out his hand. You looked at his palm, lifting yours to meet it. He pulled you up, and as you stood close, your heart gave that same throb. You licked your dry lips, stepping beside him. You had wanted to ask him something for days now. You didn’t know why you waited so long, but you couldn’t keep it inside anymore.

“I want to come with you.”

Neteyam stopped walking and looked back at you. “What?”

“In your mornings… I want to be there with you.”

“...Why?” You saw his hands shake a little, you wrapped your arms around yourself. “I- I don’t wanna be alone anymore. I’m scared of what will happen to me.”

“Y/n… I—”

“You cannot, right?” You cut him off, taking a step toward him. “Where you go, it’s dangerous for me. Where you go, I can’t be in it.”

“Yes, you’re right. I’m afraid I cannot protect you there.”

“I’ll take the risk,” You reached out, putting your palm on his cheek. He went still, his hand tightening on the basket at his waist.

“Why?” He held your hand against his face with his free one, biting the inside of his lip. “You would go with me to the deep sea? To the sky, and into the thorns where the ground burns?”

“Yes. I want to be with you. If you go there, then I want to be there too.”

“Oh…” He looked at you for a moment, then turned his head a little, pressing his lips to the middle of your palm. “You would put yourself in danger… just to be with me?”

“I will.”

“It’s hard to say no because I want to be with you too,” he mumbled against your skin. “But… you understand, right? We cannot always have what we want,” he said. You looked away, pulling your hand back. He held your fingers as long as he could before letting go reluctantly. “I’m sorry, y/n… I’ll bring you back whatever you want. Just tell me. I’ll get it for you as soon as possible,” You felt him step closer, but your throat was tight.

You didn’t even want things brought back to you. Your hut was already full of things you didn’t remember making. You didn’t want to be around anyone else in the clan, you didn’t want their eyes on you, or another conversation where you had to form a sentence. You just wanted to run from the way everyone tried to pull your lost memories out. Neteyam never forced you, he stayed true to his promise to stand by you and protect you from the weight of what you forgot.

You bit your lip, looking into his eyes again. “I only want you.”

His eyes eidened, releasing a breath he held for too long. He looked down at the dirt, then back up at you, setting the basket down on the ground. He reached for your hands, giving you time to pull away. When you stayed, his fingers closed around yours. “...You do?”

“I do, Sir.”

He bit his lip, watching your face. “But I… I want you safe.”

You held onto his wrist tight. “Do you not want me?” His mouth stayed open in silence, words failing him. Your heart ached again, skipping beats until it felt like it sank into your lungs. Neteyam saw the tears filling your eyes, he couldn’t stand it, pulling you fast into his arms. Your chin rested over his shoulder while he hid his face in your neck.

“I do… I want you so much,” he whispered. He felt his own heart break when you let out a cry, wrapping your arms tight around his neck to pull him closer. “Then what’s stopping you?”

“A lot…”

Your lips trembled. “I’m scared of everyone. I don’t wanna be there…”

“I know… I know,” he whispered, holding you until your shoulders relaxed, you stepped back and he wiped a tear off your cheek, before tucking a hair behind your ear. You looked up at him. “Why can’t I come with you?”

Neteyam raised his arm, wiping his eyes with his forearm before he looked back at you. “Please don’t ask that. I want you to stay where our people can watch over you. If you stay here, I can tell myself that you’re safe... and for a little while, my heart will know peace. I get that you wish to do more but until the day I no longer fear losing you... this is all I can ask of you. I hope in time you’ll understand.”

“I… undertand, Sir.”

You tried to.

Days passed in a blur, yu spent the morning putting away your washed loincloths into the carved cabinet, which, of course, was etched with the same symbol. You really must’ve loved that flower, huh?

Finishing your daily check-up with the science team, you took a break from your tasks for the rest of the day. With nothing else occupying your time, you began to reorganize the hut, only to pause, staring up with a wrinkled forehead at a row of baskets tucked onto a high shelf. You had to strain on tiptoes just to brush the undersides with your fingertips, literally out of reach.

What had the old you been thinking, putting things up there?

Moving deeper into the kelku, your gaze caught on one of the main support beams, the bamboo visibly worn and smoothed down in a deep groove. It looked as though it had been continuously rubbed raw by a rope, suggesting your hammock probably once hung there before moving to the other corner.

With the amount of work needed to fix up the space, a headache began to pulse behind your eyes. You lifted a hand, rubbing your fingers in circles against your forehead to ease the tension.

Sighing, you patted your hands clean against your tewng, blowing a puff of air to nudge away the stray baby hairs falling over your face. You had only just bathed earlier but here you were, covered in a fresh layer of dust all because you couldn’t sit still for some reason.

When you pulled back the entrance curtain, you shrieked, planting a hand over your pounding chest at the sight of your teacher standing right there. “Oh my… you scared me, Sir!” You pouted up at him, and Neteyam raised his hands, offering an apologetic wave.

“Why are you here?” you asked, raising a brow. He gave you a baffled look. “Didn’t you say you wanted to visit the Tree of Souls?”

“Oh, sh— I actually forgot! I’m so sorry! I got caught up cleaning my place…” You scratched at the back of your neck in embarassment but he only shook his head, looking past your shoulder into the hut.

“You should’ve called for me. I could’ve helped you clean inside.”

Rolling your eyes, you crossed your arms over your chest. “I wouldn’t wanna bother the Olo’eyktan’s son. Besides, you already have so much on your plate, Sir. I don’t wanna add to it when you’ve already helped me so much.”

“Y/n, I told you that I—”

“Yes yes! You will help me but I’m no damsel in distress!” You cut him off, smirking a little. “I can do plenty with my own two hands, y’know.”

To prove your point, you tapped your bicep, making a smile break across his face as he watched you. “I’m not saying you’re helpless. I just wanna be there for you.”

“It’s fine, sir. Uh, do we have to go right now? I’m kinda dirty.”

Neteyam blinked. “What?”

“I just spent the whole morning dusting, right?” You pointed to the smudges on your skin. “I have dust all over me.”

He looked away, a blush creeping up his neck before he nodded. “Oh… well, it’s no big deal to me. You can be dirty anytime.”

You tilted your head. “That sounds a little weird.”

“I-I mean— you could be covered in mud and I’d still be fine with it! It’s not in… a certain way,” he stuttered, clearing his throat as he tried to save himself. “Just forget it. Let’s go, shall we?”

The walk toward the path was peaceful, you watched his face thoroughly as he spoke, taking in the movement of his forehead, his hands, and how his gaze stayed on the ground to guide your steps.

He talked continuously as you passed through the forest, making sure that no awkward silence grew between you as he searched for things to share, and you just listened. You took mental notes of his words, noticing the times he looked toward the stone arches above, his lips pressing into a straight line.

Soon enough, you arrived at the Vitraya Ramunong. Against the fading sunset of the Pandora’s sunset, the massive spirit tree and its sprawling root system stood out in breathtaking grandeur. Your eyes shone as thousands of long tendrils began to glow in ethereal shades of pink.

Neteyam watched as you stood awestruck, you had mentioned wanting to visit the tree on your own, having heard that as a memory keeper, you frequented the sacred site, it was your favorite spot a d seeing you so captivated made his heart ache with a tender warmth, you always found a way to fall in love with the beauty of Eywa’s creation.

“This is where her roots connect to every single plant and animal on the planet,” he said, reaching out to brush a hand against a glowing tendril as he watched you examine one of your own. “Everyone’s memories and consciousness live here forever.”

He licked his lips, watching you gather several tendrils into your palm and press them against your cheek. His breath hitched for a second at the sight of you. “...We plug our queue into these so we can hear the voices, advice, and memories of those who came before. It’s the strongest place to pray to Eywa… and so much more.”

“This is beautiful,” You opened your eyes and met his gaze, a smile gracing your features. “It really is,” he replied, his gold eyes locked onto yours, unable to look away.

You swept your braid over your shoulder, bringing it to the front before glancing at him for reassurance. Neteyam stepped closer, giving a nod. Slowly, you connected your kuru to the vine, watching as the tiny filaments rose to intertwine with it. A sudden flash burned through your vision as the connection pulled you into a memory.

Rain was pouring heavily.

You looked up at the stormy sky before your gaze shifted to a woman standing nearby, her face remained blank, but her voice was clear.

She called out to someone as she looked past you. Turning around, you saw a man approaching; his face was also obscured.

He walked right through your form, passing through you, and wrapped his arms around the woman. “I told you, you’d get sick out here…”

The woman laughed, cradling his face in her hands and pinching his cheeks before leaning in closer—

A surge of energy slammed into your mind, severing the link and snapping you back to reality. You stumbled back in panic, your hands flying to your head as you collapsed into Neteyam’s arms. Groaning from the pressure, your hands moved frantically, covering your eyes, shielding your ears, then pressing against your forehead to push back the intense ache.

“—y/n! Can you hear me?”

His voice was muffled over the pounding in your ears. You couldn’t speak. You gasped and trembled against him as he lowered you to the ground, his palms cupping your cheeks. “I’m here. Take deep breaths.”

You clung to his voice, taking stuttering breaths while pressing your palm hard on your eye to block the pain. “I-It hurts, Neteyam—”

”I know— I got you,” he whispered. His hand caught your wrist mid-air before you could hit your temple again, his fingers wrapped around your joint. He pulled your shaking hands away from your face, forcing them down onto his chest so you could feel the beat of his own heart. “Stop, don’t hit yourself, y/n… look at me. Breathe.”

His other hand cupped the side of your neck, his thumb pressing right beneath your jaw to hold you while the bioluminescent dots on his face flared with his heightened stress. He leaned in close, his forehead resting against yours, blocking out the dizzying glow of the tree above until his gold eyes were the only thing in your field of vision. “In,” he commanded, taking an exaggerated deep breath himself, his chest expanding against your trapped hands. “Out. Follow me, c’mon.”

You forced your lungs to expand, a gasp tearing through your throat as the searing pressure behind your eyes began to recede into a pulsing ache. The laughter of the faceless woman and the sound of the pouring rain gradually dissolved, replaced only by the presence of Neteyam, his heat, his scent, and the tremble in his breath that he was trying so hard to hide.

“That’s it,” he murmured, his ears pinning back in relief as your breathing began to sync with his, though he didn’t let go of you. “That’s right. Stay right here with me. You’re alright?” He sighed as you nodded, his thumb stroking your cheekbone to wipe away the tear that had slipped down your skin during the panic. His eyes searched yours before he glanced back up at the glowing tendril hanging beside your heads, his jaw clenching tight. “What are you feeling right now?” he asked, his gaze dropping back down to hold yours. “Can you answer?”

You shook your head, wrapping your arms around his waist for comfort. You sniffled against his chest, your wamrth seeped into his skin as you clung to him. Neteyam’s breath hitched in his throat at the touch, his body going still before the tension melted out of his shoulders. His arm wrapped around your back, pulling you flush against him, while his other hand moved up to hold the back of your head, pressing his fingers into your hair to keep you close to him. “It’s okay,” he mumbled into your hair, “I’m right here, y/n… You’re safe with me,” he watched the way your ears dropped as you hugged him even tighter.

He moved his hand back and forth on your back, the beat of his chest pressing against your cheek as his ears twitched at the sound of your cries. He didn’t push for answers anymore, letting the silence of the clearing set over the two of you while the vines above swayed. His chin rested on top of your head, his breathing slowing as his heartbeat gradually settled to match yours.

It hurt Neteyam to see you avoiding it after what had happened. It pained him to see his lover, once so captivated by the spirit tree, now standing with shaking lips whenever her gaze went to its leaves. He couldn’t help but blame himself again. He knew he should’ve stopped you, knowing your connection to the tree would show some scenes to the surface. But he just couldn’t bring himself to refuse you, you were curious, and he didn’t wanna strip away your desire to discover the truth.

A week had passed since that night. Neteyam continued your lessons with dedication, teaching you everything you needed to know, answering your questions, and staying by your side to protect you whenever the strain proved too much.

For the meantime, you strolled past the stalls, exchanging nods and smiles with the villagers you encountered along the way. Your cheeks flushed awkwardly at the giggling children who whispered when you walked by, their big eyes following your every move. Looking out beyond the vendors, your gaze caught a flash of light reflecting off the river tucked beneath the canopy of trees.

Walking over toward the water’s edge, you spotted a young girl sitting on the grass, swaying her feet in the stream. You recognized her by her braids, it was Tuktirey, one of the younger children under your care at the nursery. But unlike the other kids who ran up to you, She always kept a distance, watching you with an unreadable look that you couldnt quite figure out.

She was humming a melody, plucking the petals off a blossom one by one. You hesitated for a second, swallowing down your nervousness as you prepared for an interaction that felt nerve-wracking. Clearing your throat, you stepped closer. “That’s a pretty song.”

Her hands froze over the flower, but she didn’t turn around to look at you. “You made it,” she mumbled under her breath. Missing the words, you took another small step forward. “Sorry?”

The young girl finally turned her head, an evident pout could be seen in her lips. “You wrote it for me…” The words hung in the air, thick with a grief that made your heart ache. You looked down, a downward smile appearing on your lips as you took a seat on the grass beside her, keeping a distance so as not to scare her. Slowly, you dipped your toes into the cool water. “Oh…” you whispered, rubbing the back of your neck. “I wish I could remember, Tuktirey…”

She pulled her dripping feet from the water, dragging her knees against her chest to make herself as small as possible. She didn’t reply to your apology and just let her eyes stay locked on the ripples expanding across the stream where a few leaves had fallen.

You took a peek at her, your heart aching at the sight of her lower lip trembling into a frown. You knew from the conversations around the village that you had once been close to your people, that they cared for you deeply, but seeing this little girl withdraw so much made the reality of your lost memories crash down on you for you had no idea what your existence meant to her.

You licked your lips, opening your mouth to try and soften the tension between you two, but she cut you off before you could speak. “That’s not even what you used to call me…” she mumbled into her knees, her voice barely audible over. She kept her face hidden with her hair, refusing to look at you, her fingers gripping her ankles that her knuckles turned pale.

The words you wanted to say stayed trapped in your throat as you sat frozen on the grass, the river dancing against your ankles while you searched for even a single fragment of a memory to hold onto. Nothing came from the hollow spaces in your mind, leaving only the realization that a child who loved you deeply had become a stranger to you. “I’m really sorry... but I know in my heart that I’m fond of you.”

Her shoulders hitched as she squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her small hands over her face to stop the tears from falling at the sound of your voice. You didn’t like when others pushed you to remember things you couldn’t reach, but you knew she wasn’t being cruel, she was just guarding her bruised heart from the pain of grieving someone who was standing right in front of her.

A rustle of leaves signaled an arrival, your ears twitching back as you turned to see Neteyam stepping out from the foliage, his golden eyes locking onto yours with a nod before he crouched down beside his sister. “Tuk? What did we talk about, hm?” She sniffled, burying her face into her big brother’s chest as her voice came out muffled against his skin. “W-Why...”

Your lips pressed into a line as your chest ached at the sight, questioning why it hurt so much to see someone weep for the person you used to be. Neteyam cradled her head, stroking her hair before lifting her up from the ground. You stood up with them, biting your lip to keep your composure while Neteyam met your gaze, giving you a reassuring look that tried to carry the weight for both of you.

Tuk’s crying quieted down after a while, her small feet nudging to be put down as she looked up at her brother. “I’ll go back to mom, you stay with her,” she mumbled, letting go of his hand and turning away without giving you a single glance. You watched her figure retreat through the trees, her shoulders slumping low while her eyes stayed fixed on the dirt paths.

Your gaze dropped to the ground, but Neteyam stepped closer, his fingers reaching out to tilt your chin up until you were forced to meet his eyes. “She’s still processing everything, y/n… you mustnt blame yourself for this, okay?”

“I just wonder... who else was I close with?” You held a hand against your chest. “Who else loved me so much that my absence makes them cry or turn away like she did?”

Neteyam stayed silent, his fingers lingering on your chin before his hand lowered to rest at his side, his jaw tightening as he looked down at you. He gestured with a turn of his shoulder toward the heart of the village, where the evening fires were beginning to spark into light and family groups gathered around shared meals.

“Look around you, y/n…” Neteyam murmured, his voice softening as his golden eyes swept over the scene before settling back on yours. “Every single person in this clan carries a piece of who you were, and they’re waiting for you to come home to it, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush. Like I said before, you’re treasured here, just as you are right now. If time is what you need, then you will have all the time in the world, and I’ll be right here beside you for every step of it.”

You held his gaze before looking down at the ground with a smile, your heart aching while a throb began to pulse behind your eyes. Your ears started ringing, the high-pitched sound growing nearly deafening, but his presence somehow moored you enough to ignore the pain. “Thank you… that’s— it makes me happy.”

“Of course,” Neteyam replied, though a flicker of bashfulness crossed his face as he licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck under your gaze. “You always know the right things to say to make me feel better, Sir.”

The moment the title left your lips, Neteyam froze, the light in his golden eyes dimming into an exhaustion. His jaw clenched as his gaze dropped to your lips before going up to your eyes. “Oh well, that’s… what I’m good at.”

It hurt him deeply, how you unconsciously gave a divide between the two of you, turning what used to be sweet moments into a cold lesson between a master and his apprentice. His chest ached with the weight of everything he couldn’t say, but rather than letting the frustration snap, he just turned and gestured for you to follow, guiding you up the path. He brought you to a cliff hidden beneath the sweeping stone arches, a place where the mountain air blew well.

“This is Zi’ell, my traveling buddy. C’mon, meet him,” Neteyam said, a smile breaking across his features as he leaned his forehead against the ikran’s snout before giving it a pat.

Your jaw dropped, your eyes sparkling as you took in the creature up close for the very first time. The blend of green, yellow, and brown stripes across its skin was breathtaking. You pressed a hand against your mouth, flabbergasted. “Oh… he’s so cute.”

Neteyam stepped back as Zi’ell slowly approached you, you froze, unsure of what to do as the big apex predator circled your form. The ikran slid behind you, tilting its head before nudging your cheek with affection from behind. A warm flush spread across your face at the touch of such a deadly creature.

Smiling, you reached up to stroke its skin. Neteyam watched the bond forming between you and his ikran. It was just like before, you had always been so close with Zi’ell that your own ikran used to grow restless with jealousy.

“Did I… Do I have my own?” you asked, turning your gaze to him. As if you were reading his exact thoughts, Neteyam licked his lips and looked down. “Yes, you do, y/n…”

“May I see her?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, giving Zi’ell a pat before mounting the saddle. He connected his kuru to the banshee’s queue; the creature let out a huff and straightened its back. Looking down at you, Neteyam extended a hand. “Where do you wanna sit?”

“May I sit in the front?” You pointed to the space right before him. He swallowed hard, giving a nod. “Yes, you may,” He moved back on the saddle to make room, extending his hand once more to help you up. You took his hand and settled onto the ikran. Neteyam licked his lips yet again, taking in the sight of you oh so close in front of him. “Hold onto the harness here so you don’t fall.”

You turned your head, looking at him over your shoulder. “Where will you hold onto?” Neteyam met your curious gaze, suddenly choking on his own saliva and coughing. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Uhh. I can just—”

“Just hold onto me,” you said, reaching down to take his hand and resting it over yours against the leather harness. “R-Right… I’ll do that,” he stutterd, clearing his throat as his fingers tightened around yours, his chest warm against your back.

Neteyam leaned forward, his chest pressing close against your back as he wrapped his other arm around your waist to secure his grip, his breath hot against the shell of your ear. He sighed to calm his racing heart before leaning forward to speak over the wind. “Hold tight, okay?”

The ikran let out a cry before launching off the edge of the stone cliff, dropping straight into the open expanse of the valley. Your stomach leaped into your throat as the wind whipped past your face, catching your hair and blowing it back against his shoulder.

Your grip tightened over the harness, your other hand hitting Neteyam’s thigh as a gasp escaped your lips, the creature snapped its massive wings wide, and his hold on you remained hard, his fingers interlacing with yours over the strap while his chin rested against your shoulder.

Later, Neteyam slid down from Zi’ell’s saddle before offering his hand to guide you down to the ground. He brushed a strand of hair behind your back, his golden eyes sweeping over your beaming face. “How do you feel?”

You cupped your cheeks with both hands, leaning closer to him as your eyes sparkled with excitement. “That was so cool! We soared up so fast, and the wind was so cold— like— it felt like it was slapping my face!” You threw your hands up to mimic the thrill of the dive, drawing a smile from him before you pressed on. “We must race each other one day on our ikran!”

“We will. You always loved to race,” he murmured, his gaze softening as he reached out to touch your forearm then straightening the strap of your top. “Really? Was I good at riding?” You tilted your head, “I feel as though I would be terrible at it now.”

“You’re perfect,” he said without hesitation, he took hold of your wrist, his warm fingers wrapping around your skin as he led you toward the shadow of a cave. You followed closely at his heel, examining the rocky entrance with curious eyes. “Why is my ikran hidden all the way out here?”

“My father thought it best to get you to recover first and keep her away until you were ready to handle the bond again,” Neteyam explained, pulling back a leaf to clear the path. “Don’t worry. She’s well fed, and I’ve taken care of her every day.”

The sight inside took your breath away; resting in the shade was a magnificent banshee, her skin glowing with a brilliant pattern of your favorite colors. “Woah… she’s so beautiful.”

“She is,” Neteyam agreed, stepping forward to pat the creature’s neck. You approached slowly, your heart beating in your chest as the ikran tracked your movements with wary eyes. Halting a breath away, you reached out a hand, pressing your palm against her skin. The ikran closed her eyes with a huff, leaning into your touch and nudging her snout against your palm to demand more affection, making you giggle. “Oh… hello there. Does she have a name?”

“Her name is Mayì,” Neteyam answered, his eyes fixed on the sight of you two together. “But if you wish, you may give her a new one.”

You looked up, catching his smile before glancing down with a flush creeping up your neck. “I think… I’ll keep her name. I may have lost a lot, but she shouldn’t have to lose her identity because of me. Right, Mayì? You’re so gorgeous! I must’ve known exactly what I was doing when I sealed the bond with you.”

You two did end up racing on your way back to the village, and you won, loterally beaming as you teased Neteyam for coming in second. He only shrugged in response, a fond smile tugging at his lips as he watched you revel in your victory. You had no idea that in all the races you had shared before, you were always the one to take the lead, he let you have your glory, thinking it was only fair that you owned the sky, as you’ve always did.

The dreams didn’t stop there, they kept haunting you, and seeing those faceless Na’vi while being unable to recognize who they were felt like a nightmare.

This time, however, you could see their lips, and the way the woman smiled was so wide and it didn’t go unnoticed by you. You had no idea why you were being shown such a vision, watching a couple so in love that it seemed like they were the only two beings in the world, oblivious to everything else. To watch them clinging to one another, laughing, always smiling, and sharing such raw intimacy felt like having a front-row seat to a life you couldn’t reach.

You woke with a gasping cry, the sound of voices trying to rouse you as you thrash against the flat woven mat, your feet kicking at the floor while the ringing in your ears threatened to tear your eardrums apart. You opened your eyes weakly to see the healers hovering over you, their lips moving in words you couldn’t process through the noise.

You tried to sit up, staggering backward before collapsing back onto the mat, pressing your palm against your temple as the throbbing grew unbearable, even as hands tried to hold your wrists to keep you from hurting yourself, you just slapped them and forced out a plea, “It hurts— fuck, please! B-Bring Neteyam!”

One of the healers scrambled to her feet and rushed outside, while the others held your hands tightly, their eyes full of worry as they waited. And what felt like years passed before the entrance flap was shoved aside, and footsteps rushed to your side.

“Y/n? Y/n, Are you—”

You didn’t let him finish, throwing yourself into his arms the second his voice reached you. Neteyam was knocked back onto the ground by the impact, his arms wrapping around you, holding your head as he let you seek his warmth. You clung to him, your nails digging into his skin as you fought back the effects until they finally began to vanish.

Neteyam looked up at the healers, his voice deep as he asked for water. Feeling you slowly calm in his arms, he held you tight as you rested your head against his neck, sniffling before hiding your face in your hands and letting the tears fall against his skin.

“Oh, Y/n… I’m sorry I was late.”

“It hurts… W-Why does this have to happen to me? What did I do?” You cried out into his skin, your whole body trembling against his. He shook his head, pressing his hand against the back of your hair to hold you close. “You did nothing wrong, y/n… We have no one to blame for this… you’re so strong, and I’m so proud of you for coming through it once again.”

You just hugged him tighter, hiding your face in the curve of his neck as your chest heaved with sobs. “What if I’m not able to come back from it next time?” you asked, your forehead furrowing in fear as you pressed a palm to your own chest, feeling your heart.

“I’ll be right there with you when that happens,” he whispered as his fingers tightened around your back. “I’ll hold you through it every single time, as long as you want, I promise.”

You pulled away from the hug, looking at the healers with a deep frown before taking the wooden bowl of water from their hands. “Forgive me for causing trouble…”

“It’s alright, y/n… We’re only glad you were sleeping on the mat instead of the hammock, or you would’ve fallen to the floor and startled yourself even more,” they replied, glancing toward the small crowd gathering near the entrance. You followed their gaze, your heart dropping at the sight of the Sully family watching with concern written across their faces. Embarassed by the commotion you caused, you pressed your face back into the crook of Neteyam’s neck, hiding from their eyes.

Neytiri crouched down beside you, taking care not to startle your frayed nerves as she pressed a hand against your shoulder. “My dear… how does staying with Neteyam sound to you?”

Neteyam’s eyes widened, a tension seizing his body as he looked up at her. “Mother—” Neytiri just gave him a look that silenced him, her eyes holding a weight. “She needs someone nearby if these episodes strike again in the dead of night, Neteyam. The healers cannot run across the village every time her spirit is shaken, she needs a presence beside her to help her before she hurts herself.”

Jake stepped forward then, his hand coming down onto his son’s shoulder, giivng a nod of agreement. “Your mother is right, son. She trusts you more than anyone else in the clan. It makes the most sense for you to keep watch in her kelku until these spells subside.”

You tilted your head back against his collarbone, looking between the two elders before your eyes settled on Neteyam’s tense profile. You touched Neteyam’s chest as you looked up to meet his eyes. “Is that… alright with you?” you asked, your voice raspy from the crying. “I don’t wanna be a burden.”

He swallowed hard, the muscles in his face twitching as he looked down at you. “It’s no burden, Y/n…” he managed to choke out before he helped you sit upright. “You will never be a burden.”

After the healers double-checked your pulse and the Sully family offered their reassurances, the crowd dispersed, leaving the two of you in silence at your place.

You watched as Neteyam stood near the far corner of the room, staring blankly at the floorboards. His shoulders were stiff, his hands clenching and unclenching into tight fists at his sides. You hovered behind him, lips trembling. “I’m sorry, Sir… I know you didn’t ask for this… I’m sorry my weakness forced your parents to make you stay here.”

Neteyam flinched as if struck, his head snapping up to look at you, his forehead curled up. “Do not apologize. I’m not forced into this, trust me.”

“It just feels like… it,” you admitted, looking down at the woven rug as you scratched at the back of your neck in shame. “You already do so much for me during the day… and now you’re stuck sleeping in my hut too just because I can’t handle some dream.”

Hearing you call his home your hut, hearing you treat him like an assigned guard rather than the male who would’ve laid down his life to keep you safe, sent an ache straight through his ribcage. He wanted to scream, to pull you into his arms and press his lips against your neck until you remembered the way his skin felt against yours, the way you used to trace the lines on his back while falling asleep right on your mat. Instead, he stepped closer, his shadow falling over you as he reached out, his fingers hesitating for a second before cupping your jaw.

“I’m not forced, Y/n…” he murmured, his thumb brushing over your cheekbone with softness that made your breath hitch. “I choose to be here. I’ll always choose to be here. I told you that I’d stay beside you through this, and whenever you need me, I’ll be here. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

“I don’t want you doing this just because you feel obligated to, Sir,” your brow furrowing as your hand reached up, your fingers wrapping around his wrist to hold his palm against your cheek. “I want you here because you really want to stay… I don’t want to force my presence onto you when you already bear so much.”

He stared down at your hands, his fingers twitching against your cheek before he let his arm drop back to his side. The loss of his touch left an ache in your heart, but the way his golden eyes stayed with you made it throb in a good way.

“I’m not doing this out of obligation. I stay because I want to protect you. I stay because when you’re hurting, I cannot walk away and pretend my heart is at ease elsewhere. You’re not forcing yourself onto me. You could never.”

You searched his face, looking for any trace of resentment, but found only that devotion that made your ears ring. You didn’t understand why the sight of his jaw clenching or the sight of his ears drooping made your soul want to reach out and pull him close, but the pull was undeniable.

“Okay…” you whispered, stepping back to give him room, bt your eyes stayed on his face. “If you’re sure, Sir… then I’m glad you’re staying.”

Neteyam closed his eyes for a second, swallowing hard against the tight knot in his throat. “Y/n… how do I say this.”

“Hmm?” You hummed, tilting your head to the side as you searched his face. “What’s wrong?”

He gulped, licking his dry lips before stepping closer, his golden eyes dropping to your resting hands before taking them into his own. “I don’t like it when you… call me that, the Sir thing.”

“But why? You said you’re my teacher, and you’ve been the one teaching me everything since I woke up, I’m just being respectful.”

Neteyam cut off. “In this situation, maybe it feels like I’m teaching you, but I’m really not, Y/n… I’m only helping you remember what you already know, I could never teach you something you were already an expert at,” He looked into your eyes, his chest rising and falling as he tried to swallow down the hurt in his throat. “When you use those with me, it feels wrong, like there’s a wall between us when it shouldn’t be there in the first place.”

You looked at his face, sensing the sadness hiding behind his voice, though you couldn’t quite place where it came from. “I just thought it was proper. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable… Neteyam.”

Hearing his name leave your lips, made a sigh escape him as he squeezed your hands a ljttle tighter. “It’s not uncomfortable, it just… brings peace to my heart when you speak to me as myself, not as a leader or an instructor.”

You cleared your throat, feeling a heat rising up your neck at his gaze. Moving your weight from foot to foot, you gestured toward the corner where the wide sleeping mat rested on the floorboards. “Well… since you’re staying, you can take the mattress, and I’ll just sleep up in the hammock.”

Neteyam shook his head, his ears flicking back as he took a step closer. “No, Y/n, you’re still recovering and need proper support for your back, besides, the healers literally just warned us about the possibilities of you falling out of the hammock.”

“I won’t fall out,” You pouted, crossing your arms while trying to ignore the flutter in your stomach when he stepped into your personal space. “I’m not letting you sleep on there when I’m the one who caused all this commotion.”

“You’re not sleeping in the hammock either,” he said, his golden eyes scanning the wide sleeping pad before darting back to your flustered face. An indigo blush began creeping along his high cheekbones, his fingers nervously fidgeting with the leather strap at his waist as he offered a compromise. “The mat is… wide enough for two. If you don’t mind sharing?”

Your heart did a leap against your chest, the simplicity of his suggestion leaving you breathless. “Oh… well, I mean, if you’re okay with that, then sure, it’s definitely big enough so we won’t be crowding each other.”

“Well then, ready for the day?”

Your eyes widened, your shoulders tensing. “What? We have plans?”

Neteyam smiled, looking down at the wooden floorboards while his braids swayed against his shoulders. When he looked back up at you, his golden eyes held a flicker of amusement. “You said you wanted to be in my mornings, didn’t you?”

And so, you got to witness the side of him that belonged to the village. You walked beside him as he carried out his duties, delivering messages from one side of the settlement to the other and stopping by the artisans’ huts to check on their progress. He slipped into every conversation with such grace that you found yourself just staring, marvel(🕸️)ing at how he carried the weight of his place here easily.

When an elder asked for assistance with the supplies, you stepped forward to help, only for Neteyam to catch your wrist with a touch. “You can just stand prettily beside me, and you’ll be helping plenty,” he said, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. You rolled your eyes, but the heat creeping up your neck betrayed you as you watched him lift the load, his muscles flexing.

Later, he brought you along to greet the hunters returning from their night patrol, where his behavior changed, from grinning at you to having his chin up at the class. He listened intently, offered decisive directions, and coordinated the distribution of their catch with that authority. Standing a few paces back, a sense of awe went in your chest as you realized just how respected he was, and how many people relied on his strength every single day.

By the time the sun climbed higher, the rumble of your stomach spoke between the two of you, breaking the silence of your walk. Neteyam let out a laugh, and you grabbed his forearm and dragged him toward the food stalls. You both reached for the last loaf at the exact same moment, your fingers brushing against his before you looked up, exchanging a startled glance that dissolved into shared laughter.

“I want one too!”

You looked down to see Tuktirey, her eyes fixed not on her older brother, but on you. An eager smile played on her lips. You looked at Neteyam before breaking the warm bread straight down the middle, leaning down to hand her the larger piece. Then she wrapped her arms around your waist. “Thank you, n/n!”

The nickname slipped out so easily that your heart skipped a beat, “Of course, Tuk-Tuk,” you murmured, cradling her head against your side. She gasped, looking up at you in surprise then a grin broke across her face, she grabbed your hand, tugging you toward her and leaving Neteyam standing behind with his jaw dropped, stunned by his little sister’s action.

Clearing his throat, he gave his head a shake, he took a few steps forward, folding his arms across his chest while watching the crowd of children tug at your hands.

“Is that so?” Neteyam murmured, his voice laced with a quiet warmth that made your ears twitch. “Look at you, making friends all over again.”

Tuk beamed, vibrating with excitement as she wrapped her arms around your thigh. “She remembers my name, Neteyam! Well, the short one! That means she’s gonna remember everything soon, right?”

The air grew a little still at her words, the children looked up with hopeful eyes, waiting for an answer that wasn’t yours to give. You felt a flicker of pressure rising in your chest, your fingers tightening around the hem of your top. Before the doubt could take root, Neteyam stepped in, he crouched down to Tuk’s level, resting a hand on her shoulder. “It means she cares about you, Tuk. And that’s more than enough for today. Let her take her time, alright?”

Tuk pouted for a second before nodding, letting go of your leg to run off with the other kids. As their noisy laughter faded into the background, everything settled over the two of you. You looked over at Neteyam as he straightened up, rubbing the back of his neck while a purple flush crept up to his high cheekbones.

“She gets ahead of herself, you see,” he mumbled, turning his head to hide his expression, though you caught the quick twitch of his jaw. “I hope she didn’t make you feel rushed.”

“No,” you said, a smile touching your lips as you stepped a little closer to him. “Not at all. It actually felt… nice.”

His eyes flicked back to yours, holding your gaze for a long beat. The warmth between you felt normal, stripped of the expectations that usually clouded your days. As the afternoon sun began to dip, Neteyam touched your shoulder gently. “C’mon. Let’s get out of the crowd before they recruit you for another storytelling session.”

Night fell over the village, wrapping the forest in soft bioluminescent hues of blues and violets. After the gathering dinner, you sat on the hammock, swinging back and forth as you watched Neteyam across the room. He was checking the woven ties near your hut’s entrance, his back turned to you, his braid hanging down his back.

He had finished settling his things into your space, considering he would be staying here from now on. For reasons you couldnt quite name, the kelku didn’t feel crowded at all. It was spacious, almost as if it had been built to comfortably hold more than one person, accommodating all your scattered tools and scrolls without feeling cramped. When he finished, he turned around, pausing when he caught you staring. “...Everything alright?”

“Yes. I was just thinking about today,” you muttered, looking away as you leaned over the edge of the hammock, avoiding his gaze. Neteyam looked at you, his golden eyes tracking the bamboo beam where the net was attached as you swung. “What’s up?”

“I just… I felt safe,” you admitted, looking back up to meet his eyes. “Even when everyone was watching me. Normally… I’d get this feeling inside like I couldn’t stand people always bringing up my past or who I used to be. But today just felt different. It was like I finally accepted that people are always going to see me that way but not in a forced way. I think I accepted it because… because they really believe I’m capable of remembering. It felt nice to know they have that kind of faith in me even if I dont think i’ll be regaining anything anytime soon. I feel like I’m making progress, at least… Am I making any sense?”

Neteyam’s throat moved as he swallowed, his jaw tightening under the weight of your words. “Yes. You are making progress, Y/n… To watch you grow, to see you wake up every day with that look in your eyes, that curiosity despite everything pulling at your spirit, it means everything. Seeing your dedication, how much you still reach for who you are… it feels good to see.”

A silence stretched between you, but it wasn’t heavy or tense like before, it was intimate, peaceful, and warm, like every moment with him nearby. You licked your lips before slipping off the hammock, walking toward him with slow steps. “Neteyam?”

“Yes, y/n?”

You bit your lower lip, closing the distance until your chest almost brushed against his. His gaze stayed locked onto yours, his heart beating fast in his throat at your proximity. Looking up at him, the atmosphere changed with tension, and he recognized that look in your eyes all too well. “Can I ask you something… if it isn’t weird?” you whispered.

“Of course. Anything.”

Your eyes flicked down to his lips before going back up to his gaze, catching the way his golden irises dilated under your focus. “Would it be strange… to ask what we were before? I don’t mean if we were just friends or companions, but… what actually were we to each other?”

Neteyam’s mouth parted, the words catching in his throat as he stared down at you. He pressed his lips into a cable line, licking them as his pulse quickened. Reaching up, he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to cLm himself against the bashfulness. “Not strange at all, Y/n…” he rasped out. “Well, we were… We had something special,” He licked his lips again, feeling them dry out as fast as his nerves took over.

“Special… like?”

“Very special,” he stated, looking at your lips. “It wasn’t something you shared with any other, and it certainly wasn’t something I had with anyone else. It was so special that it belonged only to the two of us.”

He watched the way your eyes sparked with life, before you looked away, ‘tucking’ a strand of hair behind your ear, even though not a single piece had fallen out, just wanting an excuse to break his state and to look cute under his gaze. Both of you were blushing furiously, like young clanmates exchanging hidden glances across a fire, timidly trying to convey feelings too fat for words.

“That puts my mind at ease,” you whispered.

“How so?” He hummed, his golden eyes filled with curiosity at your vague words. Before he could push further, you turned around, walking over to the wide sleeping mat. You dropped down onto the futon and patted the space beside you, offering him a smile. “C’mon… let us sleep, Neteyam.”

He swallowed hard, his throat going dry as he watched you move toward the cushion, every beat of his heart thumpimg so loud he was certain you could hear it. The way you did that twirl, the invitation to sleep beside you, the way your voice said his name sent a rush of heat straight up his neck. Reaching up to rub the back of his neck, he inahled to calm the oscillating in his chest, biting back the smirk threatening to break across his face as he finally moved toward you.

In the morning, you found yourself walking side-by-side with Neteyam through the lanes of the vendors’ stalls. He had taken the day off, leaving his duties behind for once so he could help you explore the village and mak sure your time together was spent well, rather than you just trailing after him as he did his tasks.

As you walked together, your eyes caught the spot where the soul seer’s booth stood. Today, it didn’t have many people surrounding it unlike before when you had passed by alone and felt that magnetic pull drawing you in.

“You wanna try it?” Neteyam grinned, catching the direction of your gaze. Your eyes widened as you looked up at him, before you chuckled, shaking your head. “No… it’s— I’m just curious, is all.”

He smiled, putting his hands on your shoulders and turning you toward the booth. “C’mon. If you’re curious, then we’ll go try it. We have all the time.”

The entrance to the area was cool and shaded by swaying mats, feeling as though a breeze hugged your skin as you went in. Your heart skipped a fast beat and a faint ringing rang in your ears, but it melted away the second Neteyam slid his hand down to rest over your wrist. “Good day! Is it possible to get a reading?” he asked on your behalf.

The elder sitting behind the low wooden table watched you two, a braid swaying over her shoulder as her brows twitched upward, if even visible. A sneer touched her lips before she pointed toward the cushions set before her table. “Well then, do get comfortable.”

Neteyam looked at you, waiting until you sat down then he took the seat beside you. The woman dipped a feather quill into a jar of dark ink, unrolling a clean sheet of parchment on her table without looking up yet. “A duo reading or solo?”

“A solo reading for the lady, please,” Neteyam answered. You looked at him with wide eyes, but he only gave you a reassuring look, covering your hands as they rested in your lap. You pressed back against his palm, drawing confidence from his touch as you turned your focus back to the woman.

“Tell me your dreams, dear.”

“Dreams as in my goals? Or dreams when I sleep?” you asked. Neteyam’s thumb rubbed his finger against the back of your hand. “Your dreams when you sleep.”

Taking a deep breath, “It’s ambiguous… but it’s been constant to the point that it feels intentional. I dream about this couple. They have no faces, at least, none that I can see. They’re so deeply connected, so wrapped up in each other… and whenever I wake up, something hits me giving me aches I can barely handle.”

Neteyam’s golden eyes flicked to your profile, so that was what was causing those painful episodes. His jaw tightened as he looked down at your joined hands, then back to the woman. She listened, her eyes scanning your face before her fingers moved over her collection of tokens. She selected three, sliding them forward into a line across the wood of her table: a shining Thanator’s tooth, a dried river stone, and a wooden carved Tawtsngal. “Pick one,” she instructed.

Your eyes locked onto the flower token of course, recognizing the curve of it. The elder noticed the immediate draw and tapped the wooden piece with the tip of her quill. “You recognize this?”

You gave a hesitant nod, unconsciously pinching Neteyam’s skin in nervousness. “I know it used to be carved into almost everything I owned… though I never understood why I was so attached to it.”

“The Tawtsngal is the love flower,” she explained, leaning back as she watched the way you nodded. “So I take it you didn’t feel pulled toward the tooth nor the stone?”

“That’s right…..?” you murmured. She hummed, her gaze moving toward Neteyam, whose fingers tightened around yours with pressure, before her eyes locked back onto you. “Then your spirit has given you your answer, dear. When people dream of those they cannot name, they often think their mind is mocking them. But by choosing this token, you confirm that the ache in your chest isn’t born from resentment, nor are you actively trying to run from it.”

“I’m… confused?”

“It just means the faceless ones who visit your dreams are born of a bond. The pain that follows is the cry of a heart that remembers what the mind has yet to acknowledge.”

You stared at the three tokens, your thumb tracing the edge of Neteyam’s hand as the weight of her words settled into the air. “Uhh I think i just picked the Panopyra because it’s what was familiar to me… what if I were to pick either of the other two?”

She chuckled before shaking her head, “Choosing the tooth would mean you carry anger toward what happened to you, and choosing the stone would mean you’re shutting your heart off to keep yourself safe. But you didn’t pick those, dear, you got pulled by the flower itself because it’s what you feel,” The elder leaned forward, her warm eyes holding yours as she tapped the wooden flower one last time.

“Your mind may be locked behind a wall, but your heart isn’t fighting what’s resting on the other side.” She glanced toward Neteyam, her eyes closing with a smile on her lips. “Sometimes… what you yearn for is standing right in front of you. You only have to open your eyes.”

-

You crouched along the forest ground with Neteyam trailing beside you, picking ripe berries from its leaves so you could crush them into pigments for painting later. You kept humming a song and let it surround you both, your mind remained tethered to the words of the woman. “What did you think of what she said?” you asked without looking up, thumbing the skin of a dark fruit to test its freshness.

Neteyam scratched the back of his neck andchuckled. “I’m gonna be honest with you, Y/n, I was lost for half of it, it has been a long time since I heard her give a reading, and I forgot how vague she can get with her words.”

You nodded before tossing the fruit into the basket, wiping your stained fingers against your loincloth. “It almost felt like she was calling me desperate for trying to piece everything together,” you mumbled, the ache in your chest tightening as you stared down at the dirt.

Neteyam crouched into the damp grass, resting his palm against your back. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know nor are you wrong for caring about who you were,” he said, his thumb rubbing small, reassuring circles against your spine. “Your spirit will give you the answers when you’re ready, and until that time comes, I’m right here to carry the weight with you.”

You looked at him with your lips pulled into a pout, unable to shake the bitter feeling. “And when am I gonna be ready? See? I wish it were that simple, Neteyam. I’m tired of digging through shadows and wishing I was just normal again… I just want to accept that those memories are gone so I can stop feeling like a stranger in my own life.”

His chest tightened at the pain bleeding through your words, prompting him to move closer until his knee brushed against yours on the ground. “You’re normal to me, y/n. You don’t have to drown in what the clan says, you don’t have to force open the doors that are still locked, like the elder told you, there’s a whole life waiting right in front of you if you would just look at it.”

“I know there is, Neteyam, which is why I try my best to appreciate everything and everyone around me who keeps helping me along the way,” you murmured, staring down at your stained hands. “But of course there’s still this feeling inside me that needs to know who I was, almost like I’m terrified of missing out on my own life.”

Neteyam reached out, his fingers sliding over your hands to stop its fidgeting. He squeezed them, his thumb tracing the back of your knuckles as his golden eyes held yours that made your heart skip. “Every breath you take right now belongs to you. I know the dark feels endless when you’re searching for answers, but as long as I’m alive and breathing, you will never have to walk through it alone.”

You looked up at him as he spoke, a sunbeam piercing through the trees above, bathing his features inthat golden light that caught the beadwork into his braids. His gaze struck you oh so that your heart stopped beating, pinning you to the dirt beneath your knees.

Everything seemed to drop into a stillness around you both, the chirping of the birds fading away as his hand remained against yours. You sat there with your mouth agape, your eyes locked onto his, unable to stop the flush from creeping up your neck and coloring your cheeks.

The woman’s words echoed back through your mind, reminding you of how she had insisted that what your spirit yearned for was standing right in front of you. You realized then that your hand hadn’t reached for the love flower just because of familiarity, but because that love flower was the reflection of your soul.

Neteyam…

His earlier promise flashed through your thoughts alongside her reading, repeating the exact way he had confessed that the two of you shared something so special it belonged to no one else in the world. Your mouth parted in absolute awe as you stared at him, the fog of your frustration melting as you swallowed past the sudden dryness in your throat, feeling a racing vibe that settled deep in your stomach.

You looked down at his lips before looking up into his eyes, the atmosphere between you feeling so natural. But just as the world settled into that perfect air, a tightness seized your throat and choked the breath right out of you, leaving you gasping as a deafening ring went straight through your right ear, sending a wave of dizziness crashing over you. Even though you were already crouching, the shock made your ankle slip out from beneath you, causing you to lose your footing and fall hard onto the damp ground as your hands flew up to cover your ringing ear.

“Y/n?!”

His panicked yell did nothing to soothe you, it slammed a second wave of ringing straight into your left ear, forcing you to throw both hands over your head. The high pitched noise vibrated into your skull, and in a desperate attempt to drown it out, you began hitting your own temple and rubbing your eyes, the throbbing ache punishing you for daring to look at someone in such a way.

Neteyam grabbed your wrist, holding your arm to stop you from hurting yourself, but his words were completely lost to the noise in your head. Panic took over as you swatted his arms away, forcing him to release his grip.

“Y/n— please listen to me…” he begged, cradling your cheeks as you sobbed, praying for Eywa to stop punishing you for falling in love. Your head jolted backward, almost hitting the rough trunk behind you, but Neteyam’s hand was already there, cushioning the back of your head. “Can you hear me?!”

You gave a fast nod, your legs kicking out to push him away, but he refused to budge, taking the blows without a word. “Listen to me, okay? T-Try to take a deep breath. Catch your breath, c’mon, do it for me.”

You gasped for air, forcing your twitching eyelids open to find him through the blur. Starved of oxygen, one of your hands flew to the back of his neck to hold yourself, while your other hand fisted the grass beneath you.

“Inhale— and hold it, please… then exhale. Do it again. Inhale… hold… then exhale. Can you breathe properly?”

You sniffled, shaking your head, your nails digging into his skin as you fought to gasp in air, trying your best to ignore the pressure behind your eyes and the deafening noise in your head to focus only on his voice.

“C-Can you give me five things you see?” he asked, cupping your cheek while resting his palm against your thigh to stop your kicking legs. He watched your eyes dart around the jungle to find five objects. “T-The trees… sky… the leaves… and— and your hair, and… your eyes!”

“Good. How about four things you can touch or feel? C’mon, please…”

“Your hand on my cheek… your hand on my thigh… the grass… and— your hair?” You released your grip on the earth and brought your knees up, panicking as the uncomfortable ache surged through your body. “Three things you can hear? We’re so close, keep going—”

“Neteyam, it really hurts— I-I can hear your voice… my voice… and the— the ringing in my ears that won’t stop—”

“And two things you can smell?”

“The berries I crushed— and… your skin…”

“Last one. One thing you can taste—”

Instead of naming the fruit on your palm or the salt of your tears like he expected, you leaned forward and pressed your lips to his. Your hand on his neck tightened, pulling him closer to lock your mouths together.

His golden eyes widened in shock as his mind caught up to what was happening, his gaze dropping to see your ears releasing tension, and the way your tail stopped lashing around, a sign that the contact alone was pulling you back from the edge. Neteyam allowed himself to selfishly hold still, lacking the strength to pull away or even kiss you back, still shaken by the terror of watching an episode he couldn’t stop.

You finally pulled back, a final tear slipping down your cheek, before your lips parted into a whisper. “…Your lips.”

Neteyam released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, staring at you with twitching eyes as he licked his wet lips before his body gave out, sinking back onto the damp grass as his head dropped, burying his face in his hands to hide his expression from you. That desperate kiss felt like it had drained the remaining energy right out of his chest, leaving him breathless and just so undone under your eyes.

You held a hand against your chest, feeling your heart thumping so bad over your palm even as you tried to draw in a deep breath. You had no idea why you had kissed him, but in the blinding haze of your panic, all you could think about was him. Every single answer you had given to his questions, every sense, every breath, every response... had been Neteyam, everything at the moment had circled around him.

You stared at his state, his legs spread wide against the damp dirt, his head hanging low as his hair shaded his face, his trembling hands hiding his expression from you. You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came out, your throat was dry, and the air between you was so thick it felt like it was enough to choke on.

Licking your lips, your eyes widened slightly as you brought your fingertips up to touch them. The lingering ghost of his warmth still sat against your skin. You had touched his lips… and it had felt so normal relaxing to be held by them, to taste him, to just be near him. “Neteyam…?” you whispered shyly.

He didn’t lift his head just yet, gulping hard before pulling his trembling hands away from his face to meet your gaze. His golden eyes swept over your flushed, sweaty skin and your lips. “Yes…? H-How are you feeling?”

“...I’m fine. T-Thank you…” you managed to whisper, your throat still tight.

“Of course…”

Then silence sat again on your shoulders once more, the sunlight cutting through the leaves above and beating down on your bodies. The awkward tension hung so good in the air that you could almost feel the heat cooking your skin as neither of you dared to make the first move.

“Sorry—” you began, raising a hand.

“Are you—” Neteyam spoke at the exact same time.

You both froze, eyes meeting in a clash of nerves before you both looked down. You apologized and offered to let him go first, but he shook his head, sayng that you take the floor.

“Like I was trying to say before you spoke— umm… sorry for doing that,” you mumbled, the heat of the day was nothing compared to the blush going up your neck. “At the moment… it felt like the only thing I could think of to make it stop.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, y/n…” His voice trailed off as he reached out, moving to give you time to pull back. But you didn’t. You didn’t want to. His fingers closed around your wrist, lifting your hand to press your palm against his cheek. “If it kept you here… if it stopped the pain, then I’d let you do it a thousand times over,” he whispered, his thumb caressing the back of your hand. Your heart skipped a beat at his words, your eyes snapping up to meet his eyes.

“I was scared… seeing you like that again, feeling like I couldn’t reach you,” Neteyam murmured, a swallow working down his throat as his eyes flicked down to your lips for a split second before forcing themselves back up to yours. He squeezed your hand, the tremble in his touch betrayed the war raging inside him. “I don’t care how you brought yourself back to me, as long as you came back.”

That night, you were able to sleep with his arm resting around your waist, his heart beating against your back. He held you with almost painful softness, making sure not to pull you too close, but refusing to let you go. Above everything, you were grateful that nothing felt awkward between you. Even with his thoughts in disarray, a conflict tore at him with the overwhelming urge to hold you tight against his chest versus the need to push you away so history wouldn’t repeat itself, neither of you chose to let go.

Sleep, however, refused to grant him the same mercy it gave you. He stayed awake, listening tk the sound of your breathing. Eyes tracing the ceiling of the kelku, the very home he had shared with you before the war shattered your peace.

Not a day went by where he didn’t wish the amnesia had taken him instead. He hated not knowing the void you lived in, however the thought also pulled him apart for the mental image of you looking at him with heartbreak as he failed to recognize you made his heart feel like it was disintegrating. Before thought could intervene, instinct took over, and his arm tightened around your waist, pulling you closer.

Only when he could feel your breathing against his chest again did he realize what he had done. His eyes squeezed shut in frustration, he had sworn to keep his distance, to protect you from the past, but every part of his being still knew you by heart.

“Please don’t do this to me, baby…” he whispered, oh so silent that even Eywa wouldn’t be able to hear it. He leaned in, burying his face in the crook of your neck to breathe in your scent. “How is it that… your soul keeps finding mine?”

Neteyam rested his forehead on the nape of your neck, the memory of you calming down from the kiss, the way you sought him out every time the panic set in… every limb of him wanted to believe that, against all odds, you were choosing him all over again. The negative thoughts haunted him nonstop until you let out a hum in your sleep, the familiar melody you had once composed just for him, he just collapsed.

He’s so in love with you, a truth he could never rewrite.

Waking up, you stretched across the mat, opening your eyes and turning around only to find Neteyam still fast asleep beside you. You cupped his cheek in your palm, your thumb tracing the skin before your gaze went to his lips, then up to his closed eyes. An ache sent to your chest like a thujderstorm as you noticed how swollen it was, a sign that he had been crying while you slept. Not wanting to disturb his rest and unable to suppress the urge to comfort him, you guided his head against your chest. Wrapping your arms around him, you held him close, letting the beat of your heart help him in his sleep.

As you held him, a sound slipped past your lips. You found yourself humming a tune into the air of the hut, your voice soothing against his cheek. You didn’t even know why you were singing it. You couldn’t recall where you had heard the melody, nor did you remember learning the notes, but your lips moved through the song like second nature. It felt too familiar, buried deep in your bones long before the war took your memories away.

The morning sun was already peeking through the walls of the hut and you didn’t feel like moving at all. The clan could have come to escort you both, and you would only do your best to kick whoever dared to disturb this moment with him. Just as you were about to go back to sleep, he stirred in your arms, letting out a sigh as he buried his face deeper into yout neck, pulling you closer, inhaling against your skin before resting his head against your breasts. “Y/n…” he whispered hoarsely, “It’s okay, you can rest,” you whispered, brushing your fingers through his braids.

“Yes, sorry… I’m just overwhelmed.”

“I missed your voice...”

He leaned back until his golden eyes could meet yours, you gave him a smile, but it faded into a frown as your fingertips reached up, tracing the skin under his eyes. “Mhm... Have you been crying?”

“With everything?” you asked, your hand resting against the side of his face. “Mhm…” Neteyam muttrred, closing his eyes as he leaned into your touch, letting out a long sigh he seemed to have been holding all night. Your heart pinched at the exhaustion in his voice, you moved on the futon, sliding your arms under his neck and pulling him closer. He went willingly, burying his face in your neck with another sigh that fanned air against your collarbone, tickling you. His arms wrapped around your waist, his grip needy.

“You don’t have to carry it all by yourself, Neteyam. I’m right here.”

He nodded, pressing a kiss against the curve of your neck. He didn’t bother putting up a front or hiding his exhaustion anymore, he just stripped his feelings bare, letting you feel every ounce of his vulnerability. His lips trailed kisses across your throat, pulling a hum from you. Neither of you made a move to start the day, content to let the rest of the world wait while you both sank deeper into the warmth of each other.

The afternoon bled into training, Neteyam adjusting your posture as you drew your bow. Crouched beside each other in the bushes, his hand rested against your thigh to ensure neither of you made a sound to startle the yerik nearby. You inhale and aim just behind the creature’s front leg, releasing the string. The arrow flew straight, piercing the heart and lungs to grant it a quick death.

Coming out of the grass, you knelt beside the fallen hexapede, resting your hand against its shoulder to feel its fading warmth. “I see you, sister. I thank you. Your spirit goes to Eywa, while your body remains to nourish the People,” you whispered into the wind, your fingers brushing over its skin.

“Good kill,” Neteyam said, kneeling beside you to offer a silent prayer for its spirit. As he finished, his hand reached out to fix the slipping strap over your shoulder, his fingers stayed for a second against your skin. He looked up, catching the smile spreading across your face, and a grin broke across his own lips, so he held out his arm. “C’mere.”

A laugh bubbled up from your chest as you grinned, throwing yourself straight into his embrace. “Oh… I was so nervous,” you muttered, burying your face into his neck. After a beat, you leaned back slightly, looking down at the fallen creature with a pout. “I feel bad.”

“You should only feel bad if you didn’t send her a prayer,” Neteyam said, his golden eyes filled with warmth as his arm caressed your waist. He hauled the kill back to the cooks to let them prepare it, earning praise for the blessing. Neither of you made a show of it, just waving off their thanks with your hands.

Soon you both decided to take a bath in the river, Neteyam had to shyly look away when you stripped off your loincloth and removed your accessories. He had no idea why he did that when he had already seen every part of you in the past. Both of you sat side by side.

Your head rested on your palm with your elbow on the ground while the water reached just above your chest, he sat with his back relaxed against the rock behind the two of you, the falls hiding you two in the shade. He talked about how your ikran had always been the jealous type and hated you getting too close to his banshee. You laughed along and said that in that case you wouldn’t go near his ikran anymore, which made him laugh harder. Your chuckling died and you just watched him laugh with no thoughts behind your eyes. You gulped, sat up straight, and crossed your legs under the water before turning to face him. Your hand found his bicep. “Hey…”

Neteyam stopped laughing and looked at you. He caught the way your face was blushing. He licked his lips before gulping. “Yes?”

“Would it be weird if I were to kiss you right now?”

He bit the inside of his lip and gulped again, he looked away like the two of you hadn’t done that a million times before. “No…”

“I want to kiss you.”

“...Don’t.”

“Hmm?” He looked down at your lips as you hummed and tilted your head. You let one hand rest at his neck while the other rested on his thigh under the water. “You don’t want me to, Neteyam?”

“I… I don’t know. Please…”

You didn’t say anything else, you just leaned in closer, still giving him time to pull away or push you back for even trying. But he didn’t, and it wasn’t long until your lips met while the water showered both of your skin. Your hand stayed on his cheek, rubbing it as he hummed into the kiss. He still didn’t kiss you back yet, fighting off the urge inside him. You pulled away only long enough to change your seat and straddle his thighs. You held his jaw with your hands while he looked up at you with half-lidded eyes and bkushing cheeks. “Y/n…”

“I want to keep kissing you, Neteyam,” you whispered against his lips before kissing him again. You wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him closer. His hands instinctively found your waist and pulled you in tighter.

You pulled away from the kiss to press a peck to his cheek, your hands staying against the skin of his neck. “Are we so special to each other that we used to do this all the time?”

Neteyam grunted under your touch, his golden eyes rolling to the back as he closed his eyes. He tried to tilt his head away to catch his composure. “Answer me…”

“Yes…” he rasped, “So special.”

Your fingers trailed down to his jawline, tilting his face back up until he was forced to meet your gaze once again. “Special as in… you’ll let me stay this close?”

A chuckle broke through his chest as he pulled you in tighter by the waist, resting his forehead against yours. “More than special,” He couldn’t ignore the fsct that you were sitting right on his cock or that your bare pussy rubbed against him through the water.

The heat of him pressed right against your folds, making you moan in the kiss, you rolled your hips once, feeling how hard he already was under you. Neteyam gasped into the kiss, his fingers dug into your waist like he was trying to hold himself back and pull you closer at the same time.

You kept moving against him, letting the water make every slide smoother. Your breasts pressed to his chest while you kissed him deeper, tongue brushing his. He finally kissed you back, hungrily, letting his hands travel down. “Y/n…” he whimpered against your mouth when you pulled back just enough to breathe. “You don’t know what you’re doing..”

You looked down at him as you kept grinding down in circles, letting the tip of his cock drag against your clit with every movement. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Neteyam groaned as one of his hands slid up your side until it cupped your chest. He played with your nipple while the other stayed on your moving ass, guiding the roll of your body against him. He watched the way your breasts bounced in front of him. Every time you pressed down harder, a sound left your lips and made him gulp. He kissed the corner of your mouth, then your jaw, then the side of your neck. “We shouldn’t do this…”

You reached between your bodies under the water and wrapped your fingers around the base of his cock. He jerked at the contact, hips twitching up into your hand. You stroked him slow, feeling how hard he already was. “I don’t see you stopping me, Neteyam,” you whispered, you kept touching him under the water, thumb brushing over the head each time. He thrust up into your grip, still holding your ass tight, you pinched the tip and lifted your hips, guiding him to your entrance. You wiggled against him, teasing the head along your folds while your breasts moved right in front of his face. Neteyam stared for a second before closing his mouth over one nipple, sucking hard enough to pull a shameless moan from you.

You sank down onto his cock in one slow motion, the stretch made both of you whimper. Water lapped around your joined bodies as you took him all the way to the base. Your hands rested on his shoulders for balance while you stayed still, getting used to the full feeling.

“Fuck, y/n…”

You started rolling your hips, lifting almost all the way off before dropping back down. Soft moans left your lips each time he filled you perfectly, yoour fingers dug into his shoulders as the stretch pulled more sounds from you. Neteyam stayed quiet, only breathing hard against your chest, and letting his hips push up to meet yours, matching the pace you set.

He was thankful for the nearby waterfall cascading down the river, hiding you both from sight and masking every noise. If not for the wall of crashing water, someone surely would have caught you.

One of his hands stayed on your ass, helping you bounce, while the other pinched and rolled your nipple. He kept his eyes half-lidded, focused on the way you moved on him. You leaned forward and kissed him deeply, tongue sliding against his as you kept riding.

“Oh… yeah. You’re so big, Neteyam… Mhm… fuckkk,” you whispered against his mouth. You sank down harder, taking him all the way to the base and grinding there for a second. His cock twitched deep inside you while a sound left his throat. You kept the pace, raising and dropping with rolls of your hips. Water splashed around your joined bodies each time you came down. Neteyam’s head fell back against the rock, eyes closed, mouth open as he just took everything you gave him.

“You feel so good inside me,” you said next to his ear. You squeezed around him on purpose and watched his jaw clench. You grinned, kissing along his jaw and down his neck while you fucked yoirself into him deeper.

Every time you bottomed out, a desperate noise slipped from him. He held your skin tighter, pulling you closer without speaking a word, lost in the feeling of finally having you again, his hips jerked up harder to meet you.

You kept bouncing on his length under the water, groaning leaving your lips as he rubbed your clit under with his thumb to get you to edge. “I’m close… right there,” you whispered. You grind down harder, taking him as deep as you coulx, your walls fluttering around him as the pleasure builds fast. He thrusted up to meet you one last time, burying himself over. A groan tore from his throat as he came hard inside you, filling you while he held you down on his cock.

The feeling of him spilling deep pushed you over the edge. You clenched tight around him and came with a cry, rocking through the wster while his cock kept twitching inside you. Both of you stayed locked together, breathing hard against each other’s skin.

“That felt good…”

It really did.

Neteyam couldn’t help but notice how your behavior shifted after that kiss, you clung to him more, bolder in your affection, not that he was complaining in the slightest. Whatever negative doubts had weighed on him before just disappeared, to the point that the nightmares that used to haunt your sleep began to fade, the ache in your chest easing by being near him.

The next few weeks felt better than anything you had known since waking up, the two of you lived together in the same kelku. You sneaked kisses whenever you could and spent long stretches of time wrapped around each other. You couldn’t stop making out. Hands stayed under loincloths, bodies stayed pressed close, and more often than not you ended up fucking until both of you were too tired to move, the shared home felt full.

With every day spent by his side, your lost memories resurfaced. The recurring dreams finally smoothed into clarity until the truth was unmistakable, the faceless man who had haunted your visions all along had always been Neteyam, and the woman in his arms had always been you.

Standing outside beneath the open sky, you tilted your head back and let the downpour wash over your face, laughing as the cool rain soaked your skin. The press of lips against your cheek made you open your eyes to find Neteyam slipping his arms around your waist, prompting you to turn in his hold and wrap your arms around his neck. “I told you, you’d get sick out here…” he spoke against your mouth.

“I love the rain, Neteyam…” you whispered against his mouth, pulling him closer by the nape of his neck as your bodies pressed together. He leaned into the touch, his hands resting against your waist as the water washed over you both. “I know you do, baby…”

The water washed over your skins, but between his hug and heartbeat, you had never felt more happy. “Neteyam,” you sighed, your thumb tracing his cheekbone while the rain ran down the dark strands of his braids. “I saw this… in my dream.”

He smiled down at you. “You did?”

“Yes! This exact moment, and exactly what you said… I swear I’m not losing my mind.”

“I believe you,” he said, a teasing grin breaking across his lips. “So… it was a future vision? That’s pretty cool, baby,” He leaned down, claiming your mouth in a kiss, smiling right against your lips. You pulled back with a pout, glaring up at him. “You think I’m lying.”

“Nooo, babyy,” he frowned, his hands tightening around your waist to pull you right back flush against him. “I said I believe you.”

The endearments slipped out as you stood together in the middle of sprinkle, holding each other close. It barely felt like water raining down on your skin anymore, but rather the weight of your love pouring over the two of you, washing away every last trace of the pain that had kept you apart.

At night, cuddling often turned into sex, and the affection you both carried after being away for so long from each other made every touch feel overwhelming in the best way.

Your arms stayed wrapped around his neck while your lips stayed connected. Neteyam thrusted up into you slow and deep, one hand on your ass as he raised your leg and pulled you closer. His other hand rested under your neck, holding your head against his. Both of you made tiny sounds into each other’s mouths as you moved your hips in rolls, matching the gentle pace he set.

Being wrapped around each other like this felt right, your chests pressed together so your hearts stayed close. Every slow thrust made you hold him tighter, like you never wanted any space between your bodies again. You could’ve stayed like this for the rest of your life. Just him inside you, arms locked around each other, breathing the same air. The love between you made every movement feel deeper than the physical part alone.

Neteyam kissed you while his hips kept the same pushes, you answered by squeezing around him and burying your face against his neck for a moment, neither of you rushed the heat. You just stayed connected, moving together in the dark of the kelku.

“You feel so good, baby,” he whispered against your mouth. “Just like this… nice and slow.”

You answered with a moan and rolled your hips down to meet him. “Don’t stop, my love… I need you close,” Your fingers slid into his braids, holding him there. Every time he pushed deep, a whimper left both of you. Neteyam kissed along your jaw and down to your neck. “You’re taking me so well, princess. I can feel how perfectly you fit around me.”

You pressed your forehead to his and breathed with him. “I love when you talk to me like that… keep going,” Your walls hugged him tight, making him grunt. The wet sounds of your skins slapping, made both of your bodies sweat even more.

He groaned and held you even closer. “I love you so much. Missed this… missed you, you’re so perfect, baby… Mhm… so tight too.”

You kissed him again, “I love you too. You feel so deep, Neteyam,” Your voice sounded needy and full of love. He moved to press your bodies fkush together. “You’re doing so good for me. Taking every inch like you were made for it, huh?”

Your breathing grew uneven as the pleasure built. “I’m coming… don’t pull away, ’teyam,” You clung tighter to his shoulders. He nodded against your skin and kept the same loving pace, never breaking the connection.

“Cum for me, my love,” he mumbled in your lips. “I want to feel you. C’mon…” His hand slid between your bodies to brush your clit with strokes, the added touch made your thighs tremble around him.

You came with a cry against his neck, walls pulsing tight around his cock. Neteyam held you through it, still thrusting. “That’s my good girl… Oh… squeezin’ me tight,” A few more rolls of his hips and he followed you. He buried himself all the way and came hard, painting your walls white while he moaned your name, his arms locked around you so neither of you could move even an inch apart.

It even got to the point where the two of you almost got caught more than once. One morning started the same as many others lately, you were still half-asleep on the mat when Neteyam kissed down your stomach and pushed your loincloth aside. He settled between your thighs and licked a stripe up your folds. A gasp left your lips as your hands found his braids, he hummed against you and kept going, tongue flicking fast on your clit.

“Oh, Neteyam…” you muttered, voice raspy from sleep. Your hips lifted to ride his mouth, he held your thighs open and licked deeper, he took his time. Slow circles, soft sucks, the occasional drag of his tongue that made your fingers tighten in his hair, even praises left him between licks. “You love that, baby? You taste so good, yknow…”

You kept panting, and one hand stayed in his braids while the other covered your own mouth to stay quiet. Neteyam didn’t rush, he kept eating you out with the same patient attention he gave everything involving you.

“Right there… please,” you sighed happily, he answered by sucking gently on your clit and sliding two fingers inside you. The dual feeling made your thighs tremble around his head, he curled his fingers just right and kept his mouth working.

You were getting close when the sound of footsteps approached the kelku. “S-Someone’s outside,” You hit his shoulder to make him stop eating you out but he didn’t, he gave you a few more licks to make you cum before pulling back, wiping his lips using the back of his palm.

You scrambled to fix your loincloth, when you were actively still releasing, while Neteyam went back to bed, hiding his flushed pouting face for getting interrupted with you.

The curtain swept open a second later, Mo’at stood with her back to the inside of the hut, already speaking as if she expected you both to be awake and decent. You were glad she hadn’t turned around fully. If she had walked in facing the two of you, she probably would’ve dragged her grandson out by the ear for putting his mouth on you before you had even finished your morning check-ups.

Even with you back by his side, Neteyam never shirked his duties as the Olo’eyktan’s eldest son. He still took his place on patrols, hunted for the communal feasts, and assisted the village, and as a devoted lover, he always was by your side whenever you needed help piecing together the fragments of your past.

With the aftermath of your amnesia finally fading into nothing, you menaged to ask him to tell you the truth of how it all began. Listening to him was miserable, laying on his back with your chest pressed to his skin and your arms wrapped around his neck, you felt your heart ache as he spoke about the war. He recounted how you had thrown yourself in harm’s way to save him, and how the image of your head hitting the rock had burned itself into his memory. “I kept thinking that maybe Eywa made you forget about me as a sign… now that it went to the beginning, I should stay away so it would never happen again.”

“That would be really selfish, y’know?” you murmured, frowning against his skin. “I know… that’s why I made a promise to myself. If I couldn’t protect you then, I will from now on.”

You moved off his back to lie at his side, keeping your arms on his neck as you watched the fire in his eyes. Resting your weight on one elbow, you reached up to touch his jaw. “You don’t have to beat yourself up over what happened. You have no reason to.”

“I have every reason to, angel,” he murmured, leaning his face into your palm and turning his head to brush his nose against your wrist. His other arm tightened around your waist, pulling you flush against him. “It wasn’t your fault, Neteyam,” you whispered, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

“...It wasn’t yours either.”

“I might’ve forgotten everything up here,” you said, tapping your temple then sliding your hand down to your chest, “but this never forgot. Neteyam… in every universe, I promise you, I’ll find my way back to you. I swear it, and yknow I don’t swear.”

“And I’ll keep falling just as hard for you, yawne… in every universe, too,” he promised, his face relaxing as he leaned in to catch your lips. You both breathed a shared sigh into the kiss, letting the tension melt away into the warmth of your hut. With him, the rest of the world ceased to exist, leaving only the two of you in each other’s presence.

When he finally pulled back, he couldn’t resist leaning right back in to press a kkss to the corner of your mouth, leaning back wiht that stupid grin on his lips. “Did I mention how glad I am that you didn’t look for anyone else?”

You rolled your eyes. “You’ve said that at least ten times tonight.”

“I can’t help it,” he chuckled, “I’m just that happy. Especially when you asked if you could kiss me before… all I could think was that you never have to ask me ever again.”

“So cheesy, ’teyam… have you always been like this?”

“It’s who you fell for the second time, so yes,” he grinned. He sat up on the mattress, pulling his legs beneath him, and you copied the movement to sit in front of him. Reaching out, you held his jaw once more. “I mean, how could I not? You were so perfect that I stood no chance against falling for you.”

He licked his lips, biting back a shy smile as he placed his hand over yours, pressing your palm closer to his cheek. “I can’t bear being apart from you anymore, y/n, for all I ever do is dream of you.”

“Neteyam…” you whispered, leaning in until your forehead rested against his. You nudged your nose against his and closed your eyes. He pulled you closer by the hips and kissed you deep, you moaned into his mouth as the kiss turned sloppy. His tongue pushed against yours while he let you take control of it. He whimpered shamelessly when he realized those sounds alone made you wetter.

You pulled away to catch your breath, then moved down to his neck. His hands gripped the futon for something to hold onto as you sucked hard on his favourite spot. You leaned back to examine the mark you left before grinning and kissing his cheek.

You turned around in front of him and started untying your accessories from the back, he watched as your fingers worked and your top fell to the floor. You lifted yourself on your knees to untie your loincloth from your tail, he bit his lip and held your ass while staring, making your tail slap his chest to demand him start removing his own. He rose onto his knees and pressed his hips against your ass, forcing you down onto all fours as he untied it and threw it aside.

You hissed at the pressure, then pushed him back again, your fingers trailed back to your clit from behind, giving him a view. You rubbed circles while your other hand kept you balanced on all fours, Neteyam sighed at the sight and licked his lips. His hands molded to your ass before he slapped it once, hard enough to make you whimpee. He moved your hand away and rolled his thumb over your clit, stroking your folds until everything felt slippery.

You swatted his hands away and wrapped your fingers around his cock, you aimed the tip at your entrance and teased it, pinching the head between your fingers. He groaned and watched as you rubbed the thick head along your hole. He gave your thigh a pat, silently asking you to put it in. You understood without a word and sank down onto his length, a moan left you as you took him wholly.

You started moving, lifting and dropping on his cock. He hugged your waist from behind and let you ride him. His mouth pressed open kisses along your back while his tongue dragged over your skin.

His hands slid up your sides and claimed both of your breasts, you kept moaning loud every time his cock hit that spot inside you. You held his hands tighter against your chest, then swept your hair aside to give him access to your neck. He leaned up and kissed it from behind, pushing deeper with every movement. You kept riding him hard while his hands stayed locked on your breasts and his mouth stayed busy on your skin.

You kept riding him in reverse, hips rolling needily while his cock stayed buried deep. Both of you were breathing hard like it was the first time all over again. Neteyam’s hands stayed on your breasts, thumbs brushing your nipples. “You okay?” he asked against your neck.

The simple question made your walls clench around him, you nodded and pushed back harder onto his cock. “Yeah… feels so good,” you whispered. He groaned and held your waist, his hips lifted to meet every drop of yours, still checking in between movements.

“Tell me if it’s too much,” he murmured, one hand sliding down to rest over your lower belly, feeling his cock slip inside you through your skin, the concern in his voice only made you wetter. Hou reached back and gripped his thigh, guiding him deeper. “It’s not… keep going,”

Neteyam’s forehead pressed between your shoulder blades, he kept meeting you between thrusts. “Does it hurt when I do this?” He asked as he pushed bsck into you while you jumped on his body, you shook your head fast and let his hands move to your hips.

You leaned forward for better leverage, and the new angle made him hit deeper. Both of you let out sounds like you had never done this before. “Still good, right?” he asked again, kissing along your spine. You answered by squeezing around him and grinding down, his cock twitched hard inside you at the feeling.

“Yes… s-so big and… oh—” You rode him faster, the sounds of skin slapping growing louder between your bodies. “You’re so gorgeous, y/n, so beautiful and pretty,” With his mouth close to your ear, you could feel its vibration and his deep voice made you feel yourself getting close already. “I’m gonna come r-really hard,” you warned, voice cracking. He held your hips and thrust up deeper. “Me too… can I finish inside?”

The question alone pushed you over, you clenched tight around him and came with a cry, walls pulsing hard. Neteyam followed right after, he wasn’t able to pull out with how your walls hugged him like you didn’t want him to go out at all, he then buried himself all the way and spilled deep inside you while he groaned your name. He stayed inside while both of you caught your breath. His arms wrapped around your waist from behind, holding you close, kisses landed on your shoulders.

“Baby?” he asked, panting. You hummed and leaned back against his chest, keeping him buried. He adjusted his body and stretched his legs before carefully pulling out of you and falling back onto the bed. You followed right away and guided his cock back inside you, just wanting to feel full again. You hugged his neck as he pulled you closer, he gave one teasing thrust that made both of you chuckle before you held each other tight.

You opened your eyes and found him already looking down at you, you licked your lips and cleared your throat, still dry from earlier. Neteyam’s hand came up to brush your cheek. “You alright?” he whispered. His thumb caressing your chin while he stayed still inside you. You gave a small shrug and nodded.

“Yeah… I’m good,” Your voice came out quiet as you tightened your arms around him and pressed your face against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. “I just… I missed my mate so much,” you admitted, “Having him this close again feels like I can finally breathe.”

Neteyam’s arms wrapped tighter around your waist, he pressed a kiss to the top of your head and stayed quiet for a moment. His hand rubbed on your back while he stayed buried inside you. “He missed you too. Every single day.” He whispered then moved to look at your face again. “You sure you’re not sore?”

You shook your head and hugged him closer. “Don’t pull out yet. I just wanna stay like this,” Your legs stayed hooked around him, the peace between you was so addicting. He nodded and the both of you closed your eyes. “Neteyam?”

“Hmm?”

“I meant to ask earlier. How did a flower end up as my... signature?”

A scoff made out his mouth, his thumb caressing your skin. “Long story short? We had our first kiss surrounded by those in full bloom. Right after, you looked at me and said it was the best day of your life, and you never stopped bragging about how cool that moment was.”

You licked his neck, a shy smile tugging at your lips. “I must’ve been crushing so hard on you.”

“Yeah... You had it bad, but I had it so much worse.”

taglist : @k----a27s @babymi1ne

Almost the whooole community knew your feelings for Olo’eyktan’s eldest son. Just by the way you look, and spoke of him like he was already yours and everyone else was just living in your world.

You were caught biting your lip to stop yourself from smiling like an idiot every time he walked by, yelling “Hey there, handsome!” whenever he returned to the homehearth from patrol.

You would squeal whenever he gave you a polite nod during council meetings, slapping your friends’ arms until they gave you disgusted looks and pointed out that he literally only said a single word.

The wise ones often scolded you for failing to act with proper decorum, exasperated by how you were always gawking at him.

To which you just replied, “When you’re as fabulous as me, you’d understand.”

Because… could anyone blame you?

Neteyam was the ultimate golden son. Firstborn of the legendary sixth Toruk Makto, heir to the Olo’eyktan, grandson of the Tsahik. If you examined him closely, that avatar’s ancestry was striking… his shoulders were exceptionally broad, his chest built, and his expressive ears twitched at every sound. And while he carried his mother’s genes by bearing fourfingered hands, he still held that frame passed down from a borrowed skin.

“I have watched you all,” Neytiri paced while the bone beads in her hair clicked. “For many moons, I’ve seen your contribution to our people. The five of you possess the spirit of what I demand to see standing beside my son, as you all know, the future Olo’eyktan.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the group. “The mating season is upon us. In one moon, Neteyam must choose who will walk the path of leadership by his side. You have until next month to prove your worth, and to see if your soul will recognize his.”

You didn’t even bother looking at the four other candidates. The other girls glanced nervously at one another, letting out giggles, but you just crossed your arms, tossing your hair back.

You lifted a hand before anyone had the chance to call on you. “So... when do i begin? Making him wait any longer is a little cruel, don’t you think?” You inspected your nails with a sigh. “Your son deserves to meet his future wife already. Lucky for him, she’s standing right here.”

The other girls stared at you with widened eyes. But you just smirked.

“Tomorrow.”

The next morning, you strolled into the council cave with a sway of your hips, your gaze locking onto Neteyam, who was leaning over the center table studying a map.

“Why are you late?”

Instead of shrinking, you rolled your eyes. “Ugh, don’t be outrageous! A face like this requires upkeep, babe. You think looking this gorge just happens overnight? I really don’t think so.”

You walked around the perimeter of the table, coming to a stop directly across from him. Leaning your weight against the wooden surface, you rested your chin in your palm. “So, what are we talking about?”

Neteyam cleared his throat, but before he could speak, a young hunter at the table cut in. “We were discussing the mountain passes near the eastern ridge, where the—”

You snapped straight up, your smile vanishing into a face of disgust. “Uhhh...” You gave him an up-and-down glare, your ears flattening back. “Im pretty sure I asked him, not his mouthpiece.”

The hunter flushed, ducking his head in embarassment as he stepped back into the shadows. The second he moved, your beaming smile snapped right back into place.

“Now, where were we, cutie?”

Neteyam’s ears twitched, a sigh escaping him before he leaned back over the map. “Like he was trying to say... the sky people’s machines have dropped their fires along the lowlands. The air there is heavy with poison smoke, it’s dangerous for our scouts to breathe. Tell me, do any of you have ideas, or should we wait for it to clear?”

“Oh, please! Waiting for the smoke to clear is lame, boring!” you scoffed, rolling your eyes. “For all we know, they’re marching while the rest of you are standing around twiddling your thumbs.”

Neteyam rubbed his temple. “That’s why we gather, Y/n. So we can strike as one.”

You let out an absurdly loud, dramatic groan. “Jeez... well then, hurry up and brainstorm, you uncultured rocks.”

Everyone in the cave began debating the best route, each proposing a different plan while shooting down the others’ suggestions.

As the back-and-forth escalated, you leaned against the stone wall. “Ugh, my brain hurts...” you muttered under your breath, moving your gaze back to Neteyam, admiring him.

Eywa, he looks magnificent.

Suddenly, a young hunter spoke up. “What if we ride the charging sturmbeest herd?”

The cave went dead silent.

You let out a loud laugh. “Whaat...? You’re joking. Who’s gonna believe that? Even a stupid hexapede wouldn’t do shit like that!” You stepped forward. “Those are ground animals, genius! And quite frankly, Neteyam’s future mate cannot be crushed to a blood under wild hooves. So no. Absolutely not.”

“Y/n’s right. I’m sorry but… It’s a suicide run.”

“We cannot risk our people...”

You smirked, looking over at Neteyam, waiting for him to compliment your logic. But he kept his eyes fixed on the map, before speakng. “...I say it’s worth a shot.”

“Yes, i agree! Let’s do it!” you declared, clapping your hands together.

The council stared at you in confusion as they pointed out your sudden contradiction. But you waved them off and theatrically redirected everyone’s attention to Neteyam, insisting he was the one making the decisions.

And just as he had predicted, the plan actually worked. The dust cloud blinded the sky people’s sensors, allowing your unit to slip through and strike.

“Cuteyam!”

You launched yourself at him the moment you returned to camp. Neteyam barely had time to brace himself before catching your weight. You pressed a series of loud kisses right against his cheek. “You were so incredibly cool out there! I mean, it’s a given because I’m here, but still—!”

He let out an awkward chuckle, his tail lashing as he pried your arms off his neck. “Thanks, Y/nn. You did great out there, too.”

“Tell me something I don’t know!” You brought your hands up to your cheeks. “Of course I did, give it up for me!”

His smile dropped as you smacked his arm. “I... literally just gave you a compliment. Anyway, come help us. We’re preparing the catch for the feast tonight.”

“...Yes, I’ll do anything!”

Your face fell when he turned and walked away. He had literally just handed you chores and vanished!

“Just so you know, your forehead wrinkles are showing,” the cook beside you teased, gutting a river fish. “I do NOT have wrinkles!” You gasped in horror, staring at your hands.

“Look at my skin, it’s ruined! The foul smell of these is going to seep into my scales! Look what this work has done to my... my face!”

Later that afternoon, you swatted a young warrior’s hand off his bow. “Do I have to do everything myself? Seriously, what are you good for? Just join my team, someone has to carry your ass today.”

Returning to the front of the hunting group, you clapped your hands. “Everyone, listen up! Whichever line you’re standing in right now, that’s your team. Bring back goods for tonight. Any questions? There should be not—”

One hunter raised his hand. “Ma’am... how come you and Neteyam are in the same team? You two are literally our best… people. It’s kinda unfair.”

You scoffed, sliding right into Neteyam’s personal space and resting a hand on his broad chest. “Oh, please! As if I would ever let anyone else have my handsome prince today.”

Neteyam let out a sigh, immune to your drama, and addressed the group. “Y/n and I are together because we’re guiding the younger ones today. Move out.”

You bit your lip, wrapping both arms tightly around his bicep. “He’s exactly right! So listen to your future Olo’eyktan, you rocks, and do what he says!”

As the crowd dispersed, Neteyam looked down at you. “Back to work.”

“I really don’t want to,” you pouted, before sighing. “Fine,” You led the younger hunters down the forest path, lecturing them while Neteyam kept a disciplined pace behind, scanning the canopy.

The kids soon split off. You turned around to find Neteyam standing tense, his large ears twitching. “What is it, my prince?”

“I hear a crying sound nearby,” he muttered.

You let out a loud groan, stepping into his space to wrap your arms around his neck. “A cry?! You’re just hungry, darling. Help me pick fruits.”

Neteyam pulled your hands back gently. “We must check, Y/n. It could be someone in trouble.”

“Seriously? That’s so low,” you huffed, trying to pull him back. “It’s probably just a bird! Let it go!”

“Go back to the children then. I will check,” he said, stepping past you.

You stomped your foot. “This is outrageous!”

You marched behind him, glaring at his muscled back until he suddenly came to a dead stop. You bumped right into his shoulders, peeking only to spot two birds on the ground, caught right in the middle of mating.

A silence fell over the woods.

Neteyam closed his eyes, taking an embarassed breath as his ears flattened. “Let’s... just get the fruits here,” he muttered, hiding his flushed face behind his basket.

You clamped both hands over your mouth, squealing with laughter. “I didn’t know you could get any more pathetic than that!”

“Alright, y/n…”

You bent down, dumping a bunch of sweet fruits into his basket. “I’ll turn this into a sweet soup for you later, husband,” you winked, pecking his cheek. “So, do tell... have any of the girls tried to make a move on you yet?” you asked, flipping a braid over your shoulder.

Neteyam adjusted the weight of the basket, a frown playing at the corner of his lips. “It’s not like you’re giving them the chance. You don’t leave me alone for even a second. At this point... you’re basically competing against yourself.”

“Do you want them to, honey?” you purred, stepping right back into his path and tilting your chin up with supreme confidence. “Because if they actually wanted you, they would’ve done something bold by now to win your heart.”

While the four other candidate girls were stressing themselves out, waking up at the crack of dawn to bake sweet breads for Neytiri, weaving straps for Jake, or attempting to hand Neteyam stuff after his morning routine, you were operating on a different level.

It was noon, and the afternoon heat was humid enough to make anyone’s temper flare. The five of you had been called to the central riverbank to assist in skinning and curing the hunt.

Obviously, you were sitting on a stone, holding a giant palm leaf over your head for shade from the sun while one of the girls did their task.

“Ugh,” you drawled, looking down your nose at the four other candidates covered in mud and blood up to their elbows. “Oh, is that girl really using a dull skinning blade? Wow. Impressive.”

She froze, wiping sweat off her brow and glaring up at you. “Some of us are actually trying to show Neytiri our dedication, Y/n!”

“Yeah? It’s working, girl. And you have fish scales in your braids, by the way,” you pointed, rolling your eyes.

“Why aren’t you even doing anything, Y/n? What if the council finds out about your behavior right now...?” Ali’ya frowned, wiping the dirt off her cheek. She glared up at you as you held a huge leaf over your head, sitting pretty on the high rock like clan royalty.

“First of all, helloo? Have you looked at the weather? Maybe that will answer your question. And I don’t do mud,” Your eye twitched in disgust at the sight of their legs, which were literally caked in wet sludge.

“But... you’re a huntress?”

“Heh, ironic, right?” You rolled your eyes, tossing a braid over your shoulder.

“Y/n.”

The authoritative voice cut through the air, making you peek out from under your so-called hat to see Neteyam walking, his loincloth splattered with mud from a long patrol, his chest rising and falling as he wiped sweat from his neck with the back of his arm.

Jake and Neytiri did some great teamwork.

The sight of his bare, glistening shoulders almost made you drop your leaf, but you caught yourself and smoothed down your posture.

“Why are you sitting up there while everyone else is working?” Neteyam asked, he crossed his arms, looking at you. “I’m pretty sure my mother gave strict instructions to prepare the hides together.”

“Uhhh... because it’s hot?” you said, as if explaining basic arithmetic to a toddler. You swung your legs over the rock, giving him a pout that you knew made your lips look extra full. “And secondly, look at that! If I get animal blood under my cuticles again today, I’ll literally pass out. Do you want your future wife to pass out from trauma, Neteyam? Do you?!”

“Neteyam, look at her!” Ali’ya pouted, blinking her big eyes up at him and letting her voice drop into a pitiful whimper. “She hasn’t touched a single hide all morning! Meanwhile, some of us have been working until our hands bleed just to make your family proud!”

“I know, right? It’s so unfair!” another candidate chimed in, tossing her messy braids back and placing a dirt-stained hand over her heart. “She even made a helpless little child carry her basket! Neteyam, I would never shirk my duties like that. I actually care about being a good mate for you...”

You let out a groan, rolling your eyes so far back into your head you almost saw your own brain. “Oh my!” you gasped, placing both hands over your cheeks in mock shock before leaning over the edge of the rock to flash Neteyam a smile. “I haven’t stolen the spotlight at all! She’s right, Neteyam! Look at me!”

“She also kept bragging about how she doesn’t have to do a thing and you’ll be picking her at the end anyway! It hasn’t even been a week, yet she’s already deciding your whole future!” one of them pouted.

You gasped, slapping a hand against your chest. “I said that?”

“Yes you did!” all four of them said in unison, glaring at you.

You crossed your arms, rolling your eyes so hard at their sudden teamwork. “Well, I still mean all of it!”

Neteyam pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh that sounded like it came from the very bottom of his lungs. He walked up the stone steps, stopping right in front of you. He reached out, grabbed you by the wrist, and pulled you off your little throne.

“Hey! Hands off the merchandise!” you gasped, though you didn’t actually fight his grip. “You’re working,” He said, pulling you down. “With me.”

“Oh? Don’t bother me with a good time!”

The girls watched as he led you far from them to a shaded patch of grass near the water, dropping a covered knife and a fresh cut into your lap. He sat down right across from you, grabbing his own blade to begin scraping his side of the hide.

You stared at the rawmeat with disgust, “Jeez...”

He ignored you so you began picking up the blade with two fingers, making little scrapes against the thick hide, sighing exaggeratedly every three seconds to make sure he knew how much you were suffering.

The other candidates were sulking at the sight. It was infuriating. How come you barely did a single damn thing that was actually expected of you as a ‘future mate’, yet you somehow still managed to steal his attention right out from under their noses?

While they had spent all morning slaving away, looking like pathetic creatures to impress him, there you were, isolated off to the side with him, getting a fromt row show as he did the job.

You could feel their glares digging into the side of your neck, drilling holes through your back. You didn’t even bother looking back at them. You just tilted your chin up, let out a hum, and wore the most unbothered grin on your face.

It continued for the following days too. You had found a whole new source of entertainment, watching the girls fume, clench their fists in agony, and throw glares when you walk past.

To you, it was hilarious that they were actually trying to compete against you in something you’ve been doing ever since you were old enough to mount a pa’li.

You’ve long attached yourself to the man like a permanent fixture. Over the years, your presence meant you had integrated yourself right into the heart of his family, especially his siblings.

They seem to not catch that one though.

Currently, you’re slouching across the cushions in your hut. It was your day off, and unfortunately, you were unable to enjoy it because Neteyam was out on an all-day patrol. The injustice of it had left a scowl written all over your face.

Kiri crouched on the woven floor beside your mat, watching you wallow. “Why won’t you come to the forest with us? It’ll be fun!” She grinned, resting her cheek in her palm.

You just crossed your arms, rolled your eyes so hard it hurt, and dramatically turned your head away.

“Nothing is fun right now. I have dawn patrol tomorrow, which means Neteyam won’t be the first thing I set my eyes upon in the morning! Not to mention our schedules have been hectic this week. Like… it’s giving long-distance relationship! This is a tragedy, a crime against my beauty!”

Kiri let out a sigh, rolling her eyes as she watched you flop onto your side, turning your back to her. “Oh, poor you.”

“I know right? So go away. Spend the day with your little human friend or whatever.”

“His name is Spider! How many times do I have to tell you his name?!” Kiri frowned, smacking your butt before shoving your legs aside so she could steal a spot on your mat.

You closed your eyes, letting out a groan into your pillow. “Uh, who cares? I don’t register the existence of other men who aren’t Neteyam;”

“So you aren’t actually coming?”

“Hell to the no. I got better things to do.”

“I know you don’t.”

“I actually don’t.”

“Alright,” Kiri sat up, a grin tickling the corners of her mouth as she dusted off her loincloth. She stepped past the curtain at your entrance, pausing right at the threshold to glance back at your state.

“Neteyam will be there!”

Which is exactly why you found yourself trudging through the dense forest alongside the Sullys less than ten minutes later.

Apparently, they had decided to bring food to Neteyam, considering he’d missed breakfast and it was lunchtime. Naturally, you had sprinted to fix your braids, because leaving your man hungry, and letting him eat without your gorgeously stunning presence beside him, was simply not an option on your watch.

“W-What are you all doing here? You shouldn’t be here. Is that Tuk?!” Neteyam’s eyes widened. He clapped a hand onto his scouting partner’s shoulder to dismiss him before ushering his siblings, and the gorgeous, beautiful, drop-dead sexy, pretty, and brilliant woman (you) aside, leading everyone straight into a nearby cave.

“We came to bring you food!” Tuk cheered, raising her tiny hands before unbuckling the small leather pouch at her waist. “Here! These are the fruits I picked on our way here! I picked them because they’re pink and super cute!”

“Thank you, Tuk,” Neteyam softened, a warm smile breaking across his face as he scooped his baby sister up into his arms. He glanced from his siblings over to you, a cue for you to strut into his space and press a kiss against his cheek.

“I spared no expense on my arrival for you, darling,” you purred, tossing a braid over your shoulder.

“She means she only brought herself so you wouldn’t have to suffer eating alone without her presence nearby,” She stepped up to hand him his main meal, at least five different varieties of fresh food wrapped in plantain leaves.

“He got a kiss, dodn’t he?” you scoffed, crossing your arms with a pout. Neteyam shook his head, a laugh rumbling in his chest. “Thank you for the thought, Y/n... and thank you, Kiri.” He pressed a gentle peck to Tuk’s temple before setting her down. “Take a seat, you guys.”

You claimed the spot right at his side, glued to his bicep, while Kiri and Tuk settled in across from you. As you all formed a circle on the cave floor, Neteyam unwrapped the leaves and held out a portion toward the three of you.

You stared at his offered hand, “Umm? This is your food, handsome.”

Neteyam looked at you. “Yeah, and I’m sharing it with you guys because you walked all the way out here. It’s pretty far from thr village... I’m kinda worried you guys wouldn’t even know the way back in the dark.”

“Aww, cutie... don’t worry your pretty little head!” You giggled, sliding your arm through his and resting your chin on his shoulder with a grin. “You’ve got your awesome future wife right beside you. She knows the way!”

“I know you know the way, Y/n. But I also know that if there’s a waterstream, you’d get distracted by your own reflection.”

Kiri burst out laughing, pointing a finger at you. “HA! He’s so right!”

Tuk covered her mouth, giggling as she watched you snuggle closer to her big brother’s arm. “Are you guys gonna kiss again? Y/n kisses Neteyam a lot!”

“Eww, gross! Tuk, don’t look at them!” Kiri gasped, slapping both hands over Tuk’s eyes. But Tuk swatted her hands away to keep watching.

You chuckled at the sight, tilting your head up toward Neteyam, only to catch him shaking his head at you with a warning in his golden eyes, implicitly asking you not to do anything in front of his little sister.

You nodded, scooting back just an inch to give him his space before turning your full attention to Tuk. “Listen to me, girlie. When you grow up, you have to be super smart at picking men, just like me!”

Neteyam let out a groan, rubbing his temple. “Can you wrap this up?” He placed a piece of cooked flesh onto Tuk’s leaf to distract her, then tossed one of the cute pink fruits she had brought him straight into his mouth.

Later that day, Neteyam ended up insisting on walking the three of you all the way back home before returning to his patrol, claiming it was for safety, though you knew deep down he just couldn’t resist spending an extra twenty minutes in your glorious presence.

Naturally, you took full advantage of the walk back to High Camp. You spent walking beside him, chattering about how exhausting it was being the clear favorite in the candidate trial.

“I’m heading back to patrol,” Neteyam said, his eyes going bCk to you. “Try not to start another riot with the other candidates while I’m gone, okay?”

“Mhmm…”

You tried not to, though.

It wasn’t like you ever had the energy to hike all the way over to those chicks and confront them for a week only remains before Neteyam has to make his final decision between the five candidates.

By the time evening settled over the village, it was buzzing as the Omatikaya gathered for an evening meal, they were hosting a grand feast to welcome a visiting trading party from the neighboring forest clans, including representatives and scouts led by the traders of the allied clans, who had traveled through the river passes to exchange stuff within the clan.

They were apparently staying for three days, bringing new faces, open trades, and laughter. Of course, the other four candidate girls saw this as their arena to show themselves off.

All five candidates were marked in white swirls of body paint until the final selection. Your patterns were intricate, tracing the curves of your collarbones and ribs down to your thighs. Bright orange beads clinked in your braids whenever you moved.

You sat resting, taking sips of sweet fruit nectar while watching the other four candidates sweat over the roasting pits.

“You’re not even going to pretend to help them, are you?” Kiri asked, dropping down onto the ground beside you with a wooden bowl of meat. “I am helping, Kiri,” you said, tossing a braid over your shoulder before sipping your drink again. “I’m giving our people the privilege of looking at my face.”

“Seriously? At this point, I’m actually curious if my brother is even going to pick you. What are you actually planning to do on selection night?”

“First, I’m going to corner him in the forest and bend myself over for him,” you said, slapping both cheeks as you squealed into your hands.

“Oh… wow. A perfect plan,” Kiri said, slowly clapping her hands together. You shrugged. “Of course it’s perfect, I came up with it.”

“Whatever… Imma find Spider.”

As the drums comtinued and the trading clan’s hunters joined the circle, a tall warrior stepped into the light of the main fire. He wore dark leather straps and carved bone ornaments across his chest that marked him as a high-ranking man among the visiting traders.

It was Kayel—one of the allied clan’s top scouts, a warrior who had ridden on joint border patrols with Neteyam in the past.

Kayel scanned the hearth, exchanging a quick nod with Neteyam across the pit. But when his eyes drifted and landed on you, who’s sitting unbothered, painted in white, and holding a wooden cup, he stopped in his tracks.

Puffing out his chest, he walked straight toward your place. “I’ve traveled across river valleys, yet I’ve never seen a sight as striking as the woman sitting right here, drinking a sweet.”

You raised a brow, looking him up and down with open disgust. “Uhh… what?”

Kayel sat down on the grass in front of you, leaning forward with a smile. “I’m convinced the Greatmother took extra care when she made you.”

“I’m going to guess that sounded better in your head,” you said, rolling your eyes before taking a loud sip through your straw.

“My name is Kayel. As you know, I’m one of the head scouts of my clan. Have you always looked gorgeous?”

“To answer your question, yes. I always look like this,” you said, tilting your chin up. Kayel chuckled, his eyes fixed on you. “Then do I get the honor of knowing your name, beauty?”

“As if. I’m already happily taken—”

“Brother!”

You turned to see Neteyam walking over, a smile on his face as he approached the trader. You crossed your arms, pouting because he hadn’t greeted you first.

“Bro! I thought you were assigned to patrol tonight?” Kayel said, shoving Neteyam’s shoulder. Neteyam shook his head. “I have to stay and help with the gathering.”

His eyes moved down to your scowling face. Without a word, Neteyam stepped between you and Kayel. He reached out, his large hand wrapping around your waist to pull you close against his side.

“By the way. This is Y/n—” Neteyam began.

“Yes, I was already speaking with her until you walked over, man. Let us talk!” Kayel laughed, waving his hand at Neteyam.

“I see,” Neteyam said, his fingers pressed deeper into the skin of your waist, his thumb tracing over your white paint in a territorial hold.

He looked Kayel dead in the eye, “She’s my future mate. We’re both painted for the final week before our selection ceremony.”

Kayel froze. “Wait, really, bro? She’s yours? We were only talking, I didn’t know—”

“You get me, right?” Neteyam spoke, Kayel raised his hands in surrender, nodding right away. “Of course, brother. My mistake, prett— y/n. I didb’t know. If I had, I wouldn’t have approached. Good seeing you, Neteyam.”

Kayel bumped his shoulder against Neteyam’s, gave you a nod, and walked back toward the rest of the visiting hunters.

Your arms remained crossed over your chest as you looked up at him, raising a brow. “Future mate, huh? I have questions. None of which I actually want answered.”

Neteyam shook his head. “I’ll answer them next week,” he said, leaning down until his lips hovered right beside your ear, his voice dropping into murmur. “Do not speak with these males, Y/n. They aren’t for you.”

A grin spread across your face, you reached up, wrapping both arms around his neck. “I know you want me all to yourself, my prince. You never have to worry about that.”

Neteyam’s hand stayed still on your waist, pulling you against his hip. As he leaned in, you closed the distance, pressing a kiss right against the corner of his lips. You pulled back with a happy sway of your hips, satisfied with the grip he kept on your skin.

“Meet me at my place?”

You moved a braid away from his ear, your eyes searching his face. He caressed your hand before shaking his head, a frown tugging at his lips. “I cannot, I’m sorry. I have to watch over the camp tonight as I’m on schedule.”

“Lame…”

The second day of the visiting clan’s stay meant it was also the second day of seven that the candidates remained covered in sacred paint, being honored by the village.

You swayed your hips as the weavers adjusted your chest accessories, the white pieces contrasting perfectly against the swirls on your skin.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, Y/n?”

“It’s Miss Y/n to you as I’m Neteyam’s future mate, and yes, I’m the main attraction,” you stated, making the women erupt into giggles at your confidence.

“What’s your plan for today, Miss?”

The agenda was simple though: find Neteyam, keep him close, and remind everyone that he belonged to you.

Neteyam was sitting by the river, dipping his legs into the cool water. Hearing your footsteps, he looked up with a smile and extended a hand to guide you down beside him. “Fancy a little dip?”

“I sure do, handsome,” you murmured, taking his hand as you settled beside him. You leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek, catching a fruit syrup near his mouth before wiping it away with your thumb and licking it clean.

“Sorry about that,” he mumbled, lowering his gaze in embarassment. You shook your head, pressing another kiss against his cheek. He turned, taking a sweet treat he had been holding, and held it up to your lips. You took a slow bite, keeping your eyes locked onto his the whole time as he fed you.

He was being unusually sweet, and it didn’t go unnoticed by you. “What’s with you?”

“Hmm?” he hummed, reaching over to adjust the loose strap of your top back over your collarbone. “You’re quite touchy,” you said, raising a brow at him.

“I don’t know what you mean considering this is how you always act with me. Are you saying you’re too touchy?” he retoted, grinning.

“Fair enough,” you conceded, letting your eyes wander down to his waist where a new band was tied to his pouch. “What’s that? I didn’t know you spent your day making jewelry.”

“Ah, no, this was given to me by one of the candidates,” he explained, untying the accessory and handing it to you. You pouted, picking up the piece to inspect it. “Uhh, who?”

“Ali’ya.”

You covered your mouth to hide a laugh, rolling your eyes. “If it’s hers, it’s probably useless.”

Neteyam widened his eyes in warning, shaking his head to tell you not to be spiteful toward the other girls. “She also made one for you.”

“Uhh… me?” You pointed a finger at your own chest in disbelief. He nodded, reaching back into his pouch to pull out a second band strung with rare pearls and beads in your favorite color.

“Woah…”

“Right? So, perhaps next time, you can try making peace with her.”

“First of all, she hates my guts. Second, why did she give it to you instead of bringing it to me herself? Was she just looking for an excuse to talk to you?” you questioned, leaning closer.

“Y/n, just listen to me, alright?” he interrupted, taking the pearl bracelet from your palm and sliding it over your wrist. “See? It’s beautiful on you… Anyway, we had a talk, but you might want to hear her out yourself, it’s not my place to speak on it.”

“What talk?” you asked, glaring at him.

“She told me she no longer wishes to be a candidate.”

After your time with Neteyam ended, you made up your mind to search for Ali’ya. You usually didn’t care about the other females, but her dropping out when the selection was only a week away made you far too curious to let it go.

It didn’t take long to spot her hanging out with her friends near the edge of the hearth. You let out a whistle to catch their attention as you walked over. The group turned, their eyes widening before they glanced back at Ali’ya, who sat up straight and crossed her arms at your arrival.

“What do you want, Y/n?”

“You,” you said. “Let’s talk.”

You pulled her aside, sitting down on a large rock while she leaned her back against a tree, waiting for you to begin. “First of all, thank you for… this,” you said, lifting your wrist to show off the bracelet she had made.

Ali’ya caught sight of it and looked away, clearing her throat. “Don’t think you’re special just because I made you that.”

“Calm down, I’m not here to pick a fight,” you scoffed, waving a hand. “Neteyam told me to make peace with you because you apparently told him something he refused to share with me. Not to mention you quit the mate selection when we’re only a week away.”

“Why would I stay when I already know the answer?” She rolled her eyes, making you confused. “What answer?”

“I know all too well Neteyam will choose you,” she said, looking back at you. “It’s obvious from the way he keeps you away from those visiting males, and how close he has been lately. I’m sure you know he will pick you too, considering how confident you are.”

“I won’t lie to you, it does feel like he will pick me,” you shrugged, leaning back. “to be fairs, i’d been pining over him since we were children, so this whole contest always felt a bit outrageous to me. But I don’t understand why you did— what if he wanted to pick you?”

Ali’ya kept tapping her foot nervously against the dirt. “As if. You know, Y/n… I never Imagined a day where we would be speaking alone like this. I’ve never been the kind of female to talk one-on-one with someone, especially not with someone like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I gave Neteyam that bracelet and asked him to hand it to you because I couldn’t face you after what I told him,” she admitted, looking away with a frown. “And what did you say to him?”

“It’s stupid. You would probably laugh at me, so I don’t want to say it—”

“Say it, Ali’ya.”

She took a deep breath and sat down on the far end of the same rock, keeping her distance. “The truth is… I don’t understand my own feelings.”

Ali’ya finally met your gaze, her throat working as she swallowed. “When his mother chose me as a candidate, I felt this strange surge inside me. I assumed I was just happy that Neytiri saw potential in me, or maybe I just hated the idea of fighting other females for a male’s attention.”

You watched her pick at her nails, the sight making a strange tension settle in your own chest.

“I didn’t even attempt to approach Neteyam until the second week,” she continued. “And when I finally did, I realized there was no spark between us at all.”

You looked down at the dirt, twisting the pearl bracelet around your wrist as you listened.

“You’re a great competition, Y/n,” Ali’ya said, a smile touching her lips. “Even when I wasn’t fully in it, I always knew that when you want something, you take it. That’s what I’ve always admired about you… and you’re so gorgeous. I could never be like you.”

Your eyes widened, twitching in shock at her statement, “Uh— whaat?” You stared at her, your mouth agape as you processed her words. “Are you… Did someone put something in your drink tonight?”

Ali’ya rolled her eyes, ducking her head as a blush bloomed across her high cheekbones. She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them.

“I’m serious, Y/n," she said, “When I watched you sitting on that ledge before, looking like a dream while the rest of us were drowning in mud, I was angry. But it wasn’t because you were lazy.”

You blinked. “Then why?”

She whipped her tail, her ears pinning back against her braided hair. “Because my eyes kept going back to you.”

The forest around you seemed to go quiet. You froze, your fingers coming to a halt over the pearl bracelet.

“When I was making that wristband,” Ali’ya continued, her gaze fixed on her own toes, “I spent hours finding the rarest pearls. I even told myself it was just a polite gesture for a fellow candidate… but when I finished it, the thought of giving it to Neteyam made my chest feel empty. All I could think about was how breathtaking those pearls would look against your skin. And I didn’t like the idea that he would be the first one to see it on you.”

She swallowed hard, turning her head to meet your astonished eyes. “I tried to force myself to want the future Olo’eyktan,” she whispered. “But when I saw that visiting scout speaking with you yesterday, I wasn’t even angry that you were letting another male close to you when you already have Neteyam. I was angry because he could do it so freely, and I couldn’t.”

“Oh…”

For once, the words caught in your throat, your usual confidence evaporated. You were used to being worshipped from afar, but sitting here while she laid her soul bare was unfamiliar. You were definitely not built to be anyone’s emotional counselor.

“I only wanted you to hear it from me, and I’m glad Neteyam respected my privacy enough not to tell you himself,” Ali’ya said. “You don’t need to say anything, Y/n. It’s not as if these feelings run that deep anyway. As I said, it’s just adoration, and it’ll fade in time.”

You cleared your throat, tossed a hair over your shoulder. “You know… you’re actually not so bad, Ali’ya. You certainly have exquisite taste. I suppose I cannot blame you for falling for perfection.”

A chuckle escaped you as you held up your arm, admiring the delicate craftsmanship. “I really do love the bracelet. It looks cute against my skin. You must’ve spent hours trying to figure out what would match my beauty, right?”

Ali’ya looked down, a laugh breaking through her as she shook her head. “Not really. I just knew.”

You looked at her for a second, the playful behavior in your eyes softening before you looked down at the pearls goowing against your skin.

“Thank you, Ali’ya... for spending hours making this, for thinking of me, and for being able to tell me all of this when you thought I’d just laugh in your face. You really have to give it up for me. My beauty is becoming a hazard to this clan if I’m breaking hearts without even trying,” A grin returned to your lips, “I always thought you hated my guts. I thought you were just glaring at me because—”

“I did hate you,” Ali’ya interrupted, a scoff escaping her as she looked at you. “I hated you because you walked around like you owned the forest, and because you made me feel things I didn’t understand and certainly didn’t wanna feel.”

You chuckled, shaking your head as you let her words settle before continuing. “Well, at least now it all makes sense… But as you already know, my heart has belonged to Neteyam. I love him so much it terrifies me sometimes, and I cannot imagine any future that doesn’t have him standing right beside me. So... I suppose you already knew what my answer would be. But I’m grateful you told me, Ali’ya. Again, you have good taste, and I’m really glad we had this talk.”

The third day came smoothly.

You and Ali’ya had found a sense of comfort with each other after that deep conversation in the forest. And as a skilled weaver, she began helping you with your clothing and applying the white paint to your body. You even teased her that she only volunteered so she could catch a glimpse of you, which earned you a gag and a pinch on your arm.

“Everyone, relax! I’ve arrived!” you declared, stepping onto the dance floor. You bumped your hips with one of the dancers as the hits of the drums beat in sync with your hearts.

The other dancers cheered, relinquishing the spotlight to let you show off your moves. Unbeknownst to you, a pair of golden eyes watched the way you swayed with sass from across the fire, unable to keep a grin off his face.

As you were enjoying yourself, a sudden hand gripped your forearm. You turned to see a visiting trader scratching his neck nervously.

You raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“Care to dance with the most handsome male here?” he offered, holding out his hand. Your face fell, looking down at your painted skin, which obviously signaled that you were a candidate already spoken for, though this windtrader seemed oblivious.

You grinned, looking past him at the crowd. “I’d love to! I wonder where he is?”

His confident smile evaporated into a scowl, you flicked your wrist, shooing him away like a bug before turning your back on him, he even called you ‘not attractive’ after you turned him down.

Once the dancing wound down, you walked over to the grand hearth where the elders were feasting, discussing plans for the upcoming mating ceremony.

“Can someone explain why that’s my problem?”

Several people rolled their eyes, but one of the clan women chuckled, shaking her head. “No, it’s not your problem, because we’re technically celebrating you, m’lady.”

“As you should be. I suggest you all make sure the decorations match my beuaty then.”

A groan and chuckles went around, but you just took a seat on a bench, crossing one leg over the other and it wasn’t long until you felt a hand settle over the back of your neck.

You didn’t even need to look back as he slipped into the space beside you, his legs stretching out. His broad shoulder brushed against yours, sending a heat straight through your skin.

“Enjoying your night?” he whispered, leaning down so his deep voice buzzed right against the shell of your ear. “Enjoying it more now that you’re here,” you purred, tilting your head up to meet his golden eyes before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Although, another windtrader tried to hit on me. He asked if I wanted to dance with the most handsome male, so I said of course, then asked where he was, and then he walked away calling me ugly.”

A laugh went out its way to Neteyam’s lips, his hand settled on your thigh, thumb tracing over the white paint on your skin. “Is that so? And did you ever find this handsome male?”

“I’m sitting right next to him, am I not?” you hummed, leaning your weight fully into his side. Neteyam chuckled, wuthout taking his eyes off you, his arm slid around your waist, pulling you against his hip for the entire clan to see.

“Good answer,” he said, pressing his lips against the crook of your neck. “I’d hate to wait for tomorrow to chase another scout out of our camp.”

You chuckled, bringing both hands up to hold his jaw as you examined the crisp white designs painted across his face. “Is it bad that I’m wondering who painted this on you?”

“I painted myself,” he answered. “Once the sixth day comes, the female of my choice will be the one to paint me next.”

“Oh? in that case, I’ll have to practice,” you giggled, making him shake his head with a smile. He placed his hand over yours where it rested against his cheek, leaning into your palm. “How are you so sure you’re the one I’ll choose?”

“Thwy call me the mind reader” you said, sliding your arms around his waist to rest your head against his collarbone. “Hey… I think I made a friend.”

“I know you did.”

You lifted your head, raising a brow up at him. “Did she tell you or were you spying on us in the forest?”

Neteyam chuckled. “Neither. I just saw the accessory on your wrist, and I know how stubborn both of you can be. If you returned wearing her craft without a fresh bruise on your face, I assumed peace had been made.”

“Well you assumed correctly,” you huffed, running your fingers idly over the leather harness across his chest. “She surrendered to my charm, just as everyone eventually does.”

“Is that what happened?” Neteyam whispered. “Yes, exactly what happened,” you grinned, resting your cheek back down against his chest to listen to the beat of his heart. “I may not have a line of candidates like you do, but just know you have plenty of competition out there.”

“I dnot need to compete,” His fingers tightened against your waist. “I’m already fortunate enough to have captured your sight.”

The fourth day began early as you stood alongside Neteyam and his family near the village entrance, bidding farewell to the visiting traders as their direhorses snorted in the morning mist.

Kayel shot you one last smirk, which Neteyam promptly shut down with a glare until the scouts disappeared into the forests.

Once the visitors were gone, you slipped away to join the rest of the candidates for the afternoon tasks. With Ali’ya no longer in the running, the remaining three females were spiraling.

“I just cannot believe it’s almost over!” one of the candidates sobbed by the baskets, wiping her tears onto her forearm. “He has barely even looked at me!”

You strolled past them, holding a bundle of reeds that Ali’ya had handed you earlier. You stopped, looking down at the girl with a deadpan expression.

“Oh please. You’re not crying enough!” you called out. “Put some real effort into those tears if you want a sympathy vote.”

The candidate gasped in horror, burying her face in her hands, while Ali’ya stepped up beside you, hauling a crate of dyes.

“Who are you?” you asked, turning your head toward Ali’ya with a scowl. “Did I allow my head servant to stand so close to me?”

Ali’ya rolled her eyes hard, dropping the crate onto the grass. “Shut up or I’ll smudge your paint and make you do this yourself,” she said, making you scoff, sharing a grin with her before taking half of her load.

Having your former rival as a best friend was convenient.

Later that afternoon, eager to avoid the dramatic candidates, you decided to sneak away to the lower riverbanks to gather waterlilies for your hair.

And as a karma, maybe, things went wrong.

While reaching over a slippery moss ledge, your foot gave out. You slid down a muddy ground, getting your arm pinned under a heavy fallen branch right at the edge of a deep, rushing current. The water slapped against your legs, threatening to pull you in, and your body paint was getting ruined by black mud.

Panicking, you squeezed your eyes shut, your attitude dissolving into desperation. “Oh, Greatmother! Eywa, please!” you gasped, pulling frantically at your stuck arm. “Please don’t let me die in the mud like an ungraceful girl! I swear I’ll change! I’ll be kind! I’ll stop bullying the candidates! I’ll never act arrogant again, I promise, just save me!”

“Look at that... a damsel in distress!”

You snapped your eyes open to see Ali’ya standing on the ridge, her bow slung over her shoulder and a grin spreading across her face. “You! Stop standing there looking useless and help me!” you shrieked, kicking your legs against the mud.

Ali’ya climbed down the slope, using her hunting knife to pry the heavy branch off your arm before pulling you up onto solid ground. You scrambled back onto the dry grass, breathing heavily as you looked at your skin with horror.

Ali’ya wiped a smudge of dirt off her own forehead, looking at you in confusion. “So... are you actually going to start being nice to people now?”

You brushed the dirt off your hips, tossing a stray braid over your shoulder as your sass returned. “I didn’t promise.”

Ali’ya stared at you, before letting out a scoff. “You’re outrageous, Y/n.”

By the time night fell, you were exhausted. You dragged your feet toward the place where Neteyam was sitting near the hearth, sharpening a dagger. He looked up, his golden eyes widening at the state of your mud-flecked skin and ruined lilies.

Before he could even ask, you marched straight over, dropping your weight right onto his lap. “Ugh. Move, you have no idea the day I had!” you groaned, resting your head against his chest.

Neteyam let out a chuckle, his arm wrapping around your waist to support you. “What happened to you? Did you fight a mud-skipper?”

“Are you making fun of me,” you pouted, crossing your arms and looking up at him. “I was fighting for my life out there, and you were probably just sitting here looking pretty.”

“I was actually patrolling,” he smiled, his thumb wiping a spot of dried mud off your cheek. “I have one question I need you to answer.”

“Shoot it.”

“I heard you made the females cry today, is that true? Didn’t you make peace with them like I asked? If you continue with this attitude, Y/n, what do you think will happen to your reputation? I need you to stop picking fights with them, especially since it’s only days away until the final choice is announced. Do you understand?”

“That’s four questions.”

“Y/n…” he warned, his golden eyes glaring.

You readjusted yourself on his lap, turning to straddle his thighs completely while looking down at him. “Okay, first of all, I didn’t make no one cry. That girl just threw a fit because you didn’t give her enough attention! Second, I did make peace with them, one of them even saved me from dying in the mud while my prince charming was off patrolling. Third, my reputation will be just fine, I’ve always been this fabulous and the clan loves me anyway. And fourth, fine, whateva, I understand! Deep down in my soul!”

“Please, try to contain your jealousy—”

“Wow! I miss the version of my day from five seconds ago before I heard that, Ne-te-yam!” You brought your hands to his neck, playfully squeezing his throat, which earned you a pinch to your waist. “I should be the one telling you that! Don’t think I forgot how you acted when your friend tried to hit on me!”

“Who?”

“Kaì? Kaey? Kxae? I forgot, but as you know, I’ve been shot down by way hotter males than you, so you ought to remember that you’re competing for my attention too.”

“Kayel, and he isn’t a competition,” Neteyam scoffed, leaning back onto his hands against the mat as he looked up at you with a glint. “No male is. Now, go on… name one of these hotter males you speak of.”

“...Oh, so arrogant, my brave warrior… You’re making me hot and bothered when you act like that,” you whispered, biting your lip as you avoided his gaze, staring down at his painted chest while your hands rested seductively against his skin.

“Really now?” he murmured, catching one of your wrists and guiding your hand up to rest against his throat, feeling the pulse beneath his skin. “Well, you’re making it extremely difficult for me to hold back until the seventh day. When you act this stubborn, there’s only one solution in my mind… one I’ve wanted to use to calm you down for a very loong time.”

“Do tell…”

“I could show you instead,” he whispered, his golden eyes sparkling as his palm slid down from your waist, spanning the curve of your thigh and giving it a squeeze. You sighed, “All talk, warrior.”

“I’m a patient man, after all. You should know that by now,” Neteyam grinned, tilting his head up so his lips brushed where your jaw met your neck. He trailed hot kisses upward, his tongue flicking out to lick a path up to your earlobe. “I’ve always believed in saving the best for last…”

“Don’t be so confident,” you grinned, tilting your head back to give him more access to your throat. A moan escaped your lips as his mouth worked its way up to your ear. “I won’t let you have your way with me that easily.”

“That’s crazy when you’re already dripping wet for me.”

You gasped out loud as his hand moved between your thighs, his thick thumb pressing through the thin fabric of your loincloth right against your swollen slit. He began rubbing it in circles, grinding the cloth over your center.

The wave of heat had you arching your back, lifting your weight off his lap as you gripped his shoulders for dear life, struggling to keep your balance against the sensation.

The wetness already soaking your loincloth made every circle of his finger feel filthy. You rocked your hips down against his hand, chasing the pressure while still trying to look like you were in control.

“Someone’s going to see,” you muttered against his neck. Your fingers dug into his shoulders as you glanced around. Most of the clan was still busy with the evening meal, but the risk made your pussy clench harder.

Neteyam stayed still, golden eyes half-lidded as he kept rubbing slow circles. “Then keep quiet, princess. Or do you want the whole village to hear how wet you get for me? How incredibly selfish I am to have a favorite candidate?” His free hand slid up your back, fingers tracing the white paint along your spine before settling at the nape of your neck.

You scoffed even as a moan slipped out. “Bastard...” Your own hand dropped between your bodies, palm pressing over the thick bulge straining his loincloth. You squeezed him through the fabric, feeling how hard he already was. “Look who’s talking. You’re throbbing like you’ve been thinking about this all day.”

He let out a chuckle. “Maybe I have,” Neteyam’s thumb never stopped moving, grinding the soaked cloth over your core until the friction made your thighs shake. He leaned in and bit down on the side of your neck, sucking hard enough to leave a dark mark right where anyone could see it later.

You tilted your head further to the side, giving him better access while your hand stroked his cock through the fabric. The outline of him was thick under your palm. You rubbed up and down slowly, matching the pace he set on your clit. “Fuck… that feels good,” you whispered, hips rolling in needy circles.

Neteyam’s teeth scraped over the fresh mark before he licked it. “Good… Keep doing that,” His hips twitched up into your hand as he pressed two fingers against your entrance through the loincloth, rubbing the fabric into your folds without pushing inside yet.

The teasing made you wetter, slick soaked through the thin material, coating his fingers. You bit your lip hard to stay quiet, glancing again toward the fire where people still laughed and ate. “Such a tease,” you hissed, squeezing the head of his cock through the cloth. “I should stop touching you right now and leave you aching.”

“You won’t,” he mumbled against your ear, he was sure of himself. His thumb flicked faster over your clit for a few seconds before slowing again. “You want it… you want me to cum in this…”

You moaned into his shoulder, hand working him faster. The ridge of his cock pulsed under your palm every time you squeezed. “Shut up and keep touching me,” you ordered, your other hand tangled in his braids, holding him close while you ground down against his fingers.

Neteyam panted, he slipped his fingers under the edge of your loincloth to feel the bare skin without exposing you. Two fingertips dragged through your wet folds, coating themselves in slick before he rubbed your clit directly. “So soaked. You can’t even keep it together.”

You whimpered at the contact, your hand shoved under his loincloth in return, wrapping around the hsrd length of his cock. Skin on skin made both of you groan, you stroked him slow and tight, thumb spreading the precum leaking from the tip. “You’re leaking so much, warrior…”

He thrust up into your fist once before forcing himself still. “Oh, baby…” Neteyam’s fingers mirrored your pace, rubbing circles over your clit while the rest of his hand stayed hidden under the fabric.

You kissed him hard to muffle the next moan, tongue sliding against his as you stroked him faster. Your thumb rubbed under the head of his cock on every upstroke. He answered by pinching your clit lightly between two fingers, then soothing it with slower strokes. The sting mixed with pleaure made your thighs clamp around his wrist.

His free hand gripped your ass, pulling you tighter against him so your clothed pussy ground against the base of his cock while you jerked him off.

You broke the kiss to whisper, “I hate how good you are at this,” Your hand twisted on the next stroke, making his hips jerk. Slick from your pussy had already coated his fingers. He brought them up for a second, letting you see how shiny they were before slipping them back under your loincloth.

Neteyam rubbed your clit faster now, still keeping the fabric mostly in place. “Hate it all you want. You’re still going to cum on my fingers like this, right here where anyone could look over.”

You stroked him in time with the pressure on your clit, both of you moaning. The heat between your bodies grew unbearable, your free hand gripped his shoulder for balance as your hips started moving on their own, chasing every flick of his fingers. “Don’t stop,” you ordered.

As you were about to cum, Neteyam suddenly stopped. He pulled his fingers away from your soaked loincloth, leaving you throbbing. You whined out loud, jaw dropping in disbelief as the building orgasm was ripped away.

You tightened your grip on his cock in revenge and pulled your hand off him just as fast. “You—”

Before you could finish the curse, Neteyam crashed his mouth against yours. He kissed you deep, tongue sliding in to shut you up while his hands gripped your waist. You bit his bottom lip hard, still grinding your hips against nothing, desperate for the friction he had stolen.

He chuckled into the kiss. “Patience, we’re out in the open,” golden eyes stayed calm even as his cock twitched against your thigh.

You pulled back to glare at him. “You annoy me. I was right there... Next time I get my hands on you, I’m not stopping until you beg.”

“Looking forward to it.”

You woke up from your hammock, the sunlight spilling through your family’s kelku. A throb sat between your thighs, and the moment your brain fully booted up, your jaw clenched.

Neteyam…

You threw your legs over the edge of the hammock, running a hand over your face with a groan. “I’m suffering! Does anyone care that I’m literally suffering right now?!”

No one answered, your family had already left for an early gathering. Grumbling under your breath about arrogant warriors who lacked the decency to finish what they started, you got up, got your body paint freshened, and stepped out into the busy crowd.

Your mood was already hovering near rock bottom when two of the remaining candidate females suddenly blocked your path near the edge of the woven walkways. One of them, a taller girl with braided beads who had been glaring at you for three days straight, crossed her arms with an ugly scowl.

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” she spat, stepping right into your personal bubble. “Manipulating the future Olo’eyktan, parading around like you’ve already won him. You’re just using cheap tricks to keep him from seeing the rest of us!”

You blinked, slowly taking a step back out of disgust. You gestured vaguely between her and yourself. “First of all, you’re making me look bad by just standing next to me. Step back.”

The girl’s face flushed a deep purple-blue. “Don’t talk down to me, Y/n! You don’t deserve Neteyam!”

You tilted your head, inspecting her face like a mild nuisance. “Who are you again? You clearly didn’t make a big impression on me.”

She gasped, her chest heaving as her companion tried to hold her back. “I’m— it doesn’t matter. I spent two hours yesterday showing him my bow-stringing technique!”

“Oh… What kind of lame joke is that?”

Before she could burst into tears or strike you, a silhouette fell over the walkway. Neteyam stepped out from behind the trunk of the home tree, his golden eyes sweeping over the tension. The moment she saw him, her posture shattered, and she spun on her heel, hurrying away with her friend in tow.

You watched them scurry off, crossing your arms and shaking your head. “Oops... that was difficult to witness.”

“What was?” Neteyam asked, stepping closer. He looked refreshed, handsome, and too pleased with himself. You turned your back on him and began walking toward the main place at a brisk pace.

“Y/n,” he called out, “Wait. Are you walking away from me?”

You kept your chin tucked up, staring straight ahead. Neteyam fell into step right beside you, reaching out to tug at your tail. “Y/n, come on. Are you really still mad about last night?”

“I had to stop,” he pleaded, stepping in front of you to block your path. “If I didn’t then I wouldn’t have been able to stop at all... We were right near the central fire, where anyien could have walked up on us. I’m trying to respect you.”

You rolled your eyes, “I’m not ignoring you, I’m just giving you the silence you deserve.”

Neteyam rubbed the back of his neck as he fell back into step beside you, trying to loop his arm around your waist. “Y/n, please. Look at me. I came looking for you the moment I woke up.”

You sidestepped his touch, tossing your head back as you looked at the sky. “Ah, what a conundrum. The grand future leader of our clan, begging for my attention, while I’m forced to endure the agonizing torture of unfulfilled promises.”

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Not until the selection day,” you purred, finally glancing sideways at him with a plan in your eyes. “And when that night comes, Neteyam... you had better pray you have enough endurance and stamina to make up for what you did.”

Neteyam’s breath hitched, a hum vibrating in the back of his throat as his eyes tracked the slight sway of your hips. He reached out again, his fingers catching your wrist to stop you in your tracks.

“I will hold you to every single word, y/n.”

You smirked, tilting your chin up but before you could throw another banter his way, a pair of footsteps thudded across the ground. “There you are!”

Ali’ya called out, marching right up to the two of you with a basket of freshly dyed weaving reeds balanced on her hip. She took one look at Neteyam holding your wrist, looked at your stubborn, upturned nose, and let out a groan.

“Do you two ever stop?” Ali’ya muttered, rolling her eyes. She hoisted the basket higher and shoved herself between the two of you, forcing Neteyam to reluctantly drop his hold on your wrist.

“Ali’ya. We were speaking.”

“And I’m taking her,” Ali’ya replied, not showing an ounce of fear toward the future Olo’eyktan. She grabbed your forearm, yanking you. “The Tsahìk wants the ceremonial sashes finished before sun-down, and since someone spent all morning sulking instead of reporting for duties, I’m forced to do the lifting.”

You let out an exaggerated gasp, placing a hand over your heart. “Sulking?! Hell no!”

“You were pouting,” Ali’ya corrected without looking back, tossing a smirk over her shoulder at Neteyam. “Don’t worry, boy. I’ll return your handful of a female once she learns how to properly knot a binding cord.”

Neteyam stood in the middle of the walkway, watching you get dragged off. A smile cracked across his face, his golden eyes burning into yours until you were nearly out of sight.

“You’re hopeless,” Ali’ya declared as soon as you both reached the seclusion of their pavilion, dropping her basket onto the floor mat with a loud thud. She sat down crosslegged, handing you a bundle of softened fiber. “He looks at you like he’s so in love, and you look at him like you want to bite his head off.”

“I do want to bite his head off.”

“I’m not talking about the other head, but okay…”

You spent the fifth day learning how to knot the binding cords under Ali’ya’s eye. By the time the sun dropped, your fingers were sore and your patience was thinner than the fibers you had been forced to weave.

The sixth day arrived with a different kind of heat. Morning duties dragged. You and Neteyam kept finding excuses to pass each other in the village paths, each glance heavier than the last. He would brush his knuckles against your back when no one was looking. You would lean in to whisper something against his ear before walking away with a confident sway of your hips.

You found him near the edge of the home tree and took his wrist. “Come with me. We’re taking a bath.”

Neteyam followed, the river you led him to was tucked deep between high stone banks and thick hanging vines. The water ran clear, the sound of the current the only noise for a long stretch.

No one from the village used this place.

You stepped into the cool water first, the level rising to your waist. Neteyam followed, eyes never leaving you as he waded closer. “Still mad about the other night?”

You crossed your arms under the surface, chin tilted up. “Mad is a soft word for what I am. You left me aching on purpose.”

He stepped in until your chests almost touched. “I did. And I’ve been thinking about it ever since,” His hands settled on your waist under the water, thumbs stroking skin. “I can make it up to you without breaking the rules.”

You raised a brow. “Oh? And how do you plan to do that, future Olo’eyktan?”

Neteyam didn’t answer with words as he scooped you up, water cascading off both of you as he carried you the short distance to a flat rock that jutted out over the deeper part of the river. He set you down on the edge so your ass rested on the stone while your legs dangled into the water.

His body stayed fully in the river, the height of the rock put him face-to-face with the front of your wet loincloth.

He looked up at you, hands sliding up your thighs. “You can be as loud as you want here… No one will hear you.”

He pushed the fabric of your loincloth aside, his golden eyes brightening at the sight before him. You were dripping wet, slick heat glistening against your skin, and he knew with certainty it had nothing to do with the water.

You were soaked purely for him.

“Thrilled, baby?”

Without waiting for an answer, he dragged his thick thumb straight over your swollen clit, rubbing it up and down. The needy noises escaping your throat, the gasps, the sighs, and the way your thighs spread even wider for him had his own cock hardening against his cloth undee the water.

The temperature of the river wasn’t helping as well.

Neteyam leaned down between your knees, using both thumbs to part your wet folds, exposing your dripping center to the warm afternoon air. “Look at you,” he groaned, his hot breath fanning right over your slit, making your stomach drop in anticipation.

Then, he dove in.

His tongue slapped against your clit in a long stripe, causing you to squeal and arch your hips off the rock. Neteyam chuckled against your skin, his hands gripping your thighs to pin you in place as he flattened his tongue, swirling it over your center before plunging it deep.

He lap-swallowed every drop of your slickness, his mouth working, sucking on your clit while his fingers dug into your hips, holding you steady as he wrecked every shred of your self-control.

The drags of his tongue was intoxication, making you gasped, one hand flying to his braids while the other braced against the rock behind you.

“Fuck,” you whispered, hips twitching forward. “You’re actually—”

He hummed against your clit, his large hands gripped your thighs and spread them wider, holding you open so he could bury his face deeper between your legs. The soft wet sounds of his tongue mixed with the rush of the current.

You looked down and watched him. Neteyam’s eyes stayed half-lidded even as he sucked your swollen clit between his lips and flicked it with the tip of his tongue. The contrast between his face and the way he ate you made your knees weak.

Neteyam smirked against your pussy and you felt it, your fingers tightening in his braids. “Don’t get cocky just because your mouth is good,” The words came out breathless.

He answered by pushing two fingers inside you while his tongue stayed locked on your clit, curling them upward until your thighs started to shake.

The privacy of the river made it easy to stop holding back. Moans turned louder as he licked, sucked, and fingered you with the same control he used in everything else, drawing the pleasure out until your hips were rolling against his face.

“Neteyam… I’m close,” you voice cracking.

He pulled his mouth away to speak, lips shiny with your wetness. “Hmmm, you’re doing great,” he sealed his mouth over your clit again and sucked hard, fingers thrusting deeper.

Your orgasm hit hard, you cried out openly as the wave after wave crashed through you. Neteyam kept licking through it, drinking every pulse of you that spilled onto his tongue. He only slowed when your legs threatened to give out.

When he finally rose higher in the water, his mouth and chin were wet. He wiped them with the back of his hand, still looking composed.

You returned on the river, wetting your body again, and glared at him. “You’re hard, aren’t you.”

“I am...” He took your hand and pressed it against the thick outline in his loincloth under the water. “But we wait for the seventh day for the rest.”

You squeezed him once through the fabric, just to watch his jaw tighten. “I’m going to make you regret every second you made me wait.”

Neteyam only smiled, and kissed the corner of your mouth so you could taste yourself on his lips. “I’m counting on it.”

The rest of the sixth day passed in a sloppy making out session. Every time your eyes met across the village, the memory of his tongue between your thighs at the river’s edge burned hotter.

The next day finally set, though the hours leading up to dusk had felt like an eternity. Because of tradition, you were strictly forbidden from seeing Neteyam until the evening.

You spent the better part of the afternoon forced to endure the faces of the remaining candidate females. They spent the whole day frowning and muttering under their breath, bitter that they hadn’t been given the chance to paint Neteyam, the honor Neytiri had already officially announced was yours.

Ali’ya, however, made it her mission to make sure you looked flawless. She spent hours hunting through the village supplies to find you the finest loincloth and complementary adornments.

She even styled your hair with hairpins crafted in your favorite color. It was a habit of hers to constantly take note of your favorite hues and find ways to give them back to you, you had no idea how or when she had picked up on your preferences.

Between being fussed over by Ali’ya and grinding down the minerals to mix the sacred paint you’d be using later, the distance from Neteyam made your skin itch with impatience.

When dusk finally arrived, the village center was ablaze with towering bonfires. Music from the drums vibrated through the ground, and the air was rich with the scent of roasted meat and crushed flowers.

You were guided to the private place behind the chief’s hut, holding a shell bowl filled with the paint. Neteyam was already standing there, draped only in his loincloth, his shoulders gleaming in the firelight.

The moment his golden eyes met yours, taking in your styled hair, your pins, and the elegance of your attire, his heart skipped a beat.

You were gonna be mated tonight, under Eywa.

“Finally,” he sighed as he stepped toward you, ignoring the boundary distance. “I was beginning to think they were keeping you from me on purpose.”

“They tried,” you hummed, setting your paint bowl down on a wooden table next to his. “And you were supposed to wait until I initiated the ritual markings, future husband.”

“I’ve waited all day,” Neteyam shook his head, and he didn’t waste a second. Before you could even dip your fingers into the pigment, his long hands snaked around your waist, pulling you close to him. He leaned down, catching your lips in a wet kiss.

“Neteyam!” you gasped, laughing against his mouth as you slapped his shoulder. “Stop! I’m going to spill it! We have eyes on us!”

“Sorry,” he whispered against your lips, stealing another peck before easing his grip just enough to let you work.

You dipped your fingers into the paint, looking up at his handsome face. “Hold still. If I smudge your jawline, your mother will kill me.”

Neteyam smirked, tilting his chin up obediently, but the moment your fingers touched the skin of his throat, his hand sneaked down to give your hip a pinch.

You squealed, jumping back. “Neteyam! I’m serious!”

“So am I,” he grinned, “You’re far too distracting. How am I supposed to stand still when you look like this?”

“I know I am, but you have to exercise an ounce of warrior discipline,” you scoffed, stepping back in and tracing a line down his collarbone.

To get back at him, you let your hand linger, sliding down his chest toward his abdomen, making his muscles tighten under your touch. Neteyam bit his lip, his jaw clenching as he caught your wrists.

“Ma yawne,” he warned. “So-Rry,” you purred, dipping your fingers again to draw swirls across his shoulders. Every time you leaned in close to smooth the paint over his skin, Neteyam took advantage, leaning down to kiss your cheek, the line of your jaw, or sweet spot beneath your ear, making you giggle and swat at his chest.

Then, it was his turn to paint you, he dipped his fingers into his bowl, his expression softening as he stepped close enough for you to feel the heat coming off his body.

He began at your face, gently holding your chin with one hand while his thumb carefully traced a curved line over your nose, down to your lips, and to your throat.

His touch was fragile for a warrior so strong. He took his time, leaning in so close your foreheads almost touched, his warm breath touching over your skin as he filled in the symbols on your skin.

“You’re so beautiful,” he stated, his golden eyes locking onto yours as his paint-stained fingers brushed over your collarbone. “You know that, right?”

Your heart did a familiar flutter against your chest. “I know,” you whispered back, teasing him despite the lump in your throat. “Ali’ya worked very hard on me.”

Neteyam chuckled, leaning down to capture your lips in an intimate kiss that set your whole body on fire. His tongue brushed yours, sweet and possessive, sealing the bond long before the elders even had the chance to chant.

When he finally pulled back, both of your skins were marked with matching, glowing signs of union, dotted with tiny smudges where you had played around and leaned into each other too close.

Neteyam took your hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss each of your knuckles, his golden eyes never breaking contact with yours. “I’m so excited for tonight, my love…” he whispered, ending with a peck against the back of your palm.

“Mhmm, me too.”

When the two of you finally stepped down from the pavilion, hand in hand, the village was gathered in a circle around the fire. The ceremony itself moved in a blur of sacred traditions and ancient chants.

As soon as the rites concluded, the solemnity vanished, replaced by a celebration. Varieties of drink were cracked open, and the music turned untamed. You and Neteyam were dragged into the middle. The heat of the bonfire washed over your skin as you let your hips swing.

Neteyam barely let you out of his reach the whole night. Even while dancing with his friends, his large hand was almost always somewhere on your body, resting heavy on your hip, fingers laced through yours, or pulling you to his chest mid-spin just to steal a kiss that left the surrounding people howling.

At one point, as you stepped back to catch your breath and gulp down a horn of strong liquor, a few figures approached you. It was the candidate females. For a second, the air felt tense, but the sourness from the morning was gone from their faces, replaced by flushed cheeks and smiles.

“Y/n,” they spoke, holding up a carved charm. “We... wanted to say congratulations. To both of you.” She rubbed the back of her neck, looking a bit sheepish. “And I’m sorry for how I acted before.”

You blinked before a smirk spread across your face. You took the charm and gave her a nod. “Give it up for me?”

They laughed at your catchphrase, the hostility melting away into respect as they wished you well and returned to the dancing crowd.

When you turned back around, Neteyam was already standing right behind you. He wrapped both arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder while your back was pressed against his painted chest.

“I missed you…”

You smiled at his warmth, lifting your hand to his jaw to pull him down into a kiss. You both sighed into it, the noise swallowed by the thumping drums. You could feel the desperate hum beneath your skin, the longing to just abandon the gathering, to escape the eyes of your people and finally lose yourselves in each other.

When you pulled away, your breath came out in puffs. You looked down at his swollen lips before meeting his golden eyes. “I guess we’re girlfriends and boyfriends now?” you giggled, resting your hand over his long fingers where they gripped your waist.

He turned you around to face him, taking your wrists and draping your arms over his shoulders. His thumbs stroked the sides of your waist, holding you flush against him. “You don’t want us to be husband and wife?”

“I don’t know, Neteyam. We’re not there yet. We haven’t even… y’know,” you teased, raising a single brow as a grin spread across your face.

Neteyam’s eyes twitched. “Is that what’s stopping us?” he murmured, leaning in until his nose brushed against yours. He gently swayed his hips with yours to the beat of the instruments, his touch was gentle despite the raw hunger in his eyes.

“Probably…”

He looked through you with a devotion that made your stomach flip. His thumb moved upward, tracing the line of your jaw, catching a stray lock of hair adorned with your favorite colored pins and tucking it behind your ear. His gaze stayed on every detail of your face, soaking you in as if you were the only soul under Eywa.

“Then let’s fix that,” he whispered against your lips, without giving you a chance to tease him further, he caught you behind the knees and lifted you into his arms. You let out a gasp, tightening your grip around his neck as he held you close to his heart.

He didn’t care who was watching as he stepped away from the event, turning his back on the celebration and carrying you straight toward the private cave.

His lips never left yours, you kissed him messy and hungry, grinding down against the hard-on trapped in his loincloth until both of you were breathing hard.

Neteyam set you down carefully on the cave floor. He took a moment to fold several large leaves into a makeshift pillow, then lifted your head and slid it underneath so you wouldn’t feel the stone.

You wrapped your legs around his hips and rolled up against him, rubbing your still-clothed pussy along the thick ridge of his cock.

“Oh, fuck…” he groaned, eyes locked on the way you moved. He matched your pace, pushing down to give you more pressure while his hands roamed over your painted sides.

You threw your head back against the leaves, moaning at the movement. The fabrics between you were already soaked. Neteyam pushed your loincloth aside just enough to drag the bare head of his cock against your clit, smacking it a few times.

“These clothes are pissing me off,” you muttered, reaching down to untie your loincloth from your tail. You lifted your hips and tossed it aside. Neteyam chuckled under his breath and removed his own at the same pace, never looking away from you.

The second both of you were bare, you felt the full heat of his thick cock sliding through your wet folds.

“Yess… ’teyam,” you panted, mouth open as he dragged the length up and down your pussy without pushing in. He kept the pace slow on purpose. Every glide coated his cock in your slick until it shined. His hands slid up to lift your accessory and to cup your breasts, thumbs brushing over your nipples while he continued the strokes.

“Look at you,” he groaned, “Already this wet for me and I haven’t even been inside you yet.”

You rolled your hips harder, trying to catch the tip at your entrance. He pulled back just enough to deny you, smirking when you glared. “Patience, okay. I’ve waited years for this. I’m going to take my time.”

Neteyam leaned down and kissed you deep, tongue sliding against yours while one hand moved between your bodies. He rubbed slow circles over your clit with two fingers, spreading your wetness around.

You moaned into his mouth and reached down to wrap your hand around his cock, stroking him. He was so hard it almost felt unfair.

He broke the kiss only to trail his mouth down your jaw and neck, sucking fresh marks over the ones from earlier days. Every time his teeth scraped sensitive skin, your hand tightened around him.

“You’re being so good for me,” he praised against your throat, still rubbing your clit. “You’re so pretty like this… just so prrfect and all.”

You bit your lip, hips lifting into his fingers. “C’mon, hurry up…”

Neteyam laughed and pushed two fingers inside you without warning. He curled them upward, stroking that spot that made your thighs shake while his thumb stayed on your clit.

“Let me make it up to you properly,” he said, watching your face the whole time. “I want you dripping before I fuck you.”

He worked his fingers never rushing, drawing curses and needy sounds out of you. Your hand kept stroking his cock, twisting at the head every time his fingers hit a particularly good angle inside you that you never were able to reach.

When your walls started fluttering around his fingers, he slowed again, pulling them almost all the way out before pushing back in. The denial made you dig your nails into his shoulder.

“Neteyam—”

“I know,” he kissed the corner of your mouth. “Almost. Just a little more,” His fingers stretched you, scissoring them while his cock leaked against your thigh. The wet sounds of him fingering you filled the cave. You were panting hard, focused on the fingers working you open. Neteyam kept his golden eyes on your face, memorizing every expression.

“Alright, take my fingers like that. You’re going to take my cock even better later… Gonna show you the stamina you were looking for, baby.”

Your free hand gripped the leaf pillow as pleasure built higher. He never stopped the pace, making sure you felt every thing. Only when your thighs started trembling around him did he pull his fingers free. He brought them to his mouth and licked them clean.

Then he lined the thick head of his cock against your entrance and held still, waiting. “Ready for me now, angel?”

“Y-yess…”

Neteyam leaned in and captured your lips in a deep kiss just as he pushed inside. The head stretched you open, your tight walls hugging every inch as he sank deeper. He groaned into your mouth at the heat of you while your fingers tangled hard in his braids, pulling as a loud moan spilled between the kiss.

He started moving once he was fully seated. Those thrusts that dragged along your walls and made your toes curl and tighten your legs around him. Each time he pulled back almost all the way, the ache made you cling tighter. When he pushed back in, the sounds of skin slapping filled the cave.

Your legs locked around his waist, heels digging into his lower back to keep him close. Neteyam kept the pace slow at first, hips rolling with controlled power while he kissed you through every broken sound you made.

Sweat already beaded along his painted shoulders. After several long thrusts you pressed a hand to his chest. “Wait… I’ll try something.”

He slowed and pulled out of you carefully, the dick leaving you throbbing as it stood rigid and glistening with your slick, twitching in the open air, he sat down as you instructed, breathing hard.

You moved onto all fours in front of him and claimed his mouth again. This time you took control of the kiss, tongue pushing past his lips and fighting for dominance. Neteyam let you lead, a sound vibrating in his throat while his hands rested on your waist.

You broke the kiss only to sit up on your knees, both hands cradled his face as you looked down at him. His golden eyes were mirroring desperation, staring up at you like you held every answer. Strong arms wrapped around your torso, pulling you closer so he could bury his face against your chest.

He kissed and sucked along the skin, leaving fresh marks between your breasts. His mouth closed over one nipple, tongue flicking until it hardened against him. His free hand pinched and rolled the other, drawing whimpers from you while your tail moved behind you in arcs.

You turned around and dropped back onto all fours, presenting yourself. Your tail whipped once across his thigh in invitation before settling. You wiggled your hips, the movement making your wet folds shine under the low light entering the cave.

Neteyam licked his lips and spread your cheeks with both hands. He leaned in without hesitation and dragged his tongue over your swollen clit in a circles. The heat made you cry out, the sound echoing off the cave walls. He licked again, faster, circling the sensitive bud before sucking it between his lips.

Your arms shook as you pushed back against his face. Unrestrained moans spilled from you withthe way his tongue went. He kept going until your thighs trembled and wetness dripped onto his chin. You reached back and pulled his head away by the braids. You sat on your knees, wrapped one hand around his cock and stroked the full length, feeling how hard he remained. You guided the thick tip to your entrance and rubbed it through your folds a few times, coating him further.

Then you sank down.

The stretch of taking him in reverse made both of you moan. You lowered yourself until he was buried to the hilt, your ass pressed close against his thighs. Neteyam’s hands gripped your waist, thumbs caressing the painted skin as he adjusted to the new angle.

You started moving, slow rolls of your hips at first, lifting almost all the way off before dropping back down. Every descent forced a deep sound from his chest, your tail coiled around his thigh, then higher, sliding up his side and wrapping loosely around his neck.

Neteyam leaned forward and pressed open-mouthed kisses along your spine, hands sliding up to cup your breasts from behind. You rode him harder, the wet slap of skin against skin growing louder. Each time you went down, your walls clenched around him, milking every ridge.

“Fuck… oh, this is what you wanted to try, huh?” he breathed against your back, his hips began meeting yours, thrusting up to meet every downward roll. The dual motion drove him deeper, the head of his cock dragging against that perfect spot inside you on every stroke.

Your tail tightened around his neck without your knowledge before loosening again, the tip caressing the side of his face. You reached back with one hand and gripped his thigh, using the hold to bounce faster.

Neteyam’s fingers found your clit and rubbed tight circles in time with your movements. Pleasure coiled sharp and fast as you dropped forward onto your hands, back arched, giving him a clearer view of the way his cock disappeared inside you over and over.

You whimpered when he gripped your cheeks harder, helping you slam down. Your tail stayed wrapped around him the whole time, claiming as the two of you chased the edge together, lost in the heat of finally being mates.

He watched the way your skin rippled every time you dropped back onto his cock. The sight of you balancing on your forearms, ass bouncing against his hips, made something snap. Neteyam planted himself on his knees, gripped your waist, and took over completely.

Instead of letting you ride him, he started thrusting into you from behind. The new angle let him sink deeper with every snap of his hips, sounds filled the cave as his cock slammed into your soaked pussy over and over.

“Oohh—right there, Neteyam! I’m so close, fuck—” you moaned. Your fingers dug into the leaf pillow while your tail moved behind you, whipping against his thigh and then curling tight around his calf.

He answered by driving harder, one hand sliding up your spine to fist a handful of your hair. The other stayed locked on your hip, pulling you back to meet every thrust. Your walls clenched around him greedily, slick dripping down both of your thighs with each impact.

“Oh yeah. Take every inch, you can, right?” He slapped your ass hard enough to sting, the sound mixing with the wet slap of skin. Your tail tightened around his leg in response, the tip stroking higher up his thigh.

You pushed back against him just as hard, meeting every thrust. “Oh, ‘t’s so big… it’s all mine, right?” you hissed, tail released his leg only to wrap around his waist next, holding him close while you ground your ass against his hips.

Neteyam leaned over your back, chest pressed to your spine, and bit down on the side of your neck. He kept pounding into you at the same pace, cock dragging against that spot that made your vision blur. One hand reached around to rub tight circles over your swollen clit.

The sensation tore another loud moan from your throat, your tail whipped once more before coiling around his forearm, squeezing in time with the clench of your pussy. Both of you were breathing hard, skin slick with sweat, the scent of sex thick in the air.

“All yours to keep, baby,” he rasped against your ear, hips snapping forward harder. “So take it all.” Another slap landed on your ass, followed by his fingers digging into the marked flesh as he used the hold to pull you onto his cock even deeper.

You moaned his name like a prayer, the sound raw and needy. He answered with yours, the two of you lost in it, of finally belonging to each other. Your tail kept swaying while he fucked you through the rising heat, both of you too far gone to hold anything back.

“I’m so close…”

You whispered it against the cave floor, but he heard every word. Neteyam rubbed your clit faster, fingers working in tight circles while he kept thrusting deep.

“C’monn… cum for me.”

The command sent you over the edge, your walls clamped down hard around his cock, heart throbbing as you moaned out his name. He slowed his thrusts to ride you through it, groaning as his own release followed. Hot liquid filled you, painting your insides white to match the marks already on your skin.

Neither of you stopped after that. Round after round blurred together until exhaustion finally won. You fell asleep tangled in each other, bodies still sticky and marked.

While you slept, Neteyam cleaned what he could of the mess from your thighs and stomach. Every soft wipe brought flashes of the hours before, your moans, the way you took him, the way your tail had claimed him, and his cock just hardened again immediately.

He shook his head and laid back down, curling around you from behind. Your back pressed to his chest, his arm draped over your waist. Sleep started to pull him under… until hums slipped from your lips.

Your hips rolled back against him in your sleep. The slow grind of your ass against his cock made him rock-hard in seconds. Neteyam bit his lip, eyes fixed on your peaceful face.

You were dreaming. He shouldn’t.

But your slick folds parted around the length of him as you kept moving, coating him in fresh wetness. “Fuck…” he whispered, hips twitching forward on their own.

The head of his cock nudged your entrance, another sleepy roll of your hips and the tip slipped inside with a wet sound. Your tight pussy swallowed him halfway before he could stop himself.

He froze, breathing hard against your hair. You were still sensitive. He knew that. Yet the way your walls fluttered around him made it impossible to pull out. Slowly, he lifted your thigh and slid the rest of the way in. A sound left his throat as your pussy took every inch again.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, even though you couldn’t hear him yet. “I’m such a bastard… I know you’re tired…”

He started moving in gentle thrusts, barely pulling out before sinking back in. Your body accepted him so easily, still slick from earlier. Every time your walls squeezed him, his resolve cracked further.

Your soft moans grew a little louder, Neteyam kissed the back of your neck, still thrusting slow and deep. “I’m sorry, wife… I can’t help it. You feel too good.”

Your eyes fluttered open, for a moment you just breathed, body still half-asleep. Then you felt him buried inside you, and a needy whimper escaped your throat. “Neteyam…?” Your voice was submissive, in a way he had never heard before.

“I’m really sorry,” he repeated, hips still moving because stopping felt impossible. “You were grinding on me in your sleep and I… I slipped it in. I should’ve woken you properly. I-I’m sorry.”

You whimpered again, pushing back against him instead of pulling away. “It’s… it’s okay. You’re so big… feels so good.”

The praise hit him hard, he groaned into your hair, one hand sliding down to rub your clit carefully. “You don’t have to say that. I feel like a pervert for waking you up like this.”

“Don’t stop,” you whispered, another moan following as he thrust a little deeper. “You’re filling me up so much… I can still feel last night inside me and now you’re adding more.”

Neteyam’s forehead pressed against your shoulder. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry, baby. You’re just so tight and warm and I couldn’t stop thinking about being inside you again.” His voice cracked with guilt and need at the same time.

You reached back and threaded your fingers through his braids, holding him close while he kept fucking you slow and deep from behind. Every sound that left your mouth only made him apologize more, yet neither of you made any move to stop.

Pleasure occupied your mind until words spilled out soft and broken. “Oh… keep going, baby…” you whispered, nails digging into his forearm. You pulled one leg higher toward your chest, giving him a deeper angle. Your breasts moved with every slow thrust, nipples tight under his wandering hand.

Neteyam groaned against the back of your neck, his fingers slid down between your legs and found your clit, smearing the wetness that already coated both of you. He rubbed circles while his hips kept pushing deeper, the length of him dragging along every spot inside you.

You watched through half-lidded eyes as his cock disappeared into your pussy over and over. The slight bulge it made in your lower belly with every thrust made another whimper slip out.

“You’re so deep… oh, it feels… I can’t think straight,” you trembled, he pressed his forehead harder against your shoulder, thrusts growing a little faster even as guilt still colored his voice. “I’m sorry… fuckk...”

Your walls fluttered around him at the apology. You reached back and guided his hand on your breast, holding him close. “Don’t be sorry. I want it… I want you.”

Neteyam’s hand went to your leg, letting him hold onto it now instead of you. The pleasure built fast as yur body tensed, thighs shaking as the next orgasm rolled through you.

You clenched hard around his cock, a cry leaving your lips as waves of heat crashed over you. He buried himself and came with a groan, flooding you with another thick load. He stayed deep inside while both of you shook through it, his hips giving a few last weak thrusts to empty everything.

Even after it faded he didn’t pull out, he stayed buried inside you, breathing hard against your neck, one hand still resting over your stomach where he could feel himself.

Neither of you spoke, the only sound was your shared breathing and the soft shift of leaves around you. Neteyam pressed a gentle kiss to the mark he had left on your shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I really didn’t mean to wake you like that.”

You let out a tired laugh and squeezed around him on purpose. “I’m more than okay. A little sore… but in the best way.” Your fingers stroked lazily through his braids, pulling him into a deep kiss. “You’re still inside me.”

“I know…” He sounded almost shy, humming into your mouth, “I didn’t wanna leave yet.”

“Then stay. We have all morning...”

taglist : @k----a27s @babymi1ne

Your grandmother leaned forward, hand on his arm as she smiled up at him.

“So, Aoi,” she cooed sweetly, “how did you get that scar?”

He smiled shyly, one hand scratching the back of his head, the hairtie on his wrist catching the light.

“Oh, this one? Training accident. A long time ago, nothing serious.”

He turned his head slightly so she could get a better look.

Your grandma hummed. “Mm, gives you character. Like a movie star. You ever done modeling?”

You nearly choked on your drink.

Aoi let out a bashful chuckle. “No, ma’am. Just sorcerer work. But thank you. That’s… really sweet.”

“Don’t be shy, dear. You’re handsome and polite. And those arms—oh my. Look at these arms!” she laughed, giving one bicep a playful pat.

He blushed. Honest to god, this six-foot-something tank of a man blushed.

You couldn’t take your eyes off him. The shirt was tight. The pants were loose but you knew what was under them. His thighs, his back, his strength. And yet, the way he smiled at your grandma made your chest flutter worse than anything else. His voice, so deep and soft just for her.

And for a moment, you got lost in it.

Then your heel slid off, resting lightly under your own legs as your bare foot reached forward—under the tablecloth, under the table—until it pressed softly against the edge of his shin.

He froze mid-sentence.

Your toes traced a slow circle over the fabric of his pants, feeling the bulk of his calf beneath. Then you dragged your foot up—to his knee.

He coughed.

“Something in your throat, sweetheart?” Grandma asked, pouring him more tea.

He cleared his throat. “N-No, ma’am. Just, uh. Air’s dry.“

You smiled, innocent as ever, lifting your phone from your lap to type:

you’re doing so well baby. maybe later i’ll sit on your lap in that same chair and tell you what color my panties are. or do you already know?

He glanced down at his phone and nearly dropped the teacup.

You kept teasing with your foot, slowly sliding it back down toward his ankle, letting the arch of your foot just brush against the inside of his leg.

He sat straighter. His eyes flicked up. Then narrowed.

You typed again:

can you even focus on what she’s saying, or are you thinking about how soaked i got the second you sat down across from me?

He shifted in his chair like it burned. He couldn’t cross his legs. Not like this.

Your grandma went on. “And your hair—so thick! You remind me of my first boyfriend. He was built like you too. Used to carry me around like a feather. Had the prettiest smile.”

Aoi let out a strained laugh. “Wow. That’s… really nice to hear. Thank you.”

You texted:

bet i’m not the only one who wants you to carry me around today.

His fingers tightened on the edge of the table.

You bit your lip. And you weren’t even halfway done with him yet.

He was sweating. Not from the heat. Not from the soft garden sun or the warm tea in front of him. No—he was sweating because your foot was still on his leg.

And you were dragging it up and down the inside of his calf like it was nothing. Like you weren’t sitting across the table from him with a halo of sunlight on your shoulders and a grandmother who loved him talking his ear off about homemade jam.

“And you have such nice posture, Aoi. Do you work out a lot?”

Grandma’s tone was all innocent curiosity.

Aoi cleared his throat again, visibly flustered. “Uh—yes, ma’am. Every day.”

Your toes slipped higher, grazing the thick muscle just above his knee.

He gripped his thigh under the table.

You picked up your phone.

imagine if i just climbed under the table. pulled your zipper down real slow. used my mouth like the good girl i pretend to be. bet you’d crack before dessert.

He twitched. He looked up at you sharply, chest rising a little faster, his eyes burning into yours like you’d just smacked him.

You gave him a tiny smile and took a bite of cake.

“Have you tried the strawberry one?” you asked, all sugar and sweetness.

Aoi nodded stiffly, forcing a polite smile. “Mmh. Yeah. It’s—really good.”

Your foot slid up again. Slow. Cruel. This time, your toes pressed between his thighs.

He jumped—just a little.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Grandma asked with concern.

He blinked rapidly. “Yes—yes ma’am, sorry. Just, uh… bees.”

“Bees?”

You texted:

not bees. just my pretty little toes on your cock, huh?

He gave you a look that could only be described as pleading murder. His hand slipped under the table, like he was going to grab your ankle, maybe stop you. Maybe hold you there. Who knows.

But you pulled away. Slowly.

Then sent another message:

aw. you miss it already? poor baby. you can flex those thighs all you want, you’re not gonna scare me.

He looked down at his lap, then back up at you with a clenched jaw.

You watched his chest rise and fall. Watched the shirt stretch over him like it was fighting for its life. His hand curled on the table. His tongue dragged across his bottom lip, slow and unsteady.

He picked up his phone. Your screen buzzed.

You’re a menace. Keep going and I swear to god I’m gonna carry you behind that shed and make you beg with your knees in the dirt.

You exhaled slowly, your thighs tightening under the table. Your grin was sharp. Wild.

You didn’t text back. Instead, you slowly slipped your foot forward again, nudging between his legs, softer this time—just resting there. Warm. Bare. Unapologetic.

He shifted in his seat, one large hand over his mouth now, pretending to listen to your grandmother talk about her old rose garden. But his eyes were only on you now.

Burning. You took a sip of your drink, smiled like a saint, and leaned back in your chair.

Game on.

You stood up mid-conversation, your chair scraping softly against the stone patio.

“Excuse me,” you said cheerfully, brushing invisible crumbs from your dress. “I’ll go smoke real quick.”

You caught Aoi’s eyes as you stepped back. His stare was desperate. Desperate to move, to follow, to do something. His mouth opened just slightly like he wanted to speak—but he didn’t. Couldn’t. Not with your grandma watching.

You turned and walked away.

The garden stretched out around you in warm shadows and rosebushes, the party still softly buzzing behind you. You found a small, weathered table near the shed—half hidden by hanging ivy and a trailing wisteria vine. The sunlight was dappled, the air smelled like sun-warmed grass.

You leaned on the table lazily, pulling a cigarette from the pack in your bag just to hold it. You didn’t even light it. Just waited.

Your heart beat like a drum in your chest. You heard footsteps a few minutes later. Slow. Heavy. Deliberate.

He came from the side, not directly behind you—like a predator circling prey. You didn’t move. Didn’t look. You just stayed relaxed, letting your body stretch and curve naturally in the warm air.

Then you felt it.

His hands. Big and warm, sliding so slow from your hips up to your waist from behind, fingertips dragging lightly over the fabric of your dress. He pulled you back into him with a slow roll of his hips—not hard, not obscene, just enough to show you what was there. What you’d caused.

His mouth came to your ear.

And his voice—god. Low, gravel-thick and dark, wrapped in breath: “Your grandma just told me I’ve got good hands,” he murmured, barely touching your earlobe with his lips. “Wanna see what they can do when they’re knuckle-deep in her favorite girl?”

Your breath hitched so hard you nearly dropped the cigarette.

He chuckled darkly, pressing you in a little closer, his chest hard against your back.

“You’ve been playing so sweet,” he said, voice curling into a whisper like smoke. “Smiling. Teasing. Acting like I won’t fuck you up the second I get a chance.”

One of his hands slid down now, just over your lower stomach, dangerously slow, hovering like a promise just above where you ached for him.

You swallowed.

“You wanna be good for me now?” he murmured. “Or do I make you finish this little game with your mouth full and your knees in the grass?”

You let out a shaky breath. He still hadn’t touched there—not yet. Just his hands. His mouth. His presence.

The cigarette trembled slightly between your fingers.

“I’m waiting, baby,” he whispered. “Be a good girl and answer me.”

You turned around slowly in his hold, that unlit cigarette still resting between your fingers like a prop in a play you were directing. He looked down at you, dark eyes burning, chest rising and falling like he’d just run laps.

You tilted your chin up, all sweet and calm like nothing had happened, lips curling into the softest little smirk.

“All mouth,” you murmured, voice sugary and low. “You wouldn’t dare, sweetheart.”

You watched his jaw twitch. His hands flexed at your hips.

“Not here,” you added, stepping in closer until your chest brushed his. You tapped his sternum with the tip of your finger. “You’re way too good for that. Such a gentleman. Grandma’s favorite.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. But fuck did his body tense.

Then your hand slipped between you—low, palm sliding over the front of his slacks with slow, deliberate pressure. He was half hard already, thick and hot under the linen, and you swore he let out the faintest groan the second your hand cupped him.

“Mm…” you cooed, eyes locked on his. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation now, would we?”

Your fingers stroked him through the fabric, just enough to tease, nothing more. Not yet.

“You’ll behave, right?” you purred. “Like the good boy you are?”

His entire body went still. His hands tightened on your waist.

You leaned up a little closer. “I’ll let you fuck me later if you earn it.”

He growled—a low sound deep in his chest but didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

You gave him one final, slow squeeze before pulling your hand away like nothing happened. Your smile widened.

“Now go back to the table,” you whispered against his neck. “And try not to cum in your pants before dessert.”

Then you turned around, again, swaying your hips as you walked back toward the celebration, still holding that cigarette like the smug little devil you were.

Behind you? He stood frozen in place, hands clenched, breathing heavy, the outline of your touch still hard and visible through his slacks.

The table was loud again unaware of anything simmering beneath the surface.

You were glowing. Giggly. All dimples and sweet laughter, as if your fingers hadn’t been on Todo’s dick ten minutes ago.

“I’ll help with the dishes,” you said lightly, standing and stretching just enough for your dress to pull tight at your back. “Need a little break from all the cake.”

You heard a few polite chuckles. Grandma smiled. “That’s sweet of you, dear.”

Then he moved.

Aoi stood. Calmly. Softly. He reached for a couple of dessert plates with the kind of casual grace that hid the way his fists had been clenched under the table for the last hour.

“I’ll help you,” he said simply.

You didn’t look at him. Didn’t have to.

You turned toward the house, walking slowly up the old garden path, the scent of roses and sun-warmed grass around you. You reached the kitchen first bright and empty. You set the plates down by the sink, running the water, giving yourself a second to breathe.

You felt him behind you before you heard him.

A step. Then another.

Then his voice—low, velvet-dipped, so quiet it sent a chill down your spine: “I’m gonna make you say those same words with my dick down your throat.”

Your hands stilled in the sink.

He stepped closer, the heat of his body barely brushing yours, mouth to your ear like he hadn’t just threatened to ruin you.

“‘All mouth, sweetheart’? You remember that, right?”

He dragged the words slow, gentle, like he was complimenting your dress.

“I’m gonna hear it again. But next time, you’re not gonna be able to finish it.” You swallowed. Your hands gripped the edge of the counter.

Then he took the plates from beside you—like nothing happened and placed them gently in the other sink. Smiling, like a good guest.

“A sponge?” he asked, his voice suddenly chipper.

You turned your head slowly, blinking up at him with your jaw slightly open, your legs weak under your dress.

He just smiled. And winked.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of clinking glasses and leftovers packed into foil. Guests were leaving, your grandmother fussing over coats and goodbyes. You slipped back into the kitchen, fingers pruned from dish soap, cheeks warm from wine.

Todo was still there.

Standing by the sink, drying the last dish with a white towel, hair still down. God, he looked wreckable. Arms thick and veined, chest flexing with every subtle movement, and that towel looked criminally tiny in his hands.

You stood beside him like nothing was happening.

Like his whispered filth from earlier hadn’t soaked through your panties. The kitchen was quiet now. Just the low hum of the dishwasher. The faint laughter from the garden. The scent of cake and lemon soap in the air.

Your grandmother stepped in with one last plate.

“Here’s the final one, loves,” she said sweetly. “I’ll leave you two to it.”

Todo turned, smiled at her with all the gentle charm he still had the strength to summon. “Thank you, ma’am.”

The door clicked shut behind her. You didn’t speak.

You walked past him, trailing your fingers across the counter like you weren’t planning anything.

“Where’s the jar of sugar again?” you asked, voice light.

He reached a hand toward the upper shelf, but you stopped him.

“No no, I got it.”

You stood in front of him. Pressed yourself into him as you reached—your ass pushing into his crotch with a slow, deliberate grind. His breath hitched.

You stretched your arm up toward the shelf, your other arm lifting, elbow beside his head, caging him between your body and the counter.

You wiggled slightly as you reached, like it was just hard to balance on your tiptoes. Your body rocked right against the bulge in his slacks, brushing slow and teasing as you whispered under your breath: “Mmh, can’t… quite reach…”

Your hips tilted just a little more into him.

That was it.

His towel dropped.

Both of his hands gripped your waist, tight, fingers digging in like he could barely restrain himself. His head lowered beside yours, lips brushing the shell of your ear.

“You think I’m gonna let you keep doing that?” he said, voice thick, trembling with restraint.

You didn’t move. Just smiled. “Doing what?” you murmured, innocent. “Helping?”

His fingers flexed harder on your hips, pulling you back into him so you could feel how hard he was.

“Don’t fucking start,” he growled quietly. “You’ve been driving me insane all day.”

You laughed soft, breathy, but it cracked a little at the end.

He turned you in his grip.

Slow. Careful. Dominant.

Pressed you back against the counter with his full chest flush to yours, one hand staying on your waist, the other reaching up to finally grab the sugar jar and set it beside you like you’d actually needed it.

Then he leaned in—nose to nose, lips almost touching. “You still think I’m all mouth?” he whispered.

You looked up at him, lips barely apart, eyes sparkling with mischief. His breath was hot against your cheek, his chest rising hard and fast, hands gripping the edge of the counter behind you like it was the only thing stopping him from taking you right there.

You leaned in even closer, mouth brushing his just enough to tease. “Yes,” you whispered. “I do.”

And then you moved. Smooth. Slow. Fingers slipping down, brushing his waistband, then gliding—so gently—over the bulge pressing against his slacks.

He hissed in a breath through clenched teeth, eyes flashing. “Shh,” you cooed, dragging your palm over him again. “Didn’t say you could make a sound yet.”

Then you reached lower, teasing the button open with a single finger. He didn’t stop you. Couldn’t. He was frozen in place, jaw locked, muscles tight, his breath shallow and heavy.

You undid the zipper slowly—painfully slow. The soft rasp of metal teeth opening echoed louder than it should have in the quiet kitchen.

You slipped your hand into his boxers. Wrapped around him. And gave one hard stroke.

He shuddered. His hand slammed into the counter behind you to keep himself upright. You looked up at him with mock sympathy, lips parted like a pout. “Aww,” you whispered, voice thick with fake sweetness. “You’re already so hard. That’s cute.”

Then you started moving your hand. Tight, slow, twisting at the top, palm dragging over the tip every time. Your other hand slid over his stomach, holding him steady, grounding him, letting him feel every second of it.

And when his head fell forward, lips parting with the beginning of a groan— You stopped. Grabbed his face. Pressed your mouth right against his ear.

“I know you are very vocal but if you make a single sound too loud,” you whispered, “I will stuff my panties in your mouth.”

He froze.

“And I’ll let you leave like that,” you went on, voice like sin, “walk back to your apartment with them still between your teeth, hard as a rock, dripping down your leg.”

Your hand started again—rougher now. He bucked into your grip, just slightly, eyes squeezed shut.

You smiled, and kissed his jaw, slow and gentle, while you jerked him off like it was a fucking death sentence.

“You’ll behave, won’t you?”

Another twist. Another gasp choked back.

“Good boys don’t cum loud.”

His breath was ragged now, almost desperate.

Your hand never stopped. Stroking him slow. Tight. Purposefully dragging your palm over the sensitive head each time, watching how his legs shook beneath him, how his abs tensed under your free hand.

Then you leaned in. And kissed him. Soft at first—barely a brush of your lips over his. Then deeper. You tilted your head, opened your mouth just enough, your tongue licking slow into his as you kept stroking him like you had all the time in the world.

He moaned into your mouth before he could stop himself, hips jerking once—twice into your fist.

You pulled back just enough to breathe, your lips wet against his as he whispered, voice wrecked—

“Babe, I—” A shudder. His forehead dropped to yours.

“I can’t… hold it longer…”

Your strokes slowed. Painfully slow. Just your fingers teasing the head now, palm curling around him with each soft twist.

He whimpered. You smiled, lips brushing his again. “Aww. Are you gonna cum in my hand like a needy little mess?” He clenched his jaw. His hands gripped the counter harder. Every vein in his arms stood out. His chest was heaving, skin flushed down to his collarbones.

“Such a good boy for me,” you whispered sweetly, and kissed him again—this time biting softly at his bottom lip.

Your thumb rubbed over the tip, just a little. And he twitched.

“Ohhh, poor baby,” you purred, biting back your own moan. “Can’t even speak, huh?”

He buried his face in your neck, his breath hot and ragged, and you felt his whole body tense.

Just before he came, you whispered one last thing: “Don’t you dare stain my dress.”

And with a strangled groan pressed into your throat, he came—hot, thick, and twitching into your hand as you stroked him through it, slow and steady, watching him fall apart against you.

You kissed the corner of his mouth, so gentle it was almost cruel. Then pulled your hand away.

He stayed there—head pressed to your shoulder, shaking slightly, trying to catch his breath.

And you whispered. “Now go clean yourself up.”

He stayed still for a second, chest still rising and falling hard, his forehead pressed to your cheek, your hand slick and warm between you.

He pulled back, looked at you with blown pupils and the filthiest little grin. Flushed, fucked-out, hair sticking to his temple.

He took your wrist—gently—and brought your hand up between you.

You watched, breath caught in your throat. He ran two fingers through his own cum on your palm, slow and shameless, his eyes never leaving yours.

Then his other hand came up. Wrapped around your throat. Firm and possessive. But not tight. Pulling you to him.

“Open,” he said, voice rough.

You chuckled. But you opened. Tongue out, eyes up, lips parted like you were born for this. He slid those two fingers into your mouth—coated, sticky, warm.

You moaned the second your tongue wrapped around them.

Slow licks. Deep. Obedient. Filthy. You sucked him clean with a soft whimper in the back of your throat, your hands gripping the counter now for balance.

His thumb pressed lightly at your pulse. He pulled his fingers free with a soft pop.

His face leaned in, lips brushing yours as you finished, your moan still echoing in his ears.

Then whispered, voice like sin: “I’m gonna fuck you tonight until you cry. Face down. Ass up. My hand over your mouth so nobody hear how good I break you.”

You gasped—barely. Your knees wobbled.

He kissed your cheek so sweetly it almost hurt.

Then stepped back, tucked himself in, and handed you a napkin.

“Now be a good girl and finish drying the dishes.”

Cute. You thought you were done.

The Masterlist is here. If you are still thinking with your teeth, Requests are open.

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