Your a prisoner on a Viltrumite ship. Conquest was meant to be left with you in your cell to set you straight. As it would turn out getting bent over someone's knee to be taught a lesson had two very different meanings.
You got powers alright, great.
Definitely not a drabble anymore, flood gates are open. You did this.
Pt.1 Pt.2
MDNI
__________________________________________
This changes things.
Conquest rolls back so that he was on top now. Thick hands sliding up you triceps past your forearms to your wrists. As soon as he grabbed them he pushed his lagre knee between your thighs, breaking your hold around his waist.
You bit your tongue in thought, raising your knee to your chin, planting your foot on his sternum pushing hard and sending him back.
He pulled you with him, deep chuckle getting knocked from him as his back hit the floor again. You grinned, swinging your body to the side, rolling on the floor with him.
Soon both of you left the ground, he ascended into the air, the two of you approached the ceiling fast. You squeezed your wrists from his grasp, using his thick arm to swing around to his back. You float behind him, lifting your fists above your head before bringing them back down to collide with his shoulder. Sending him plummeting down.
Before you can feel good proud you feel him grip your ankle. Dragging you down with him.
"Quick thinking girly." He smiles before holding you out in front of him, surging to the floor below. "Just not quick enough, huh?" He tisked gently.
You dug your fingers into the coiled muscles of his forearms, using all the strength you had to throw him back.
Both of you crashing into the ground with a loud rumble. The wind was knocked from both of you landing on your backs.
This didn't feel threatening....this was fun. A twisted dance of violence and tantalizing pain. The two of you could be heard exchanging breathy laughs as you threw punches and kicks and to be honest, you felt like Conquest was merely playing around.
Once you were back on your feet every punch you threw was caught by him. One skimmed his chin, throwing his head back slightly.
Conquest grabbed his jaw, smiling darkly. "You're kinda good at this."
"I try." You reply smugly.
Throwing a sharp elbow to his brow, you took a second to breathe as his fingers grazed the split in his now bleeding brow. He licked his two fingers quickly before surging toward you. All too excited to get his hands on you again.
You nod at him, almost tauntingly. Both your fingers interlocked as if trying to see who could break each other's fists faster. His crooked teeth clenching hard in excitment. You couldn't even help the grin that etched it's way onto your face.
Since your hands were busy you started to throw kicks. Kicking the side of his knee. Conquest hissed lightly, nodding in encouragement.
"There you go." Conquest barked.
His own leg wrapping around the back of yours. Pushing you back, trying to trip you up, needless to say it worked.
You swept your leg under his heels causing him to fall. He landed with a hard grunt.
"Testy." His mustache turned up mockingly.
You felt a heat build in your lower stomach at his gravely voice. Rolling over quickly you met his jaw with a hard punch, drawing blood.
Conquest forced himself to stand, gripping both your arms in his hands. He perked you up till you were standing, your faces so close you could feel the ragged breaths heaving from his lungs hit your lips. You stared into his eyes before your gaze drifted down to the bleeding cut on his jaw. You pulled your arms in, bringing him closer. Your plush lips could feel his stubble poking at them before you licked the blood dripping from his fresh wound.
Long and warm and wet, you drug your tung up till it met the corner of his mouth. Pulling back to look into his eyes went you brought you tongue back into your mouth. Conquest stared intently, watching like it was the most interesting thing he'd seen in millenia. His lips parted in fascination.
That straining in his pants throbbing painfully now. You hummed at the taste only making the current situation that much worse for him. He needed some sort of contact, more fighting, more friction. Anything as far as he was concerned. He'd take whatever you gave him. So long as it was from you he'd accept eagerly.
You took notice of this, the distraction. A smile slowly spreading on your face. You twisted in his loose grasp. His thick chest now at your back. His large arms still wrapped around you, rough hands still gripping your forearms.
Comquest watched you with unwavering interest. You pressed back into him. Rolling your hips back into his lap. That had Conquest's legs stuttering slightly.
You could feel the problem he was having and in all honesty, you just wanted to help. His fingers spasmed around your wrists as you continued. Rocking your hips back into his lap, almost rhythmically now.
"That's it....." Conquest nods, hot breath hitting your neck.
You grin to yourself, his hardening member becoming more obvious the longer you moved against him. You felt the weight of his head drop to the crook of your neck.
"That's good." He encouraged softly. "Just like that."
Conquest's voice was practically a low rumble now, making your knees feel weak. Soon enough you'd backed him into a wall, the only thing keeping him steady. It was probably pathetic looking from the outside. His face burried in your neck, hips moving slowly with yours, all pressed against the cold metal wall.
Slowly his grip slipped from your wrists, once they dropped you turned in his arms. Your hands gripping his shoulders to push him harshly against the wall then sliding him down to the floor below. Comquest just let you, too invested to really care about what you did to him. He looked up at you who was now standing over him.
You peered down at him, some of your hair falling into your face. Your shadow cast over Conquest's eagerly waiting form. So different to see a man his size gazing up at you with a look that was nothing short of pining. Your foot pressed to his chest, his hand instantly going to grab your ankle, drifting up your flexed calf.
Conquest's hand traveled up the back of your thigh, fingers grazing the bottom of your ass. You just watched him, too high on the feeling of being in charge to stop him anytime soon.
Conquest didn't care either, not one bit. You could feel his chest move slowly, deep breaths trying to fill the expanse of his chest.
"You wanna keep fighting?" You ask quietly.
"What else is there?" Conquest asked. Glazed over eyes staring up at you, subtle grin holding a challenge.
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Heyy twin pls pls give smt with the idea of reader being pregnant with Conquest's child pleaaase
Gotchu
Bearing the child of Conquest was one hell of a ride. It wasn't meant to happen, Conquest kept you as a good little pet to keep him company, not as a potential carrier of a heir. Maybe it's the fact that viltrumites were a dying species, or maybe something paternal awakened in him that has never before, but he didn't end the pregnancy as you thought he would. Instead, you've seen him the gentlest he has ever been for the next nine months. Conquest didn't dare to touch your belly, thinking he'd end the growing life, but he also desperately wanted to feel it.
As silly as it sounds, he practiced on an egg, taking care of it with his bare hands. Conquest is a rabid dog, but not stupid. He knew the potential of one touch from him on something as vulnerable as a pregnant belly. So he was strict with himself, one small crack on the egg and he restarted. Till then, he would take good care of you in ways that didn't require as much physical touch. Bringing you the food you crave, getting a new house on Viltrum that would be more suitable for you and the baby, and becoming awfully protective. He already put more furnitures in his sad cube than he ever intended toโall this nuisance just to care for a human, but now he needed something decent to provide.
Conquest would lie if he'd say he didn't grow fond of you. At first, you pleasing him with words, company, and your body was purely for survival. But there was a shift when you did things willingly, and it made him more uneager to crush your head. And now? Now you were valuable to him, something to protect, maybe even cheerish.
Insane to think that on Viltrum, women would choose painful childbirth on purpose as a way of showing strenght and resilience. What a weird concept to boost your ego with. But you begged to make it as painless as possible, and that sweet pleading of yours convinced Conquest faster than he'd be proud to admit.
The first word he thought about when holding his newborn was small. Small and weak. Conquest was careful not to make a single movement that isn't planned ahead while the newborn was moving its small head in his hand. You wondered that as he held your baby, was it just too small or was his hand just too big? Either way, you were amused by how parental he suddenly became. You made him softer without physical strenght. That made other viltrumites feel uneasy. Is human pussy really this good?
Despite the hardships during the pregnancy, he'd do it again without hesitation, now having a newfound purpose.
{I guess this is my first official fic on my account so donโt be too harsh ๐. Thanks to @lostfallenangelsblog for this scrumptious idea, I hope I did it justice!}
โConโฆ I donโt wanna go out looking like thisโฆโ
Dresses of all varieties lay scattered across the bed, each abandoned dress an extension of your exasperated hopes, laying there like insults being pelted at you. You stared at your reflection as if Itโd make you like what you were seeing, except you didnโt like what you saw, what you saw made you wish the earth would open to swallow you whole. Tonight was supposed to be your chance to show your boyfriend the fun parts of human life, a nice little dinner date together, but with every minute your excitement was turning into a court of judgement, and your body was on trial.
This dress was supposed to smooth out the pudgy tummy and hide your back rolls, instead it decided to accentuate all those features, making you resemble something closer to a busted can of biscuits than a woman. Not to mention having no coverage for your arms, not even a jacket could save this, how could you possibly be seen in public looking like this?
Conquest on the other hand wasnโt even thinking about dinner anymore, not when he was staring right at his dessert, his pretty little morsel just begging to be devoured. Heโd noticed your building frustrations by the fourth dress youโd tried on, it didnโt take rocket science to see the thoughts running in your head, he just didnโt understand why you were thinking them. Of course you were meant to be all soft and squishy, humans were the weaker species after all, so why were you so upset about it? The older man moved across the room to stand behind you, reaching down to wrap his hands around your waist and pull you back against him, leaning down to whisper in your ear.
โLookinโ like what, kitten? You look good enough to eat, yet youโre over here lookinโ at yourself like that. What's got you so worked up, hm?โ
You instinctively wanted to melt into Conquestโs embrace, usually youโd be a blushing, giggling mess by now. But the bitter self hate simmered deep in your chest, a lifetime of critiques both from others and yourself weighing you down, making you feel completely unworthy of the attention. Why would he ever pick you? Conquest was the closest thing to perfection, having existed long before she was even a thought, he could have anyone he wanted yet he was in a relationship with you. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes, looking away from the mirror, the words spilling out in a choked up mumble.
โI lookโฆ awful. Nothing fits right, I canโt go out with you looking likeโฆ this. Guys donโt want a fat girlfriend, they want a girlfriend they can pick up and carry around, someone they can treat like a princess. Why would you pick me whenโฆ fuck, when you could get any woman you wanted?โ
The feeling of his hand grabbing your chin forced your attention back to the reflection in the mirror, and when your eyes locked with his good one you froze, molten heat pooling in your belly in an instant. The way Conquest was looking at you was nothing short of ravenous, both insulted that youโd question why he chose you, and offended that you forgot just who you belonged to. His tone had shifted completely now, so had the air in between them, thick enough to cut with a knife.
โOh? Is that so, pet? And who are you to tell me what I should or shouldnโt want, hm?โ
You swallowed around the lump in your throat, heat crawling across your skin at his growl, breath coming in short and sharp gasps. The size difference was even more obvious in this position, trapped against the fortress of his body, making you feel smaller than you usually did. The urge to argue your point sat in the back of your mind now, that had died the moment he looked at you like that, like you were the only woman in the entire universe.
โIโฆ I umโฆโ
Conquest cut off the stuttered whisper with a tut, slowly trailing his hands down towards your thighs, his prosthetic hand teasing the hem of the dress while the left gripped the plush flesh of your thigh. That pulled a groan from the older man as he nuzzled his nose into the crook of your neck, savoring the sweet scent of your skin, that warmth that heโd happily drown in. Returning his gaze to meet yours, he tugged at the hem of your dress, looking for your permission despite the intensifying hunger.
โTake it off, princess. Let me show you exactly why I chose you, since youโve forgotten already.โ
Yeahโฆ so much for that dinner date. You were sure you were disturbing the entire neighborhood with the noises you were making, the smell of sex and endless obscene, wet smacks filled the bedroom. Youโd already given up on watching your reflection, too fucked out and drunk on his cock to lift your head, let alone keep your eyes open for long. Conquest had his hands wrapped tight under your thighs, knees pulled up towards your chest to keep you completely spread open, your back against his bare chest while he used you.
โYouโve gotโฆ some fuckinโ audacity, pet. Questioning my choicesโฆ my strengthโฆ you think your weight is anything to me? Donโt ever insult my capabilitiesโฆโ
Conquest snarled in a ragged laugh as he admired your reflection in the mirror, his amber eye glued to the way your soft body moved with his thrusts, how your flesh spilled through his fingers. The thought of the bruises he was leaving on you made him feel feral, getting to mark up this plump, perfect, fertile body of yours. He watched your sticky, fat pussy swallow his girthy cock with each bounce, soaking his length in your juices that dripped down his balls. Why would he pick a woman who would break if he fucked her like this, when you took him like your pussy was starving for him, just begging to be filled and fucked every chance it got.
โI chose you because you donโt breakโฆ you take what I give you and beg for more. Iโm flattered you treat me like a man, but Iโm a conquerer, and Iโll always remind you whoโs claimed this tight pussy of yours.โ
You couldnโt help but whimper at the sheer heat of him, not just from the way he was using you like a living fucktoy, but because of the raw desire in his words. Conquestโs cock was bullying your insides with every thrust, the tip hitting your cervix with ruthless precision, youโd already lost count on how many times heโs made you cum already. Tears of bliss cut trails through the makeup youโd spent an hour on, lipstick smeared and mascara staining around your eyes, a beautiful, broken mess of ecstasy.
โCon-! Pleaseโฆ I canโtโฆ itโs too muchhhโฆ!โ
Your pleas fell on deaf ears when Conquest held you tighter, squishing you against his torso to drive his cock in deeper, forcing squeals and babbled sobs from your parted lips. The pace he was going could rival that of a feral beast, heavy and rough with the eagerness of his thrusts, growls and grunts against your neck as he marked your skin in bruising bite marks. When the gummy, velvety walls of your cunt clenched down on his cock he kept up his assault, fucking you through yet another earth shattering orgasm.
โYou can and you will take it, girl- Iโm not stopping until youโre so full of my cum you canโt thinkโ!โ
His words were muffled against the skin of your shoulder, ragged and low with his own building pleasure, feeling his balls pulling up tight as he reached the edge. Moving to capture your lips in a sloppy kiss, his hips stuttered before stilling completely, buried to the hilt in your trembling heat. Conquest grunted into your mouth when he came hard, thick ropes of his seed shooting deep inside you, pressed right up against your cervix. The Viltrumite felt a jolt of pride at filling you up, maybe this time it would take, thereโs nothing heโd love more than to see you carry his legacy.
When the waves of pleasure slowed to a warm buzz, you pulled away from the kiss to catch your breath, gasping and panting as your head fell back against him. It was a messy scene, sweat slicked skin and sticky juices connecting their bodies, you looked completely fucked out in his arms. Easing his grip just enough so you could be more comfortable, Conquest leaned in to press a kiss to your flushed cheek, baring his crooked teeth in a mockingly sweet smile. You never looked as beautiful as you did every time he broke you, all sated and boneless against him, his soft little human.
โConโฆโ
Thatโs all you could manage to mumble against him, still trying to come back down to earth from cloud nine, your mind a blissful, goopy haze. If youโd been self conscious before you definitely werenโt now, you had completely forgotten about the date, about the dresses left discarded around the room from your earlier dilemma. All you could think about was that he was buried balls deep in your pussy, his cum leaking out around his girth, and the fact he was still hard as a rock. His next words just confirmed that, whispered in your ear with a teasing, cocky purr, both a threat and a promise.
โDonโt give up, kittenโฆ I'm just getting started.โ
Tags: [mlw][mdni][friends to more?][tw: forehead mention][rex is a girldad, prove me wrong][fingering][ex!fwb][spooning][lil' bit of a daddy kink][creaming][doggy style][spit][headlock]
"You know, that baby looks a lot like you." Mark hums softly, attention shifting between the toddler that stands between Rex's muscular thighs, chubby hands gripping the fabric of his sweatpants and green eyes stare up at him.
Rex's gaze lowers to meet Winnie's, wide eyes that mirror his own staring at the ice-cream cone in his hand, rosy lips wetting themselves with a pink tongue as she shifts on her tiny feet.
He does see the resemblance a bit. In her mannerisms, her appearance. Shit, even the way she instinctively shows Cecil her index finger whenever he walks into the room. Rex knows that's not the finger she wants to show.
"Nahh." Rex dismisses, lowering the treat just enough for Winnie's hand to grip at his wrist, unsteady legs keeping her up as she licks at the cone. "It's cause me and her mom are close. It's like when your cat start to look like you."
"Babies aren't cats, Rex." Mark deadpans, slender fingers tapping on his thigh as he stares at Winnie.
"Do you know who her dad is yet?"
Rex shakes his head, his pudgy thumb wiping away the smears of strawberry ice-cream before looking back towards Mark.
Before shrugging his broad shoulders.
"Doesn't matter. I'm basically her fun uncle." Rex boasts before looking down at Winnie, dimples deep in his honeyed cheeks, green eyes sparkling. "Ain't I, tubby?"
"Dlickwee!" Winnie giggles.
"Don't call me a dickweed, you dyslexic shit."
"Rex, she's a baby!" Mark defends, hands hooking underneath Winnie's chubby arms, tugging her up into the air before ultimately settling her on his thigh, chonky fists immediately moving to tug on the collar of his shirt.
"When are you gonna tell him?" Eve's voice is quiet, turning away from where Rex has Winnie cradled and she stares at you, shovelling spoonfuls of ice cream into your mouth.
"I kinda wanna watch him figure it out himself." You speak through a full mouth, before looking back towards Rex.
"He'd make such a good dad if he wasn't....you know..."
"Slow?" Kate interjects, gaze lifting from her book and you purse your lips, reluctantly nodding your head.
"So, are you like, around all the time?" Mark questions, attention divided between where Winnie toys with the chain around his neck, and where Rex is lounged, one muscular leg extended over the armrest of the sofa and the other foot planted on the carpeted floor.
"Mhm." Rex hums. "I basically live there. You know, cause the kid's dad's a fucking deadbeat."
And Mark scratches the back of his neck, almost awkwardly, gaze shifting.
"Yeah, well, you know, he might... Not know he has a kid." Mark mumbles and Rex shifts, green eyes regarding Mark with a scrutinizing gaze. Before looking between him and Winnie.
The way how she's always been so affectionate with Mark, excitedly clapping whenever she sees 'Unca Mar'. And Rex sucks on his teeth, brows furrowing with suspicion.
"Real fuckin weird thing to say. Defending a deadbeat." And Rex shifts, elbows resting on his knees and he leans forward.
"You got a confession, dickhead?"
"Whaโ No. No. She's not my kโ I've never even had sex with anyone other than Eve."
And Rex snorts.
"Real sad confession, buddy."
๐โโ หโเญจ๐ฅเญงโหโ โ๐
There's no way to explain the demonic horniness that shrouds you like a thick mist when you see the way Rex gently brushes Winnie hair, bristles gentle against her soft strands and she simply keeps her gaze focused on the toy in her hands.
Beside him, lay an assortment of different hair accessories. Glittery hair ties, elastics, bows, and an assortment of clips, all decorated with various yellow things. Plastic gummy bears, bananas, stars, hearts. Everything that came from a superhero salary in her favourite colour.
"Okay, Pooh, what's the look for today?" Rex questions Winnie, brilliant green gaze focused on her, her small body settled between his muscular thighs, the sleeves of his T-shirt rolled up to the apex of forearm.
Veins bulge beneath the surface of the skin, scaling all the way up to wear the bunched fabric rests, wrists decorated with an assortment of jewellery. Namely black bands, brown beads and one very yellow friendship bracelet. Big, chunky beads that look jelly-ish, puffy letters that read 'WINNIE'.
Winnie babbles incoherently, pitch varying as her chubby hands continue to twist and turn the cube in her hands. Trying to assemble the colours in order.
"Hm.. s'thinking pigtails too. To minimise your mom's forehead genes." Rex snickers. "Dome headed."
And Rex divides the hair, carefully putting her hair in pretty pigtails like he's done many, many times before. Yellow decorates that gingery hair, green eyes obscured by yellow star-framed sunglasses and he waits until she lets out that squeal at her reflection before setting her down on the floor.
And she scrambles out of the room, excitedly, and Rex lets out a groan, arms stretching overhead before glancing towards you.
"Fuckin creep." He mocks, barely ducking the folded towel that's meant to collide with the back of his head.
"Fuck you. My forehead's normal sized." You defend, before shuffling properly into the bedroom, arms crossed over your chest and like clockwork, Rex's warm, warm hands move to grasp your hips, tugging you onto him unapologetically.
Your knees dig into the mattress on either side of him, your ass planted on his lower belly and your hands move towards bracing yourself on his chest. And Rex snorts.
"Muscle memory, huh?"
And you suck your teeth, rolling your eyes as you grab for the excess clips, sliding them into Rex's hair, your fingers carding through the tangerine strands, watching the way the silky tresses slip from your grasp with ease.
Rex swallows, gaze locked on your face. Taking in that wide eyed expression, perfect lips pursed in concentration as you continue to fuss with his hair, gorgeous eyes framed by the prettiest and longest lashes. And Rex's tongue brushes across his bottom lip, before he shifts beneath you.
And he just keeps staring.
Not only because you're just... So pretty to him, but he's looking. Really, really looking. He can see where Winnie gets her expressions. Pretty lashes with your eyes, that same... Thoughtless look behind them. God, it's like the lights are on but there's no one home.
His thumbs brush over your hip bones, the soft skin exposed by where your shirt rode up and Rex inhales sharply when he feels the way your thighs twitch at his sides.
And he's trying so hard to not look at your tits, pressed flush against the fabric of your shirt. God, pregnancy did you good.
"There's something we need to talk about later." Rex murmurs, swallowing down and he watches the way your movements halt, brows scrunching in confusion.
"Why can't we talk about it now?" You question.
"Because you might get mad and I don't wanna argue in front of the kid." Rex breathes out. "Not good for the developmental shit."
๐โโ หโเญจ๐ฅเญงโหโ โ๐
Immediately when Winnie's with Mark and Sam, Rex is letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding and he's setting you down on the sofa.
Taking the seat across from you, and he crosses his arms over his chest, thick thighs spread and he leans back, doing the hip thing. You try to not focus on the bulge in the front of his sweatpants, and instead, on his face.
"What'dโ"
"I wanna adopt Winnie."
It feels like a weight in your belly. Heavy, pointy edges poking into your intestines and you swallow, fingers fidgeting. And honestly, you don't know what's worse.
The fact that you'll have to admit the obvious truth, or the fact that either way, you'll be stuck with Rex indefinitely.
"I'm basically her dad already. I sleep here, I get her ready in the mornings, I feed her, I buy her that stupid Labโ what the fuck even is that?"
"It's a Labubu." "Well, it's La-expensive as fuck. Why can't she just play with socks like I did when I was a kid?" Rex huffs, and your brows raise.
"Was CPS ever called?"
"This isn't about me." And Rex inhales sharply. "I wanna... Officially co-parent Winnie. Like... As her dad and not her... fun uncle."
And you swallow.
"Rex... " You speak so softly, your fingers fiddling and you keep your gaze lowered.
"You remember... That one time in Cecil's office?"
"Which one? There were," He snorts, "quite a few times in Cecil's office."
"When... You were like, really depressed and you were kinda desperate, even though we were mad at each other. And like, you called me and I came andโ"
"Oh, you came. You came three times." Rex boasts, before shifting in his seat. "But what about it?"
This is nerve wrecking. You'd think a former assassin would be a smart guy but no. Rex is dumber than a bag of rocks.
"Well... We didn't use a condom. And you didn't... Pull out either, because I didn't wanna make a mess andโ"
And Rex's expression darkens. Brows form a deep frown, his jaw clenches and you're preparing for him to... Well, blow. Especially when you see that low, almost angelic glow beneath his skin and Rex takes a deep breath.
"I have a fucking kid and you didn't think to tell me?" Rex grits, blunt nails digging into his biceps as he tries to reign in the anger that's settling at the pit of his belly.
He's just mad that you didn't tell him.
"I thought you'd know by now." You murmur. "You sleep over a lot, she looks like you, she acts like you."
"I thought it's like fucking cats!" Rex groans, hands moving to card through his hair, muscular fingers tugging his hairtie off and he takes a deep breath.
"Rex, you haven't not been here, for the last two years. Are you even fucking?" You question.
"No, becauseโ oh shit, I'm a dad." Rex mumbles, the reality sinking in. "...and I'm not beating her."
"I think you're still eligible for me to call CPS."
Rex doesn't really know how he didn't put it together as soon as Winnie popped out of you.
Literally.
He was in the delivery room, fingers laced with yours, wiping away the sweat from your hairline and making sure you didn't pass out from exertion.
He should've known when you tested her name out on your tongue, murmuring 'Winnie Sloan' as she nursed from you. And he definitely should've put two and two together when he found himself attending Daddy & Me classes.
Fuck. You'd even hummed 'she has your eyes' offhandedly as you fell asleep, in his arms.
๐โโ หโเญจ๐ฅเญงโหโ โ๐
"I'm gonna watch a movie. You wanna watch?" Rex leans against the doorframe, arms folding across his chest, muscles bulge and green eyes watch you avidly as you pull a T-shirt over your head.
"What're you watching?" You question softly,
"The Mummy." Rex hums. "Brendan Frasier's one."
And it isn't even long before you're curled up, Rex's arms wrapped around your waist, his face pressed against the curve of your neck and his eyes are basically shut.
Even breaths leave him, his body warm against yours, your legs entangled and his palm remains splayed across the soft flesh of your belly, tucked away behind the fabric of your thin T-shirt.
"You want me to turn the movie off?" You ask softly, shifting a bit closer to Rex and he shakes his head.
"Hm-hm... m'listening, baby."
His voice is a low, sleepy rumble, body pressed so firmly against yours only for his lips to ghost the curve of your shoulder, the ball of his nose pressing against your pulse.
"..you smell good..." Rex mumbles lazily. "...really good."
And he shifts behind you, his free hand moving from being tucked beneath you, and instead, moving to your inner thigh. He guides your legs to part, calloused fingertips pressing into the soft flesh as he shifts your body, until your thigh's tossed over his legs.
And his hand nestles between your thighs, warm palm pressing against your even warmer cunt and he coos sleepily. Flimsy panties do nothing to tamper with your sensitivity, and Rex lets out a sleepy breath.
"I haven't had sex in two years."
Rex's voice is lazily, a sleepy murmur that's nearly drowned out by how fast the blood is rushing in your ears, your breaths just a bit uneven as his fingers press against your clit. Softly, gently. Circling the bud as his half-asleep brain pieces together the words.
And you nod your head, trying your hardest to keep your mind easy and clear, your chest heaving.
"You're gonna let me fuck you right?" Rex breathes out, pressing lazy kisses against the skin of your neck, his fingers tugging your soaked gusset aside, before dragging along your cunt. Slick fingers trace your slippery slit and he lets out a breath.
"Right, baby?" He murmurs softly. "You gonna let me fuck you nasty?"
And two fingers plunge into your cunt, warmth blossoming in your belly and if feels like electricity's crackling just behind your mound with each flutter of his fingers. And you nod your head, weakly.
"Uh huh?" Rex coos softly. "You gonna let me?"
There's nothing that's preparing you for the way that his fingers are fucking into you, curling against all the right spots while his other hand cups your chest, thumbing over your nipple until it pebbles beneath his thumb.
"Mhm... m'gonna let you..."
๐โโ หโเญจ๐ฅเญงโหโ โ๐
And by God, do you let him.
Nothing prepares you for the way his cock bullies it's way into your cunt, your back arched like a fucking cat, cheek pressed against the pillow and your hands grip the sheets.
And Rex's hands move to palm the fleshy globes of your ass, spreading them just so he can watch your drooling pussy swallow him whole, inch by inch. Nothing separating you, and Rex's plump bottom lip is wedged between his pearly teeth as he watches that unexplored hole clench and flutter.
And he rolls his hips against yours, cock sloppily kissing your cervix and smearing precum against your walls, his gaze remaining locked on that pretty, furled target.
"God, you're so fuckin sexy..." Rex breathes out, hands moving to grasp your hips instead, pulling you back to meet each brutally slow thrust of his hips.
You're so warm, gooey walls fluttering around every inch and vein, slick oozing down your inner thighs and you're breathing heavy. Sounds muffled by the pillow, the fat of your ass bounces off his hips and he watches as one of your hands weakly attempts to reach behind you, fingertips ghosting over his lower belly to push him away.
"Rex...." You whine. "S'too deep.."
"Move your fucking hand." Rex grunts, one of his hands moving to pin your hand at the small of your back, and he watches your other hand move, reaching out towards the headboard instead.
And the glimpse of faint scratches against the headboard makes his head spin in that way that has him letting out a weak whine, leaning over you to grasp at the headboard. The muscles in his forearm flexes with his grip, his hips snapping unforgivingly against your ass until your cheeks burn red.
His other hand presses down in the centre of your back, forcing your back into an even deeper arch, listening to the way your moans are muffled.
Your cheeks are deeply flushed, skin glistening with a thin sheen and Rex pants, brows knitting into a frown when he feels your walls flutter and spasm, almost uncontrollably.
And he pulls back, until only his fat, mushroom-y tip remains buried in your warm cunt and your holes flutter when you feel the way he spits on your cunt, before pushing back inside.
And before you know it, you're coming around his cock, a frothy ring forming around the base of him, and he moans.
"That's it, baby. Come for daddy." Rex groans. "Be my nasty girl."
Rex has you in a fucking headlock before your brain's come down from your orgasm.
Your throat nestled in the crook of his elbow, bulging bicep against the side of your face and his weight is pressing you into the mattress, hips rutting wildly and his teeth are sinking into your shoulder.
And Rex is fucking you like an animal.
Groaning against your shoulder, weighing you down until your knees are weak and threatening to give out beneath you and he presses a kiss to that spot just behind your ear.
His voice low and just a bit hoarse.
"Let's see if I can make you remember..." He takes a deep breath, hips grinding against yours and you feel the way his cock twitches,
(Y/n) stood near the back of the crowd. Around her, the village had transformed. Voices rose. War cries echoed. Calls for vengeance carried across the gathering.
In the middle of the crowd her father was trying to cool the flames of war.
Neteyam stood beside their father.
Trying. Trying so hard. But grief was a powerful thing. Fear was worse.
And right now the clan was feeling both.
(Y/n)'s eyes found her father. She watched him standing there. Watched him trying to stop a war before it started. Watched him trying to protect people who didn't even realize what they were asking for. Because she knew what he knew. He knew exactly what happened when people rushed into battle against the RDA. He knew exactly what those costs looked like.
And unfortunatelyโ So did she.
A movement beside her pulled her from her thoughts.
Lo'ak.
Her little brother looked angry. Frustrated. Restless. Like he wanted to punch something.
Which honestly described Lo'ak on most days.
He stopped beside her.
For a moment neither spoke.
"Shouldn't you be encouraging dad to fight back?"
(Y/n) didn't answer. Her eyes remained on the crowd. On the growing tension spreading through the village. โNo,โ she replied.
"Why not?" Lo'ak frowned.
Because normally his sister had an opinion on everything. Normally she argued. Normally she pushed back. Normally she'd already be halfway through preparing whatever their father asked of her
But not this time.
And that bothered him.
A lot.
"Are you scared?"
(Y/n) felt something tighten in her chest. Not anger. Not embarrassment. Something else. Something she hated. Because the answer was yes. Terrifyingly yes. And she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.
So, she stayed silent.
Lo'ak took that silence as confirmation. "You are."
(Y/n) closed her eyes briefly. Not because he was right. Because he was too hot blooded to understand why. Too young to understand what fear actually looked like.
She remembered when she was like her brother. Fearless of the RDA, proud and prepared to go into battle with her father.
Looks like their heart to heart went out the door when his impulsiveness flared because he didnโt know. Didnโt know how deep her fear ran. A fear so gripping that sheโd still prefer to die than end up in enemies hands. A fear that rose up at the mention of the RDA. A fear that made her heart poundโฆ a fear that her siblings could share the same fate as her or worse.
A fear that luck may run out.
"The only person who could change dad's mind is you."
"You're not going to do anything."
Her jaw tightened.
"So you'll just let the Tulkun die?"
Her eyes snapped toward him. Because that wasn't fair. Not even remotely. "Can you not hear dad?" she asked quietly. Her voice wasn't angry. It was calm. Steady. "He's telling them to warn the Tulkun so they can evade the RDA."
Lo'ak scoffed. "(y/n) you know as well as I do that we should fight back. Since when were you scared of a fight?"
The words hit harder than he realised. Because onceโ Once she'd loved fighting. Loved the challenge. Loved the certainty that came with knowing exactly who the enemy was.
Then the war came. Then captivity. Then torture.
Then death. Or something close enough to it.
And suddenly fighting wasn't exciting anymore. It was just expensive. Measured in blood. Measured in loss. Measured in people. People she had watched die because she refused to break.
"Lo'ak." Her voice dropped lower. "If dad orders a strike on the RDA..." She looked toward the ocean. "Many lives will be lost."
Lo'ak shook his head. "You and dad ran plenty of raids back home."
That hurt too. Because he wasn't wrong. But he also didn't know. Didn't know what those raids looked like afterward. Didn't know how many nights she'd run through the lists of personnel who didnโt make it home. Didn't know how many names she'd memorized. Didn't know how many funerals she'd attended.
"Where we had an advantage," she answered quietly. "Where we had weaponry. we knew the terrain.โ
And people still died anyway.
The last part stayed unspoken. Because why didnโt he understand. Why didnโt he realise that it takes a single stray bullet, one small mistake, one slip in judgement and everything goes wrong.
Why couldnโt he just drop it.
Lo'ak folded his arms. Frustrated.
Because he wanted her to agree with him. Wanted his sister to be the fearless warrior everybody thought she was.
Insteadโ She looked tired.
Just tired.
"So what you're saying..." His voice hardened. "...is you're a coward."
The word landed like a slap. (Y/n)'s head turned slowly. Very slowly. The same way Jake's did when someone pushed him too far. "Watch it."
Lo'ak held her gaze. For once refusing to back down. "The (Y/n) I know wouldn't let this slide." Then he turned. Walking away before she could answer.
Before she could explain. Before she could tell him that the (Y/n) he was talking about had nearly gotten herself killed.
More than once. Before she could tell him that courage and recklessness weren't the same thing. Before she could tell him she was terrified.
Not of dying. Of losing them. Of reliving a nightmare worse than death.
There was no suffering in death. No one was shot in front of her eyes in death.
He was gone before she found the words.
(Y/n) watched him disappear into the crowd. Something uneasy settled in her stomach.
A feeling she'd learned not to ignore.
Because Lo'ak was many things. He had a complete inability to leave things alone.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Following his retreating figure.
Why did she suddenly have the feelingโ
The horrible feelingโ That her little brother was about to do something incredibly stupid?
Because he was Lo'ak. And every instinct she possessed was suddenly screaming that whatever happened nextโ
Was going to be bad.
She sighed deeply, trying to steady herself. Tried. But no matter how many times she inhaled, no matter how many times she straightened her shoulders, no matter how many times she repeated her father's words in her headโ
Steel your heart.
โit wasn't working.
Not really.
The crowd around her blurred into noise. She could hear all of it. And none of it.
Because her mind was somewhere else. Back where everything had gone wrong. Her hands clenched. Hard enough her nails dug into her palms.
She barely felt it.
Because she remembered.
Eywa.
She remembered.
The crack of gunfire. Sharp. Violent. Impossible to forget. The sounds echoed inside her skull as vividly as if they were happening now.
Her stomach twisted. Suddenly the humid ocean air felt too thin. Too difficult to pull into her lungs.
She swallowed.
Tried again.
Failed.
Because once the memories startedโ They never came alone.
The smell followed. Blood. Rot. Death. The scent of the dead bodies left outside her cell.
Her breathing hitched. She squeezed her hands tighter. Her pulse hammered.
Louder.
Louder.
Stop.
But it wouldn't.
For a moment she genuinely thought she might be sick. Because the last time her brother had done something stupidโ The memory hit hard enough she physically flinched.
One inch. That was all that had separated her from death. One inch higher. One inch to the left.
And she wouldn't be standing here. Wouldn't be watching Lo'ak disappear into another terrible decision.
Her hands trembled. She hated that. Hated how fear still did this to her. Hated how helpless it made her feel.
You said they wouldn't find us.
The words she'd thrown at Jake earlier echoed back. And now she hated those too.
Because he hadn't lied. He'd believed it.
They both had. For a little while. For one brief beautiful moment she'd believed the war was behind them. That the fear was behind them. That they could just exist.
The laugh she'd shared with Si'riya on the beach felt like it had happened years ago.
Another breath. Shallow. Not enough.
She dug her nails deeper into her palm. Focusing on the pain.They're not here.
The thought came quietly. Weakly.ย She grabbed onto it anyway.
They're not here.
Another breath.
They're not going to get me.
Her heart still raced. Still pounded against her ribs. But she repeated it anyway.
They're not going to get me.
Again. They're not going to get me.
The knot in her chest loosened slightly. Enough to stop herself from spiralling completely. They won't get them either.
That one was harder to believe. Much harder. Because she'd believed people were safe before.
And been wrong.
But she forced herself to think it anyway. Forced herself to breathe. Forced herself to stand.
Because if she let the fear win nowโ
If she let the memories drag her underโ Then the RDA would have succeeded in breaking her.
And she was tired. So incredibly tired. Of letting them take things.
They won't get me.
A breath.
They won't get them.
Another breath.
And slowlyโ Very slowlyโ She managed to unclench her hands.
Neteyam spotted Lo'ak before he reached the ilu. Before he reached the saddle. Before he started sneaking away. Because Lo'ak had a look. A specific look.A look that immediately made Neteyam's stomach sink. The same expression he'd worn before every terrible idea he'd ever had.
And he hated it.
Absolutely hated it. Because it usually meant Neteyam was about to spend the next hour trying to stop his brother from getting himself or others killed.
Again.
Neteyam pushed through the crowd. His eyes never leaving Lo'ak. Never leaving the saddle already being slipped over the ilu's head.
Absolutely no way.
"No way you're rolling out of here little brother."
Lo'ak didn't even jump. Didn't even look guilty. Which somehow annoyed Neteyam more.
"I have to warn Payakan about the pingers."
Neteyam closed his eyes. Just for a second. Because there it was.
The problem.
Lo'ak had already decided. Already committed. And once Lo'ak committed to somethingโ Eywa herself struggled to change his mind.
"No."
Lo'ak afced him head on. "He's outcast."
"There's nobody to warn him but me."
Neteyam stared at him. He understood. That was the worst part. He understood. Because if somebody threatened (Y/n)... If somebody threatened Kiri... If somebody threatened Tuk... He'd do exactly the same thing.
Exactly. The same. Thing.
And maybe that was why this was so frustrating. Because Lo'ak wasn't wrong. He was just being stupid. Dangerously stupid.
Again.
"Bro."
Neteyam rested a hand on his head. "Why do you have to make things so hard?"
Lo'ak smacked his hand away immediately. The rejection stung more than it should have. "No."
Lo'ak finally looked at him. And there was anger there. Real anger. Not the usual irritation. Not the usual stubbornness. "You mean why can't I be the perfect son like you."
The perfect son.
Neteyam froze. Because there it was again. If only Lo'ak knew. If only he knew how exhausting that sounded. Because lately it felt like Neteyam spent half his life disappointing people. The title felt more like a burden than a compliment.
Lo'ak kept going. "Well I'm not you." His voice rose.
Neteyam barely noticed. Because all he could think wasโ I don't want you to be me.
Eywa.
Didn't Lo'ak understand that?
He didn't want another Neteyam. Didn't want another kid carrying expectations around like chains. Didn't want another sibling trying so hard to keep everyone together that they forgot about themselves.
One was enough.
One was already struggling.
"I'm not you." Lo'ak stepped forward. Defiant. Furious. "He's my brother."
Payakan.
Neteyam felt something twist painfully in his chest.
Because was he his brother too.
After everything heโs done for him
"I'm going."
Neteyam grabbed his arm. Because suddenly he was angry too. Not at Payakan. Not even at Lo'ak. At the situation. At everything.
"He's your brother?" His voice came out harsher than intended. "No."
Lo'ak yanked against his grip.
Neteyam tightened it.
Because suddenly he needed Lo'ak to understand. Needed him to hear this. His throat tightened. "I'm your brother."
Lo'ak ripped his arm free.
Hard enough to stagger him. And suddenly Neteyam knew. Knew he'd already lost this argument.
Then Lo'ak dove. Straight into the water.
"Lo'ak!"
The splash swallowed his name.
Neteyam stared after him. Then he let out a long breath. The kind that carried years of frustration. Years of worry. Years of being an older brother. "Skawng."
And despite everythingโ Neteyam dove after him.
Because that's what he always did. Followed. Worried.Protected. Because Lo'ak was an idiot. Because Lo'ak was his brother.
(Y/n) was walking along the shoreline when Si'riya found her. The ocean lapped quietly against the sand. The village behind her had become little more than distant noise. And stillโ Lo'ak's words lingered. Because she'd spent the last several minutes trying not to think about them. Trying not to replay them. Trying not to let them get under her skin.
Coward.
The word sat ugly in her chest. Not because she believed it. Because part of her wondered if her little brother did. And that hurt more than she wanted to admit. Because she was the one who stood between Loโak and a bullet.
She had nearly died on multiple occasions in the name of protecting her family. And somehowโHe still thought fear and cowardice were the same thing.
(Y/n) kicked a shell into the water.
Skawng. Absolute skawng.
The sound of somebody running pulled her from her thoughts. She turned. Siโriya was sprinting towards her as if a thanator was on her tail. The kind of urgency that instantly made (Y/n)'s stomach tighten. Si'riya skidded to a stop. "Our siblings were just spotted heading beyond the reef."
(Y/n) froze took a deep breath. The kind of breath somebody took before committing a crime. And her crime would be wringing Loโakโs neck. Because of course they were.
Why had she expected anything different?
Her jaw tightened. "Those idiots." Because did they not understand the danger. If a Tulkun was killed relatively nearby... then the rda weren't far behind either
Then she let out a sharp yip. The call echoed across the beach. Moments laterโ A familiar screech answered. Tiso'ha appeared overhead. Wings cutting through the air. The ikran banked sharply before descending toward the sand. The ikran landed beside her. Nudging her shoulder.
(Y/n) rested a hand briefly against her neck. Because she could already feel where this was heading. Already knew exactly who was involved.
Lo'ak.
Neteyam probably following after him.
Again.
And if Neteyam and Lo'ak was involvedโ The others wouldn't be far behind.
Her headache was growing by the second. "Guess we'd better go after the idiots."
Si'riya snorted. Because neither of them questioned it. Because they both knew. If the younger siblings had gone beyond the reefโ Something had happened. And somebody needed to bring them home in one piece.
And as the eldest sisters... that was their job.
(Y/n) swung herself onto Tiso'ha's back. Her thoughts immediately finding Lo'ak again. Because beneath the irritation. Beneath the frustration. Beneath the lingering hurt from earlierโ There was worry.
That was the problem with loving people. Especially younger siblings. They could make you furious. Absolutely furious. And you'd still chase after them the moment they disappeared.
She was going to wring his neck. The moment she found him. Absolutely wring it. Assuming he wasn't dead.
Which only made her more annoyed.
Tiso'ha launched into the air.
Below her, Si'riya ran into the ocean, her skimwing meeting her. She urged her skimwing forward.
(Y/n) rubbed her face. Already exhausted. Already irritated. Already worried.
And they hadn't even found them yet.
Neteyam's hands were starting to hurt. Not that he cared. Because every second that passedโ The ship got closer. And every second that ship got closerโ The knot in his stomach tightened.
The pinger lodged between the plates on Payakanโs back wouldn't move.
Wouldn't budge.
Wouldn't do anything except sit there lodged beneath Payakan's armour plating.
Neteyam planted his feet harder. Pulled. Nothing.
Beside him Aonung was doing the same.
Tsireya too.
Roxto grunted with effort.
Still nothing.
"Call it in."
Neteyam's chest heaved. He didn't stop pulling.
"Lo'ak."
Nothing. His brother was staring at the horizon. At the approaching vessel. At the death coming straight for them.
"Lo'ak."
This time his voice was sharper. "Call dad."
That got movement.
Lo'ak climbed higher onto Payakan's back.
Fumbling for the com.
Neteyam returned his attention to the pinger. Pulled again. Nothing.
The thing refused to move.
His jaw tightened. Pulled harder. Still nothing.
Then Lo'ak's voice drifted over the com.
"Dad, I mean Devil Dog, do you read me?"
"It's Eagle Eye, do you copy?"
Neteyam felt relief. Just a little.
Because Dad was coming.
"Dad." Lo'ak's voice cracked slightly.
"We're with a Tulkun that's under attack. Killer ship's inbound. It's about two clicks out."
Neteyam closed his eyes.
Because he already knew what was coming. Their dad would ask whoโs with them.
"It's all of us."
Lo'ak glanced back.
"Aonung and Tsireya too. We're at Three Brothers Rock."
Neteyam ย watch Loโak wince.
There it was.
Jake Sully discovering all of the children had somehow found the most dangerous place possible.
The ocean suddenly felt very large.Very empty. Very far away from home.
"It's getting closer." Tsireya's voice called out.
Neteyam looked up.
The ship was larger now. Much larger. Close enough that he could make out details. Close enough that his stomach dropped.
He shook it away. Forced himself back to the present. Back to Payakan. Back to the pinger. Back to now.
Because right nowโ They needed to get it out.
Neteyam grabbed hold again.
Aonung beside him.
Roxto beside him.
Tsireya beside him.
All pulling. All straining. All desperate.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
The pinger refused to move. And the ship kept coming.
That was the worst part. The ship kept coming.
Every glance toward the horizon made it bigger.
Closer.
Neteyam's breathing quickened. Not from effort. From fear.
Because suddenly he understood something.
Something he hadn't wanted to.
Jake wasn't here.
(Y/n) wasn't here.
The people who usually dealt with things weren't here.
And for the first timeโIt was just them.
Just the younger generation.
Just a handful of teenagers standing between Payakan and a ship built to kill Tulkun.
The thought settled heavily in his chest.
Because despite all his confidence.
Despite all his training.
Despite everythingโ Neteyam suddenly wished his big sister was here.
Wished his father was already arriving.
Wished somebody older would tell him what to do.
Because the ship kept getting closer. The pinger wasn't moving.
And they were running out of time.
Neteyam shook his head, his sister never hesitated, neither would he.
โSee where (y/n) is,โ Neteyam told Loโak
โWhy should I?โ Loโak snapped
Neteyam didnโt like his tone. He scowled. Why must he be so stubborn now?
His heart hammered. He shook his head. Get it together.
Every glance toward the horizon made the vessel seem bigger. Made the situation feel more hopeless.
Payakan shifted beneath them.
The Tulkun's distress rolling through the water in low mournful sounds that settled heavily in Neteyam's chest.
He was scared.
And suddenly that made Neteyam more determined than ever.
Because Lo'ak was right. The Tulkun had nobody. Nobody except them.
Neteyam's eyes darted around desperately.
Looking for anything. Anything at all.
The harness. The rope attached to his ilu.
An idea formed immediately.
Something was better than nothing.
He dove. The water swallowed him instantly.
His fingers found the rope.
Ripped it free.
Then he surfaced beside Aonung.
"Aonung!"
The Metkayina boy looked over. Neteyam threw him the rope. Aonung caught it.
Immediately understanding.
Thank Eywa.
Neteyam secured one end around the harness, Aonung the pinger..
His hands shook.
The ship was too close.
Way too close.
"We pull together."
Aonung nodded. Tsireya was already moving. Roxto too.
Everybody suddenly had a job. Everybody suddenly had hope.
"Go!"
Aonung shouted.
The ilu surged forward. The rope snapped tight.
Nothing.
For one terrible secondโ Nothing happened.
Neteyam's stomach dropped.
No.
No.
Come on.
The rope groaned.
The pinger shifted.
Everyone pulled
It shifted again
Just slightly.
A fraction.
But enough.
Enough to see movement.
"Again!"
Everybody pulled. Harder.
The ilu strained. The rope creaked.
The pinger shifted again.
The ship was almost here.
Almost.
Neteyam looked up.
Instantly wished he hadn't. The vessel was enormous now. Towering.
Close enough to see movement aboard. Subs diving into the water
Coming. For them.
Fear clawed at his chest.
Hard.
"Pull!"
Everybody threw their weight into it. Everything they had. Every ounce of strength. Every ounce of desperation.
The rope stretched.
The pinger groaned.
Thenโ It gave.
The thing ripped free with a violent crack.
Everyone immediately lost balance.
Loโak. Aonung. Roxto. Tsireya.
All of them were thrown into the water.
The rope snapped loose. Bodies splashed. Water exploded everywhere.
Relief hit Neteyam so hard it almost made him laugh as he grabbed the pinger and rolled up the rope.
The ship needed a target. And Payakan couldn't be it.
The pinger clutched tightly in one hand.
Lo'ak's head appeared above the surface.
"Neteyam?" There was confusion there. Worry.
The same worry Neteyam always felt for everyone else. Funny. He'd never noticed what it looked like before.
"Go."
The word came immediately.
Lo'ak frowned. "What?"
"Go that way."
Neteyam pointed.
"Neteyamโ"
"I'll draw them off."
Lo'ak stared at him.
Aonung too.
Tsireya.
Roxto.
All of them.
Because now they understood.
And none of them liked it.
Neteyam didn't either.
But somebody had to do it.
And right nowโ He was the only one with a target. The only one who could buy time.
The only one who could get the ship away from ย everybody.
His pulse thundered.
Not because he wanted to do this.
Because he didn't. Not even a little. But because there wasn't another option.
And Neteyam had spent his entire life doing things he didn't want to do. For his family. For his siblings. For the people he loved.
"Go!"
This time he shouted it.
The command breaking whatever argument Lo'ak had prepared.
Because there wasn't time. Not anymore.
The others exchanged glances.
Reluctantlyโ They obeyed.
The ilu dove.
One after another.
Vanishing beneath the waves.
For one brief moment he watched the last glimpse of Lo'ak disappear beneath the water, his sisters on another
And something uncomfortable settled in his chest.
Not fear.
Something worse.
The feeling that this was a bad idea.
A really bad idea.
The kind of feeling (Y/n) always seemed to have whenever one of them did something stupid.
His grip tightened around the pinger. His stomach dropped. Then he urged his ilu forward.
And took off.
Hoping that drawing them away would buy them some time until their dad arrived
The hunting vessel slowed, its massive shadow swallowing the water beneath it, engines rumbling like distant thunder through the sea.
Then the launch bays opened.
One after another the sleek attack subs dropped into the water, engines igniting immediately as they disappeared beneath the surface, cutting through the ocean like predators catching a scent.
Behind them came the crab suits.
Mechanical limbs unfolding as they descended into the depths, their metal claws flexing open and shut while spotlights flickered to life beneath the waves.
The kelp forest swayed gently ahead of them.
Spotlights pierced the darkness between the towering strands of kelp, propellers churning the water as the hunting party spread out through the forest, searching every shadow, every cave, every hiding place.
The hunt had begun.
Lo'ak's heart raced. Every muscle in his body screamed.
The ocean around them had become chaos.
The ilu were racing as fast as they could through the kelp forest, Roxto and Tsireya close beside him, their ilus darting through the water.
Lo'ak glanced back. Immediately regretting it. Because one of the submersibles had broken away.
It wasn't following Neteyam. It wasn't following the false signal. It was following them.
The machine surged through the water.
Its lights cut through the blue depths.
Closing in on them.
Lo'ak felt his stomach drop.
Tsireya saw it too.
Lo'ak could see the fear in her eyes.
Because there was nowhere to go. They needed to escape and try and hide.
The sub was gaining.
Every second.
Gaining.
Roxto pushed his ilu harder.
Tsireya did the same.
It didn't matter.
The machine kept coming.
The distance shrank.
Twenty metres.
Fifteen.
Ten.
Lo'ak's heart hammered.
The sub accelerated. Its engines roaring through the water. The pilot had seen them.
Tsireya looked back.
And Lo'ak saw it. Saw the moment she realised they weren't going to outrun it. The moment she prepared herself to fight.
Even knowing she'd lose.
The sub closed.
Five metres.
Four.
Threeโ
Something slammed into it from the side.
The impact shook the water.
The machine lurched violently. Its aim thrown off.
Tsireya twisted around.
Lo'ak did too.
A skimwing. Cutting through the water like a spear.
Its rider on its back. Balanced perfectly. Hair streaming behind her. Spear already in motion.
Tsireya's eyes widened.
Because she knew that skimwing, knew its rider
Her heart leapt.
The rider drove forward.
The spear punched into the crab suit's arm joint. The metal crumpled. As she jammed it into its second arm and then into the where the sky person in it lay.
The suit sunk
The skimwing swept past by them in one fluid motion.
Tsireya felt relief hit her so hard she also swallowed water.
Her big sister was here.
Si'riya banked sharply.
A sub came towards them.
The skimwing rolled. Then came back around.
The spear struck again.
This time straight through the viewport. The glass exploded. Then began sinking.
Slowly.
Powerlessly.
Vanishing into the depths.
Tsireya's chest tightened.
Not from fear. Relief. Pure relief.
Because Si'riya was here.
And if Si'riya was hereโ
Lo'ak's eyes widened.
Because he had the exact same thought.
The exact same realization.
If Si'riya was hereโ
Thenโ
A shape-streaked overhead. Fast. Far faster than any skimwing.
A shadow passed across the water. Massive wings. Powerful wings.
Lo'ak's heart practically stopped. Then surged. Hope. Actual hope.
Because there was only one creature on Pandora that flew like that.
And only one person insane enough to ride it into danger.
(Y/n).
She was here.
His sister was here.
The same sister he'd called a coward. The same sister he'd walked away from.
The same sister who alwaysโ
Alwaysโ
Showed up.
Lo'ak felt guilt hit him like a punch. Because of course she came.She always came.
No matter how angry she was. No matter how scared she was. No matter what they'd said to each other.
She always came to get them.
The feeling spread. Roxto felt it. Tsireya felt it.
Because suddenly they weren't alone anymore.
The cavalry had arrived.
Big sisters who had come to save their idiot younger siblings.
Si'riya cut across their path so suddenly that Tsireya nearly collided with her skimwing.
The elder Metkayina girl didn't look frightened.
Didn't look uncertain.
If anythingโShe looked annoyed.
The kind of annoyed that usually meant somebody was about to regret existing.
Her eyes flicked toward the approaching machines.
Then back toward the younger group.
Toward Tsireya. Toward Roxto. Toward Lo'ak.
The message was immediate. Clear. Absolute.
Leave.
Si'riya jabbed two fingers toward the kelp. Then pointed at herself. Then pointed upward. Where a shadow was already circling.
Lo'ak followed her gaze. Tiso'ha.
The sight of the great ikran moving above the water sent a rush of relief through him.
A stupid rush.
A childish rush.
The kind he'd felt when he was younger and his eldest sister showed up after he'd gotten himself into trouble.
Si'riya signed again.
More aggressively this time.
Go.
Now.
Then she pointed toward the incoming submersibles.
Toward the growing swarm of crab suits.
Toward the danger.
Then pointed at herself.
And at the shadow above.
We'll draw them away.
Lo'ak froze.
Because suddenly he understood what they were about to do.
And a horrible feeling settled in his stomach.
Si'riya noticed his hesitation.
Immediately.
Her expression hardened.
Toward the kelp forest. Toward safety. Then made a sharp shooing motion.
The kind an older sibling used when they were done arguing.
And Lo'ak hated how familiar it looked.
Because (Y/n) did the exact same thing.
The realization hit him harder than it should have.
Because suddenly all he could think about was calling her a coward.
All he could think about was the hurt he'd seen in her eyes.
And stillโShe came. She was here.
The guilt sat heavy in his chest.
A distant vibration rolled through the water. The submersibles were getting closer.
Tsireya saw it too. Roxto did too.
The moment stretched.
Then Si'riya pointed one final time.
A command.
Move.
And this timeโ They listened.
Because there wasn't time to argue. Because there wasn't time to be brave. Because there wasn't time to be stupid.
They turned their ilu.
Lo'ak lingered. Just for a second. Watching.
Because Si'riya had already wheeled her skimwing around.
Already positioning herself between the hunters and her younger siblings.
The way older siblings did.
The same way (Y/n) always did.
And suddenly Lo'ak understood something he'd never wanted to.
How terrifying that must be. To constantly stand between danger and somebody you loved. To constantly be the one staying behind. The one buying time. The one taking the risk.
His chest tightened.
Then another shadow swept overhead. Fast. Powerful. Tiso'ha.
The ikran's silhouette crossed the water above them.
Lo'ak turned into the forest, getting off his ilu to hide in the green pods with air pockets. .
At last.
Couldn't thinking about the two sisters.
Two warriors.
Alone against a growing swarm.
Si'riya's skimwing exploded forward. He skimwing lunging out the water, snatching the neck of an ikran rider that was chasing (y/n) out the air and dragged it into the water. Dragging it all the way down before turning back to the subs.
A streak of blue and silver cutting through the depths.
The submersibles adjusted immediately. Their lights swung. Their noses turned.
Their attention shifting away from the younger group and locking onto the lone warrior racing toward them.
Exactly what she wanted.
The ocean erupted into chaos.
The skimwing twisted sharply. Rolling. Diving. Climbing.
The machines surged after her. Like predators scenting blood.
Si'riya banked hard.
One sub followed.
The second circled wide. Trying to trap her. Trying to box her in.
She saw it.
Adjusted.
Dove lower.
The skimwing folding its wings close against its body as it slipped through a narrow gap.
The first sub clipped the rock. Sparks exploded from its hull. But it kept coming.
The second emerged from the gloom.
Waiting.
The distance closed. Ten metres. Eight. Six.
Si'riya drove her mount harder.
The skimwing answered instantly. A beautiful creature giving everything it had.
Thenโ A flash. A sharp burst beneath the water.
The first projectile struck the skimwing's side.
The creature jerked violently.
Pain rippling through its body.
Si'riya nearly lost her grip.
The skimwing recovered. Kept moving. Kept fighting.
Another flash.
Another shot.
This one struck home.
A second impact.
A third.
The skimwing's momentum died and the ballons ignited.
The creature began to float upwards.
Not dead. Not yet. But beaten.
Broken.
Unable to outrun what was coming.
Si'riya released her bond. Letting the wounded animal drift away.
Alone.
She was alone.
The machines closed in. No mount. No speed. No escape.
StillโShe didn't retreat. She gripped her speear
The first submersible hit her. She drove her spear into the pilots cockpit and it reversed away.
Before she could recoverโThe second struck.
Harder.
Then a third in her back.
The force drove the air from her lungs, bubbles rising to the air above.
It sent her spiralling downward.
The ocean floor rising to meet her.
The machines passed overhead.
Continuing their hunt.
And Si'riya sank. Slowly. Weightlessly.
Like a stone falling through still water.
Quaritch's ikran drifted over the ocean on broad, powerful wings, the great predator casting a moving shadow across the endless blue below as he searched the waters. The kelp forests stretched beneath him, vast underwater jungles swaying with the currents, their dark canopies creating hundreds of places for Sully's children to hide.
His eyes swept across the water again.
Nothing. Just waves. Just kelp. Just ocean.
Then something hit him.
A living missile.
Tiso'ha exploded into view from the side.
The impact was devastating.
Her jaws locked around his ikran's throat and with one tremendous flap of her wings she used her momentum to wrench the ย beast sideways through the air. Quaritch barely had time to register what had happened before the world vanished into a blur of sky and sea.
His mount screamed.
Ocean became sky.
Then water rushed upward.
The crash threw both ikran and rider into the sea with enough force to send a wall of spray into the air.
Quaritch disappeared beneath the surface.
When he emerged moments later he wiped water from his eyes and looked upward. For a moment he thought he was seeing things.
Because Tiso'ha hovered above him.
And upon her back sat a girl who was supposed to be dead.
Sully's eldest.
The one heโd personally seen executed and had somehow survived.
For a brief moment neither moved.
Then Tiso'ha turned.And launched away.
Quaritch's surprise vanished immediately.
"Lyle."
His hand hit the radio. "Get after her."
Three ikran peeled away from the formation at once.
The hunt was on.
The sky became a battlefield.
Tiso'ha surged forward with enormous wingbeats, the wind howling around her as she accelerated over the water. Behind her came the pursuing riders, their mounts diving after her like hunting viperwolves closing on wounded prey.
The first burst of gunfire shattered the air.
(Y/n) felt the rounds before she heard them.
One screamed past her shoulder. Another missed Tiso'ha's wing by inches. A third struck the ocean below, sending a fountain of water erupting upward.
Lyle adjusted his aim.
Fired again.
Tisoโha banked sharply.
Missed.
Again.
The black and gold ikran rolled.
Missed.
Again.
Still missed.
Because Tiso'ha wasn't flying in a straight line.
She was dancing. Rolling. Twisting. Banking.
Changing direction so violently that the hunters struggled to predict where she'd be from one heartbeat to the next.
The wind tore through (Y/n)'s hair. Her eyes watered. Her hands tightened around the saddle.
Another burst. More bullets. More near misses.
Too close.
Way too close.
A round clipped one of Tiso'ha's wings, she jolted but still kept them in flight.
The ikran hissed angrily. But she never slowed.
She simply flew harder. Faster.
The first hunter died so quickly he barely understood what happened. A shape erupted from the sea.
A skimwing.
Si'riya.
The Metkayina girl launched from the water like a spear hurled by Eywa herself.
Her skimwing slammed into the pursuing ikran's neck.
The creature screamed.
Then the skimwing's jaws locked shut.
Momentum carried both beasts downward.
The rider vanished beneath the waves.
Gone.
The ocean swallowed him completely.
The remaining hunters barely had time to react.
Their gunfire became far more aggressive. Far more desperate.
Tiso'ha climbed. Straight upward. Toward the sun.
The sun exploded across the horizon.
Blinding.
Lyle raised an arm.
Lost sight of her. One second.
Only one.
But one second was enough.
Tiso'ha vanished.
Twisted and then folded her wings. The great ikran dropped like a stone.
The remaining hunter never saw her coming.
One moment he was searching the sky.
The next Tiso'ha slammed into him.
Her jaws locked around his mount's throat.
The impact turned both creatures into a tangled mass of claws and wings.
Then gravity took over.
They fell.
Straight toward the ocean.
The other ikran panicked. Trying to recover. Trying to pull away.
Too late.
The sea rushed upward.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
At the last possible second Tiso'ha released.
The enemy could not. His ikran struck the water at full speed.
The impact shattered the surface.
Gone.
(y/n) thought she was in the clear until two ikrans burst from the depths of the ocean.
Quaritch and Lyle.
The islands rose from the horizon.
Towering mountains of stone erupting from the ocean.
Jagged spires reaching into the sky.
Cover.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Tiso'ha flew toward them.
Behind her Quaritch and Lyle remained glued to her tail.
She urged Tisoโha faster towards the rising three brotherโs rocks.
She banked.
Stone flashed past.
The distance between cliff and wingtip became terrifyingly small.
Gunfire echoed through the canyons.
Bullets shattered rock.
Fragments exploded everywhere.
Tiso'ha banked around one cliff so closely that her wing nearly scraped the stone.
Hugging the side, the sharp turn, losing Quaritch and Lyle for a second.
(Y/n)'s stomach twisted as Tisoโha hugged the curve of the rock, flying around it,
Her stomach dropped.
Completely. Like the world had disappeared beneath her.
A Kestrel hovered in front of her as she rounded the next turn,
Waiting.
The sight of it hit harder than any bullet.
"No..."
The word escaped before she realized she'd spoken.
The Kestrel turned. Missile pods opening.
And suddenly she wasn't looking at an aircraft.
She was looking at every nightmare she'd spent months trying to bury.
"Tiso'ha!"
The missiles launched. White trails streaked across the sky. Death made visible.
The first explosion erupted nearby.
The shockwave hit like a hammer.
The sky vanished. The world shook.
Tiso'ha rolled violently.
Fighting for control.
Then the second missile struck.
Directly.
The explosion swallowed them whole.
Fire erupted.
Heat washed across (Y/n)'s face.
Tiso'ha screamed. A terrible sound. A heartbreaking sound.
One wing tore.
Then another.
Blood scattered through the air.
They were falling.
The ocean rushed upward.
(Y/n) clung desperately to the saddle.
Helpless.
Completely helpless.
Tiso'ha was still fighting.
Still trying. Still beating ruined wings. Still refusing to surrender.
And somehow that made it worse.
Because she knew. Knew the ikran was trying to save her.
Trying to carry her home one last time.
"Tiso'ha!" he leaned forward and flung her arms around her Ikranโs neck.
The mountains spun around them.
The sky vanished.
The ocean consumed her vision.
The water struck like stone.
The impact ripped her from the saddle.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And somewhere beneath the wavesโ The great ikran sank.
As rider and mount disappeared into the depths below.
Neteyam surfaced.
He watched as a familiar ikran slammed into Quaritch's mount with enough force to make Neteyam wince from where he floated in the water. Jaws locked around the other ikran's neck and both creatures tumbled through the air before separating at the last second.
The move was insane.Completely insane.
Neteyam felt his heart leap into his throat as Tiso'ha pulled away.
Because that was his sister.His eldest sister.
The one who was always somehow in the middle of the worst possible situation.
The one who had been shot. Captured. Tortured.
Nearly killed more times than he could count.
And stillโ
She always arrived at the perfect moment
Throwing herself between danger and everyone she loved.
A burst of gunfire ripped through the sky.
Neteyam's stomach tightened immediately.
The bullets looked so small from this distance.
But all he could think about was what would happen if one of those rounds struck her.
"Come on..." he whispered.
Tiso'ha twisted sharply. A bullet missed.
Another.
Then another.
The great ikran rolled sideways.
Dove. Climbed. Turned.
Neteyam couldn't look away. Couldn't breathe.
Every burst of gunfire made his chest tighten.
Then Si'riya appeared. The skimwing launched from the water like a spear. The impact gragged one of the hunters tumbling into the sea.
The chase continued.
Despite the fearโ
Neteyam felt something else.
Awe.
Because his sister was incredible.
There was no other word for it.
Watching her fly was like watching something born for the sky.
Every movement felt effortless. Every turn perfectly timed. Every decision instinctive.
For a moment he forgot she was his sister.
For a moment she looked like a legend. She had nothing except her ikran and a dream and she had sent two of her attackers packing.
He followed the chase as Tisoโha threw another one into the water. He kept his distance but watched her evade her last two chasers
Then she turned around one of the stone pillars.
And Neteyam's stomach dropped.
The Kestrel.
His heart stopped.
He watched the missiles launch.
Watching the white trails streak across the sky.
Watching them race toward Tiso'ha.
Toward his sister.
His chest tightened so hard it hurt.
The first explosion rocked the air.
The second hit.
Directly.
Fire erupted.
And suddenly Tiso'ha wasn't flying anymore.
She was falling.
"No!"
The word tore from him.
The great ikran spiraled downward.
One wing hanging uselessly.
Smoke trailing behind her.
Neteyam's entire body went cold.
The ocean swallowed them.
And for a momentโThey didn't come back up.
The longest moment of his life.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Nothing.
His breathing quickened.
His heart hammered.
Neteyam didn't wait. His ilu surged forward.
Please.
Please.
Please.
By the time he reached the rocks Tiso'ha was dragging herself from the water.
Alive. Injured. But alive.
Relief hit him so hard his vision blurred.
The great ikran looked exhausted.
One wing hanging awkwardly.
But alive.
And then he saw her.
Floating nearby.
Barely conscious.
Neteyam dove.
The water closed over his head.
His fingers found her arm. Then her shoulder.
He hauled her upward.
Fighting the current.
Fighting panic.
When they broke the surface she coughed.
A weak sound.
He dragged her onto his ilu.
Then toward the rocks.
"(Y/n)..." His voice cracked.
She groaned. "Neteyam..."
He dragged her onto the rocks. She seemed dazed, a few burns from the explosion but it seemed that Tisoโha took the brunt of the hit. She was okay. He grabbed her hand. She was okay
Nearby the ocean erupted.
Payakan surfaced.
Si'riya sprawled across the Tulkun's back.
Coughing seawater.
"(Y/n)?" Si'riya called.
Neteyam looked down.
His sister slowly sat up. Looking dazed. Confused.
"Alive," she croaked.
Si'riya laughed.
The sound shaky with relief.
Then suddenly (Y/n)'s eyes widened. "Tiso'ha."
The way she said it made Neteyam's chest tighten.
She sounded terrified.
She pushed herself upright. Stumbled. Nearly fell.
Then crossed the rocks toward her ikran.
Neteyam watched her kneel beside Tiso'ha.
Hands moving over scales and wings.
Checking. Searching. Making sure.
The relief that crossed her face moments later told him everything.
Not life threatening. Bad. But not fatal.
Thank Eywa.
Neteyam finally allowed himself to breathe.
Then something caught his eye.
Movement.
Out on the water.
His relief vanished.
A net. Being hauled from the ocean by Quaritch and Lyly
And trapped insideโ Tsireya. Tuk. Loโak clung on the outside of it likely trying to cut them freeze.
The fear hit immediately.
Because suddenly he understood.
The battle wasn't over. Not even close.
His sister saw it too.
(Y/n) forced herself to her feet.
Despite barely being able to stand. Despite nearly dying mere moments ago.
Of course.
Of course she did.
Neteyam grabbed her wrist. "You can't go after them like this." The words came out harder than he intended.
Because he was scared. Terrified.
Because she'd just fallen out of the sky.
Because he'd thought she'd died.
Again.
And now she was looking at another fight.
Another rescue.
Another impossible situation.
Like she was actually considering it.
(Y/n) looked at him. And suddenly her expression softened.
She stepped forward.
Grabbed his shoulders.
And pulled him into a hug.
Neteyam hugged her back immediately.
Tightly.
Too tightly.
Like if he let go she'd disappear.
Like if he loosened his grip she'd get shot again.
Fall again.
Leave again.
"I have a plan," she whispered.
Neteyam buried his face against her shoulder for a second.
Because plans involving his sister rarely ended well.
For anyone.
Especially her.
She pulled back.
Looked toward Si'riya.
Looked toward Payakan.
"We have two options."
Neteyam already hated this.
Already.
"We wait for our parents."
Reasonable. Safe. Smart.
Then she continued.
"And by then our siblings could be dead."
Neteyam closed his eyes.
Because she wasn't wrong. That was the worst part.
She wasn't wrong.
"Definitely not that option," Si'riya said immediately.
Neteyam rubbed his face.
Already developing a headache.
"There are other options."
"There aren't."
"There has to be."
"There aren't."
Neteyam stared at his sister.
At the bruises. At the burns. At the water still dripping from her hair.
"You almost died."
The words escaped before he could stop them.
The conversation finally quieting.
"You almost died and you're standing here talking about another fight."
(Y/n)'s expression changed. The stubbornness fading. Something gentler appearing.
"I know."
"No."
Neteyam shook his head. "You don't."
His throat tightened. He threw his arms around her.
Because suddenly everything came spilling out.
The fear. The frustration. The memories of watching his sister laying unconscious and wondering sheโd wake up. Holding her up as blood dripped from her wounds as she forced herself to keep going despite every single rib being shattered.
"You don't know what it's like watching you fall out of the sky."
"You don't know what it's like watching you get shot."
"You don't know what it's like wondering if youโre going to wake up or not."
His voice cracked.
Embarrassing.
But he didn't care.
Because somebody needed to say it. Somebody needed her to understand.
For once.
"You scare us."
The words landed heavily.
His sister was fearless.
And sometimesโThat terrified everyone who loved her.
(Y/n) looked away.
Just briefly.
Then back.
And for the first time all day she looked tired. Not physically. Emotionally.
"I know."
She stepped back keeping a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it. " But I'm coming out of this one."
Neteyam wasn't convinced. But he could see the look of her face and he felt something swell in his chest. There was something about her that just seemed mighty. A strength that carried her through the moments that should have killed her. A strength thatโll carry her through this one. Heโd trust that strength.
She smiled faintly. "So are you." Quieter for only him to here, โI love you little brother but they have Loโak and Tukโฆ someoneโs gotta go get em.โ
His face scrunched up, knowing how right she was. โI love you (y/n). Please be careful.โ
She nodded.
And he remembered everything she had ever said to him. How sheโd protect them from suffering as she had and this was it. This was part of the deal. This is what it meant to be the eldest daughter of Toruk Makto.
To fight. Even when the odds are stacked against you.
All Neteyam could do is hate and accept it.
Then she turned toward Si'riya.
"Option two?" Si'riya grinned.
The exact grin that usually preceded disaster.
"We full send it and hope for the best." (y/n) answered.
Then Siโriyaโs grin widened. "That's an idea I can get behind."
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Twenty-one years after the second Great Sorrow, the Sky People descend upon Pandora. And this time, with a family seven strong, Jake Sully has far more to lose.
This story begins very shortly following the end of Avatar 1. Inspired by the work of just-another-idk. Go check out their series, โThe Eldest!โย
Polished Fangs Masterlist
Content Warnings: descriptions of violence (against children), mentions of child abuse, mentions of death
The rope weighed heavily in Tarsemโs hand. It was woven from a blend of thin, fine bark fibers and the thickest vines near the Omaticaya village. The materials were braided together firmly in a pattern that would not unravel on its own even if one of the individual wrappings came loose. It had taken Tarsem a month and a half to properly craft this rope. It was imperative that it was well-made. This rope, hefty as it was from both the physical mass and the worry and stress pulling it down to the ground, could save his life.
It was a foggy day. The ikran in the rookery overhead screamed out, the sound cacophonous even from down on the ground, and it was only because of those sounds that Tarsem knew where he was.ย
He was fourteen. He had chosen not to complete his iknimaya the year before. He hadnโt thought himself ready for it back then.
But he was ready now.
โWe climb with you, maโitan,โ Koโay breathed behind him. She tugged gently on the rope. โTie itโโ
โAround me,โ Tarsem finished with a curt nod. โI know.โ
Still, he didnโt move from his position, standing at the base of the mountain, head craned up to look at the low cloud coverage that blocked his view of the rookery up ahead. The rock face in front of him was jagged and rough. His hands and feet would undoubtedly burn when he made it to the top and he knew for a fact that he would end up with scrapes every time he stumbled or hesitated to catch his breath.ย
He wondered if Y/N had stopped to catch her breath, to fill her lungs with the air she needed before forcing herself to keep climbing. He doubted it. Whatever hysterical state sheโd been in probably didnโt allow her even a moment of respite through the pain. It had cost her her life.
Tarsem would have been the second best warrior in the clan if sheโd been around. Now that she was gone, he would be the very best.
He would learn from the mistakes that got his best friend, the girl he loved, killed. He would not replicate those errors. He would honor her.
He would survive.
Tarsem gently wrapped the rope around his body. He folded it around his waist and over his left shoulder, fastening the two loose ends in a soft knot that he could easily untie when he got to the top and needed to use the rope for its real purpose. The ikran that chose him would try to kill him, after all, to test his strength and his worth. He needed the rope to muzzle it.ย
But for now, it was coiled snugly around his body. It wasnโt an unpleasant feeling. Tarsem had dreamed of his iknimaya since he was a child, when his first toys were carefully carved wooden ikran courtesy of his father, painted vibrant colors. Heโd always had the red one, and heโd gifted Y/N the pink one. When he met Spider for the first time and began to befriend him, heโd given him a purple one. The wooden ikran toys had held such a special place in his heart, and now he stood at the base of the floating mountain where the real ikran lived in a cave up above.
Heโd fantasized about this very moment as a little boy.
The weight around his body was like that of a small child. Like he was carrying his younger self up the mountain with him. Like he was showing his past what the future would look like.
โIโm ready, Saโnok,โ he decided.
โDonโt get a green one!โ Vaโru commanded behind him, standing beside Arun. Neither of them would make the climb today. Arun could not do so safely anymore, and Vaโru was still too small for his own iknimaya. They would watch and wait.
Tarsemโs lips quirked at his little brotherโs words. โWhat if I want to?โ
Vaโru roared in mock outrage behind him before cutting himself off with a small, โHey!โย
Arun had probably knocked on his scalp gently to silence his complaints.
โYeah,โ Tarsem mockingly declared, stepping towards the mountain. His palm pressed against the rock. โIโm gonna get the biggest green one there is. And Iโm gonna name him Raโvu.โ
Koโay laughed quietly behind her son. She flicked at Tarsemโs ear. โDo not bully your brother.โ
โHe started it,โ Tarsem defended with a real grin, the first true smile heโd had since the day began.
My family is here with me, he reminded himself. My saโnok climbs with me. My sempu and brother watch me. He took a slow, deep breath, feeling his chest rise and fall. I can do this. I am prepared. I am ready.
Tarsem closed his fingers around a piece of the rock that jutted out. He stepped up with one foot and planted it upon a smooth surface within the mountain. These were the footholds and grips his older peers had used, the footholds and grips his parents had used, the footholds and grips his ancestors and their ancestors before them used. The old Omaticaya Hometree was gone but the rookery remained and even if the village was not the same as the Hometree the rookery was the very same one they had used for generations upon generations.
Some traditions were old and, to Tarsem and the rest of his peers, a bit outdated. Some were meaningless now. Some were to be remembered and respected but not repeated.
But this was not one of those traditions.
This was a part of the Omaticaya clanโs history that would not be erased. The Sky People hadnโt destroyed this when they came. They hadnโt stolen it before leaving. This remained. It was crucial, one of the most important rites of passage for the People.ย
Tarsem would not be a grown man once he completed it. But he would never again be a mere child. He would be one step closer to his and Y/Nโs dream of being the greatest warriors of the Omaticaya clanโs history.
Y/N was gone. He would live her dream for her. And he was right about to take the biggest step towards that.
I am Tarsem te Kumon Arunโitan. He tightened his grip on the rocks. I am strong. I am brave. I am prepared. I am ready.
And he began to climb.
When Tarsem had been thirteen, his parents were not the ones to broach the subject of his iknimaya with him.
It was Spider.
โI know why the People donโt really want to talk about it,โ Spider had mumbled. He was crouching next to Tarsem, stretching his legs with his palm hovering just above the ground in case he needed the support or balance. He didnโt. He didnโt press his hand to the grass even once as he arranged his legs into a front split with ease. He was more flexible than Tarsem. โBut the way Norm and Max and them explain it isnโtโฆ right. I donโt think it is, anyway.โ
Tarsem, who was trying with great difficulty to copy Spiderโs position, wavered. โExplain what?โ
โThe iknimaya.โ
โOh.โ Tarsemโs eyes dropped to the dirt. โWhat do you mean they donโt explain it right? What do they say?โ
โI mean that they donโt get the, um, the emotions right,โ Spider tried to convey. โIs that how to say it? I dunno. They talk about it in a really scientific way. Like theyโre reading a textbook. Not like a parent telling their kid, โThis is what mine was like.โโ
Tarsem sort of understood, though he still wasnโt exactly familiar with textbooks. He knew what they were, certainly. That didnโt mean heโd ever read one to know what sort of language they employed.
โNorm and Max give me the technical explanation,โ Spider reiterated. โThey say itโs when a young Naโvi climbs up to the rookery and chooses an ikran. If the ikran chooses them back, it tries to kill them. So Naโvi bring rope to tie their mouth shut and climb on their back and make Tsaheylu. And then first flight seals the bond, makes it last their lifetimes.โ
โThat is all true,โ Tarsem said with a nod. โI see. It sounds impersonal.โ
Spiderโs eyes lit up. โYeah, exactly.โ He transitioned into a right split with ease that Tarsem envied. โYou obviously havenโt done yours. But what do your parents say itโs like? How did they describe it?โ
Tarsem was quiet for a time as he considered Spiderโs question.ย
Since the tragedy of Y/Nโs fall from the rookery, neither Arun nor Koโay were all too willing to speak on the concept of iknimayas. In fact, Tarsem wondered if they were willing for him and Vaโru to entirely forgo the rite of passage. Not all clans had them. Not even all rainforest clans had them.ย
But before then, when Tarsem was a wee child with wide, innocent eyes and eager-to-listen ears, his parents would sit him and Vaโru down in their laps and they would watch the ikran rookery from the top of their marui, having to sit in very specific spots to catch the faraway glimpses at the floating mountain through the gaps in the treeline. Back then, Arun would speak of his ikran, the one he had now and the one who had died during the Great War. Koโay would tell them of how her ikran had spotted Arun falling from the sky and lurched down to catch him before even Koโay knew what was happening, how her ikran had snatched Arun up by the arm and Koโay had pulled him up to safety but the arm was too damaged to keep.ย
They didnโt speak much about that, though. That was only because Vaโru had asked.
Most of their stories were lovely. They spoke of the feeling of soaring above the canopy, of the wind blowing through their hair, of how at first it would detangle but then they would change the angle of flight and the wind would create new knots in their locks. They talked about how the air tasted fresher and wilder up so high, how the soil of Pandora had a sort of subliminal scent and once they were in the open sky it was gone and it was unnerving at first but then it became exciting, a joy that they said never really left. It was different and it was a great different.ย
And when they spoke of the Tsaheylu, it wasnโt explained with the bright-eyed, vibrant joy of the flight itself. This was told of in small voices, like anything louder than a gentle whisper was both too much and not expressive enough. It didnโt convey the importance if they spoke too loudly.ย
โYou feel it in your everything,โ Tarsem spoke slowly. โNot in your head. Not in your heart. They told me you feel it everywhere.โ
Spider was silent. He switched to a left split but watched Tarsem carefully, waiting patiently.
โAnd you feel the ikranโs everything, too,โ he continued. โBecause Tsaheylu is connecting both bodies. They feel all of you and you feel all of them. Like you both get new limbs. And you can also hear them all the time.โ
Spider nodded slowly. โThatโs how you can call for them and theyโll always hear it. No matter how far away they are.โ
โYes,โ Tarsem breathed. โIโฆ I think.โ
โRight.โ
โBecause I havenโt felt it.โ
โI know.โ
They didnโt speak for a moment.
โDo you want to feel it?โ Spider asked quietly.
Tarsem said, โYes,โ before Spider even finished the question.ย
Because yes, he really did want to feel it one day. He knew his parents would not push. He doubted anybody in the clan would push after Y/Nโs fall. Perhaps only Tarsem knew he had loved that girl in the way that he did but everyone knew the bond there had been stronger than anything imaginable. Some of the adults had teased, all in good faith, that the only thing that could end that friendship was death.ย
Those adults hated themselves for saying so when Y/N fell. They went very quiet and avoided both the Sully and Kumon families like the plague even still, and that was a feat and a half given that Jake was the Oloโeyktan.ย
But the fact of the matter was that Tarsem wanted to bond with an ikran. He wanted that relationship that his parents had with their own steeds. He wanted that friendship, that trust that came from literally being able to feel and hear and know that other creature in a way that superseded an ordinary friendship.
Tarsem partially wondered if it would feel like his and Y/Nโs friendshipโif Tsaheylu was just a physical manifestation of that same connection he had had with herโthen he wanted to have it.ย
He didnโt want to replace her.ย
But he wanted to experience that connection again.
He wanted to so badly.
He needed it.
Because Spider was a good friend. Siโsayla and Anapi and Koโtua were good friends. Piina and Oru and Okoโli were good friends. Vaโru was his baby brother, forever and always.
But he didnโt love them in the same way. He doubted heโd ever love anyone that same way. Bonding with an ikran might be the closest Tarsem would ever experience again.
Spider stood up then and stepped towards a nearby tree. With no semblance of difficulty whatsoever, he lifted his leg up to his chest and pressed his foot against the tree, folding his body easily into a standing split.
โSo do you want to have an iknimaya?โ he prompted.
Tarsem picked at a blade of grass. โThere is a lot to prepare beforehand. Special training. The climb is very dangerous. Itโs steep and tiring. Then we need to make the rope. Some Naโvi die if they make shoddy rope. They get killed.โ
Y/N did not even have a rope.
โThen youโll just have to make a really good rope,โ Spider said simply. โAnd train really hard. Thatโs just two things to prepare.โ
Tarsem stared at the human boy for a long while. His brain was a bit slow to process the words.
โJustโโ His voice faltered. โSpider. The training takes moons. And if the rope is improperly madeโโ
โIt wonโt be improperly made.โ Spider said it with such conviction that Tarsem went entirely silent. โYou have your parents to teach you. You have the rest of the clan to teach you. And you can train for as long as you want. But those are still just two things. Train hard. Make a good rope. Two big things, but two things.โ
โTwo big things,โ Tarsem echoed.
โStill just two things,โ Spider repeated.
โStillโฆ still just two things.โย
Tarsem looked at the grass. The blades were longer, taller here. Farther away from the footpaths of the Omaticaya village. They mustโve been mountainous for the tiny bugs crawling about in the dirt. He wondered what it would be like to be that small.
A red insect caught his attention. It slowly trekked up the side of one of the tall blades of grass, its hardened exoskeleton glistening in the sunlight filtering in through the canopy overhead. The journey was slow. It slipped a few times before it finally reached the top, the edge of the grass.
And then it spread its wings. They were translucent and iridescent pink.ย
And then it flew off and away.
It had climbed. It had flown.
Just two things. Two big things, especially for a bug so small. But still only two things.
โJust two things,โ Tarsem mumbled again.
Spider smiled at him. โYou can do two things.โ
And Tarsem had nodded.
The rookery was getting louder.
Or perhaps Tarsem was just getting closer. In all honesty, with all the fog obstructing his vision, he had a rather difficult time determining which was the actual truth. He didnโt risk looking down to check how far heโd climbed. The panic would make him fall, and the climb was oftentimes the most deadly part of the iknimaya. Plenty of children had fallen and been too far for their parents to catch them.
He wasnโt going to take that chance.
Even if he was exhausted. Even if sweat was dripping down his forehead. Even if his arms and legs were shaking.
โSaโnok?โ he called.
A few paces below him, Koโay replied, โYes, sweet boy?โ
Rooted in the rock. That was how Arun phrased it during training for this exact moment. โYouโre tired? Find a spot where youโre rooted in the rock; where you can rest comfortably for a moment.โ
So Tarsem looked around for a larger notch in the mountain, for a wider rock to stay on and take a break. He spotted something akin to a little cliff a few meters up above and he exhaled with relief.
โIn a moment,โ he told his mother, โI will be.โ
Koโay mustโve seen the very same space. โGo. I am right here, sweet boy.โ
Tarsem obeyed. Slowly, taking a deep breath before he began to move, he hauled himself up the side of the mountain. His hands and feet were wet with sweat and it took every last bit of his strength to push himself up the rocks until he got to the cliff.
He promptly collapsed against the stone, gasping for air. His palms burned like little flames were clinging to the skin, searing at the flesh as he lay limp on the rocks.
Koโay must have climbed up shortly after her son, but Tarsem didnโt notice her presence until he felt her take his wrists and twist his hands to examine the skin.
She kissed her teeth. โOh, sweet boy. You are bleeding now.โ
Tarsem managed to croak, โIs that bad?โ
โNo,โ Koโay promised, releasing his hands. โI am honestly surprised it did not come sooner. The climb to the rookery is more jagged than the mountains we took you to practice.โ
A defense mechanism; that was why the ikran rookery was atop this particular floating mountain. The rough, harsh stone face of this particular mountain was more dangerous. It was less likely that anything would climb up and jeopardize the lives of the young ikran.
But it also made it rather dangerous for the Omaticaya people.
Still, knowing that it wasnโt a bad thing for Tarsem to be bleeding was a tiny bit reassuring, even if his hands throbbed from the pain.ย
He wiped his hands blindly against his skin, feeling the slick of his blood as it stained his sides.
And then he went very still. His eyes cracked open slowly and, without moving his head, he looked down at his body.
He had wiped his hands along his sides. They had left messy stripes of red down from the height of her sternum down to his hips, just above his loincloth.ย
Like the red war paint from the vision. The red that had colored his body when the world Eywa had shown him was ashy and gray and dead and burnt. When his skin was pierced and coated in a thick gray substance to dull the color of his flesh.
When he wasnโt Omaticaya.ย
He swallowed thickly and forced himself to look away. He was not in the gray, dead world. He was taking rest on a small cliff face jutting out from the ikran rookery, the floating mountain hovering above a lush and vibrant rainforest. He was in a colorful place. He was not in Eywaโs prison. He was in the real world. He was Omaticaya. He was completing his iknimaya.
And he was going to succeed.
But first, he needed to give himself a break.
Koโay watched her son in silence for a moment. Her eyes trailed over the way his chest rose and fell rapidly, the breaths deep and gasping. Her jaw clenched at the sight.
โI did not have my iknimaya until I was fifteen,โ she finally said, cutting through the silence. She glanced down the mountain, eyeing how far they had climbed so far. โMy parents were too worried. And they did not want for me to be a warrior anyway. They thought having an ikran would distract me.โ
Tarsem was practically drinking in air. His breathing was finally starting to even out, albeit slowly.
โDisโฆ tract you from what?โ
Koโay smiled thinly. โBeing a dancer.โ
That drew a breathless laugh from her son, and Koโayโs muscles relaxed at the sound.
โSaโnok,โ Tarsem teased, โyou are a bad dancer.โ
โI know,โ she agreed, โbut you cannot say that! I am your saโnok.โ She swatted at his leg gently. โBut, oh Eywa, I was always so dreadful. I hated it. But my saโnok was a dancer. As was hers and hers before her and so on and so forth and I didnโt feel like I had any choice but to do the very same.โ She sighed heavily. โBut I hated it. And I was terrible at it. And I feltโฆ like a failure, really. For not being able to do what every other girl in my family did so easily. I was always too aggressive. It was never graceful.โ She pointed to her face, to her soft and round features, to her precise and symmetrical stripes. โAnd I am the reason you are so beautiful. Do you know how hard it is to not be graceful when you look so pretty?โ
Tarsem laughed again. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and paused there, catching his breath even still. But then he straightened until he was seated upright.
He met his motherโs gaze. โWhy did you change paths?โ Then, before he could stop himself, and because it seemed like the most obvious answer, he clarified, โWas it Sempu?โ
Koโay replied, โNo. I hated your sempu back then.โ
Tarsem blinked. โOh.โ
โHe was stupidly short at that age,โ Koโay went on, โand I was stupidly tall. And he bothered me because heโd see me and then make a whole show of craning his neck as far back as he possibly could to meet my eyes.โ
โWas he bullying you?โ Tarsem gasped.
โNo. He really did need to crane his neck that much. It just annoyed me.โ
โOh. And because he annoyed you, you hated him.โ
โYes.โ
Tarsem nodded slowly. He hoped his expression didnโt betray how badly he was trying not to laugh. But then again, he was fourteen. He knew what boys and girls his age acted like. He could easily imagine his parents being his age and having the dynamic they had.
โSo what changed your mind?โ Tarsem asked. โNot about Sempu. About having an iknimaya.โ
Koโayโs smile softened and she looked just above Tarsemโs face, at his hair; at the way the sides of his head were shaved and just the top remained braided back.
โMy brother,โ Koโay whispered. โTsuโtey. He was a great warrior. He was to be mated with Sylwanin, Neytiriโs older sister. And if he had, he would have become Oloโeyktan.โ She took a deep breath. โHe found me one night. I was practicing a song and I kept forgetting the steps. And back then, whenever I forgot, my saโnok would pick up a branch and throw it at my feet. Fast as lightning. If I didnโt jump awayโโshe gestured to her anklesโโthe bruises would last for days and days.โ
Tarsem swallowed thickly. โThat is horrible.โ
โIt is,โ Koโay agreed quietly. โAnd do you want to know what was more horrible?โ
โNo.โ
โWell. I am going to tell you anyway,โ Koโay snorted, Tarsemโs honesty cutting through some of the tension. โWhenever I messed up or forgot and my saโnok was not there, I used to hit my own ankles. Tsuโtey caught me doing it one night. He broke the stick and yelled at me for hours. And then he saw the bruises I left on myself and said, โIf you are that strong, you should be a warrior. We need more.โโ
Tarsem frowned. โWhy did you need more?โ
โThe Sky People were still here back then, sweet boy.โ
โOh,โ he whispered.ย
Koโay nodded. โAnd I thought that maybe, even though I hated my brother at the time and he was a mean young manโโ
โFor telling you to stop hitting yourself?โ
โNo,โ she laughed quietly, โhe was mean to me in other ways. He used to steal my food and then pretend I didnโt need it. And he called me names.โ She held up a hand, trying to stop that train of thought and re-board the original one. โAnyway. I decided that maybe he was right. And he and our sempu began to train me.โ
โWhat did your saโnok think?โ Tarsem asked.
โShe was furious. She did not talk to me for a long time.โ
โBut,โ Tarsem pointed out, โyou completed your iknimaya. You became a warrior.โ He paused. โI think Tsuโtey would be proud. I think he is proud of you, Saโnok.โ
For a few moments, Koโay did not know what to say. She watched her son carefullyโwatched the way he still trembled faintly from exhaustion but the shaking had lessened significantly, watched the way he didnโt look at her when he spoke like he was either trying to muster the courage to continue the climb or worried heโd said something wrong, watched the way he nodded to himself regardless when he spoke of Tsuโteyโs pride because even if his mother may not have wanted to hear it, he still knew it was true. He knew Tsuโtey would be proud of the woman his little sister had become.
Tarsem was proud to say he was the son of Koโay. Why would Tsuโtey not be proud to be her older brother?ย
Koโay reached out and cupped her sonโs face, wiping away the sweat with her fingers.
โMy sweet boy,โ she breathed. โThe sweetest boy I could have asked for.โ She leaned closer and pressed a slow, gentle kiss to Tarsemโs brow bone. Then she whispered, โDonโt tell your brother. He comes very close.โ
Tarsem grinned. He took a slow, steadying breath and looked down at his palms. The bleeding had stopped and his limbs still felt leaden but significantly better than when heโd climbed onto the ledge with bones so weak theyโd practically been liquid. His heart wasnโt racing as badly. His lungs did not scream. He barely even noticed the weight of his rope.
โSaโnok?โ
โYes, maโitan?โ
Tarsem looked into his motherโs eyes.ย
โIโm ready,โ he decided.ย
Koโay smiled, eyes burning even worse. They were glossy, shimmering now.
She remembered the day sheโd given birth. She remembered the pain, the exhaustion, the screaming and crying and how it had all faded into the backdrop once the boy was in her hands. Heโd been so smallโso frighteningly small.ย
And now he sat before her. Almost her height already. His hair separated into warrior braids. A rope wrapped around his body as he made the climb to claim an ikran.
Still her baby. Justโฆ bigger.
Ready to make the jump between a child and a young man.
Even if she was not ready for him to do so.
โI know you are,โ she said.ย
With that, she stood up and looked to the top of the mountain. The rookery was deafeningly loud up ahead.
โYou are almost there,โ she told her son. โAnd I will be here with you for the climb.โ She looked down at him. โBut once you are in the rookeryโonce you find the one who claims you backโI cannot help you. I can only hope to catch you if you fall. It must be you who finds proper footing.โ
Tarsem stood, too, his legs no longer unsteady. He licked his lips and risked a glance upwards.
The fog was opaque white. It blinded him. He could not see anything.
And yet, somehow, that wasnโt nearly as frightening as it was before. Now it felt like a doorway he just needed to open. The fog wasnโt solid. He could pass through it with ease. He just needed to be ready for what he would see once he was through it.
โIโm almost there,โ he repeated. โIโm almost there.โ
He reached up for the rocks just above the cliff.
And he pulled himself up.
word count: 4.7K
Just realizing that we have, as a community, dubbed Y/N as "Sweet Cub" and I had already established that Tarsem's parents call him "Sweet Boy." That was unintentional.
Anyway.
What are your favorite romance tropes? I personally love friends-to-lovers; but I am a huge fan of friends-to-enemies-to-lovers. This doesn't really apply to the story, I'm just curious. Also, I'll be so totally honest, I have no clue if I've already asked this LMAO.
If there's anyone who wants the idea or quest for young Nolan or mark grayson ( specific Viltrumite Mark or any marks you see fit) I have one for you. ๐คญ you can change or do what you want with this request, especially the ending. ( but I low-key like the thought of her taking him to her universe so you can use that.) ( also, I just added this but y'all can make this yandere too?
Stronger! Kryptonian! Reader x young! nolan grayson
Stronger! Kryptonian! Reader x mark grayson
I want reader who from another dimension (the DC universe) ends up in Invincible verse. While she starts searching for a way home, She starts off as enemies at first with the Viltrumites, seeing them as just blood thirsty brutes that are in her way of getting home since they have a special material that she needs in order to create a device so she can send herself home.
while they view her as a threat / a worthy conquest so many of them approach her to fight to prove themselves. Despite repeated fights, she easily defeats those she meet but spares their lives usually, unintentionally earning their respect in a weird way and a reputation for her strength and other abilities.
Enter young! Nolan / mark and Other Viltrumite, who are eventually sent to defeat / recruit her but is quickly overpowered. Humiliated yet intrigued, he returns for multiple rematches while still trying to recruit her, and she sees it as some kind of light training for herself. over time their rivalry softens into a strange bond. As they grow closer, Nolan / Mark begins to fall for her and awkwardly tries to ( Viltrumite Style ) court her by prove his strength to her.
( she's oblivious because she doesn't know much about Viltrumite culture) When he learns what she been looking for, Nolan / Mark ultimately retrieves it for her as a sort of a weird courting gift but is reluctant to give it to her after finding out what she needs it for since he doesn't want her to leave him. At least just yet anyway.
Jakeโs marine days had wired something deep into him.
Fatherhood had only sharpened it.
Any sound out of placeโa floor creak, shifting fabric, careful footsteps in the darkโand he was awake before he fully realized it himself.
His eyes opened slowly to the dim blue glow of pre-dawn light filtering through the mauri.
Beside him, Neytiri still slept curled against his side.
Jake carefully untangled himself, quiet from years of practice, gaze already tracking the movement across the room.
(Y/n). Of course. His eldest moved with the kind of confidence that came from thinking no one else was awake.
She grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl, slung her bow over her shoulder, and was halfway toward the exit when Jake cleared his throat.
She froze. Slowly turned around. โโฆhey dad,โ she said casually, far too casually for someone clearly sneaking out before sunrise.
Jake folded his arms. โWhere do you think youโre going?โ
โFishing with Siโriya.โ
Of course she was.
Jake sighed quietly, already tired and the day hadnโt even started yet. โGrab your com and stay out of trouble.โ
โโฆthe both of you.โ he added dryly,
Which honestly felt like asking the impossible.
(Y/n) groaned softly. โYes, dadโฆโ She shuffled back over to grab the communicator sheโd conveniently โforgotten.โ
Jake raised a brow. โForgetting something else?โ
She blinked at him. โโฆno?โ
โHug your old man goodbye.โ
(Y/n) stared at him for a second like heโd deeply inconvenienced her.
Then groumbled under her breath and crossed the room again. The hug she gave him was half-hearted at bestโone quick arm around his middle before trying to pull awayโbut Jake still melted a little internally anyway.
Nothing beat a hug from his eldest kid. Absolutely nothing.
He ruffled her hair immediately just to annoy her.
She hissed at him. โCan I go now?โ
Jake opened his mouth but another voice beat him to it.
โSay goodbye to your mother.โ
Both of them looked over.
Neytiri now sat upright in the hammock, very much awake despite appearances moments earlier.
(Y/n) sighed dramatically like the world was against her. โYou were supposed to be asleep.โ
โI am your mother,โ Neytiri replied simply.
Defeated, (Y/n) crossed the mauri again and leaned down to peck Neytiri lightly on the cheek.
โThere.โ She straightened. โHappy?โ
Neytiriโs eyes narrowed slightly.
โYes. Now you may go.โ
(Y/n) brightened instantly, already backing toward the exit.
โ(Y/n),โ Neytiri warned.
Her daughter froze again. Slowly turned back with the most innocent expression she could manage. โYes, mother dearest?โ
Neytiri pointed a finger at her. โOne toe out of lineโโ
โYes mom understood goodbye love youโโ And she bolted before the lecture could begin. Gone in seconds.
Jake snorted under his breath as Neytiri stared after the entrance with deep maternal suspicion.
โShe did not let you finish,โ he observed.
โNo,โ Neytiri replied flatly. โโฆbecause she knows I was about to continue.โ
Jake laughed quietly and laid back down beside her, already knowing that their daughter and Siโriya were about to become everyone elseโs problem before sunrise even fully hit the ocean.
Neytiri slowly turned her head toward her mate. โAre you not concerned about the mischief your eldest will get up to.โ
The silence lasted long enough for Jake to realize he probably should have thought about that answer before saying it, he could blame it on being tired later.
โAs long as she does not get hurt,โ Jake continued with a shrug, โand silences anyone she hurts, I will turn a blind eye.โ
Neytiri stared at him.
Jake stared back. โโฆwhat?โ
โYou are enabling her.โ
Jake snorted. โBaby, that ship sailed years ago.โ
Neytiri pinched the bridge of her nose. โJake.โ
โWhat?โ
โOur daughter is a menace.โ
โShe is capable.โ
Neytiri made a sigh somewhere between disbelief and exasperation. โDo you understand why she never listens to you?โ
Jake pointed at himself. โBecause I am a loving father.โ
โBecause you reward her bad behavior.โ
Jake considered that. โโฆthat is sadly true.โ
Neytiri folded her arms. โShe will get herself into trouble one day.โ
Jake sighed and rubbed his face. โShe already has.โ
Jake's amusement faded into something softer. โI know she drives us insane,โ he said quietly. โI know she's reckless. I know she's constantly testing the limits of what she can get away with.โ
A small smile tugged at his lips. โBut after everything that happenedโฆโ
His eyes drifted toward the entrance of the mauri where their daughter had disappeared moments earlier. โโฆI like hearing her laugh again.โ
Neytiri's expression softened.
Jake leaned back against the hammock. โI spent years watching her carry responsibilities she never should've had. Watching her train. Watching her worry. Watching her look over her shoulder for the next fight.โ
โIf she wants to sneak out before sunrise and go fishing with Si'riyaโฆโ He shrugged. โโฆI'll take that over war any day.โ
Neytiri was quiet for a moment. Then she moved closer, resting against his side. โYou are weak when it comes to her.โ
Jake immediately nodded. โOh, undeniably.โ
โAt least you admit it.โ
โI have admitted it for eighteen years.โ
Neytiri laughed softly despite herself.
Jake wrapped an arm around her shoulders. โBesides,โ he added.
โHm?โ
โIf those two get into trouble, they're not my problem.โ
Neytiri slowly looked up at him.
Jake grinned. โThey're Tonowari's problem now too.โ
Neytiri actually laughed. A genuine laugh. โPoor Tonowari.โ
โPoor us,โ Jake corrected.
Because before the sun had even properly risenโ their daughter and Si'riya were together. And that was usually how disasters started.
(Y/n) sat forward slightly on Tiso'ha's neck. Stopping her ikran,
Something caught her attention.
Far out over the water, little more than a black speck against the sky.
Tiso'ha felt it too, her wings adjusting slightly as her rider focused.
The wind shifted. And with it came a sound. Faint. Distant.
A buzzing.
Rotors.
(Y/n)'s expression immediately hardened.
Below her, Si'riya guided her skimwing across the surface of the water before glancing up. "Everything okay up there?" she called.
(Y/n) didn't answer immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the approaching shape.
Then her stomach tightened.
"Dive." She called out down to Siโriya
Si'riya didn't question it. The skimwing immediately vanished beneath the surface.
Above, Tiso'ha banked sharply. (Y/n) urged her higher. Higher.
Positioning herself directly above the incoming aircraft.
Arrow already nocked. Bow drawn.
The years of training taking over before she'd even consciously decided what to do.
The aircraft grew larger.
Closer Closer.
Tisoโha dove, her wings coming in tight against her body.
She could see the rotors now.
See the cockpit.
SeeโHer eyes widened.
"Holy shit!"
(Y/n) hauled Tiso'ha upward at the last possible second.
The ikran screeched in protest as they narrowly missed the aircraft.
A Scorpion. One of theirs.
The pilot swerved violently.
But didn't stop. Didn't acknowledge her. Didn't even slow down.
Which was wrong. Very wrong.
Her hand was already moving toward her com. "Hey dad," she said, trying to keep her voice casual despite the sudden knot forming in her stomach. "What's one of our Scorpions doing out here?"
Static.
Then Jake's voice. "Kiri had a seizure underwater."
Everything inside her seemed to stop.
"Kiri had a what?"
"Kiri had a seizure underwater."
The words hit harder the second time. Like a punch from a hammerhead.
A thousand horrible possibilities immediately flooded her mind.
Had she drowned?
Had they gotten her breathing again?
Was she awake?
Was she scared?
Was sheโ
"Is she okay?"
There was a pause.
One that told her everything she needed to know.
"We don't know."
Her stomach dropped.
"Come home."
The line went dead.
(Y/n) sat frozen for half a second. Then Tiso'ha folded her wings. Diving. Fast.
The wind tore past her face.
Below, Si'riya surfaced immediately. The Metkayina girl saw her expression and any trace of amusement disappeared. "What was that about?"
(Y/n) swallowed. Hard. "That was one of ours."
Her voice sounded strange. Distant. "My sister is sick."
"Something is wrong."
Si'riya stared at her for a moment before nodding. No questions. No hesitation.
"Then we head back fast."
(Y/n) nodded. But her mind was already elsewhere.
Back home. Wondering of Kiri was okay.
She hated the not knowing.
Her hands tightened around Tiso'ha's grip.
The leather creaked beneath her grip.
Breathe.
Just breathe.
She forced herself to inhale. Then exhale. Again.
Kiri was alive.
Her dad hadnโt said otherwise.
If she was deadโ
No.
Her dad would have told her.
Wouldn't he?
The thought slipped through anyway.
What if she wasn't okay?
What if she'd stopped breathing underwater?
What if they'd been too late?
What ifโ
Stop.
(Y/n) clenched her jaw.
She needed facts.
And as they raced across the ocean toward home, (Y/n) found herself praying for something she hadn't prayed for in a very long time.
Please be okay.
Please be okay.
Please be okay.
Because for all her confidence.
For all the times she'd thrown herself into danger without hesitation.
Nothing terrified her quite like the thought of losing one of her siblings.
Tiso'ha hadn't even fully landed before (Y/n) was moving. She hit the sand at a run. Bare feet pounding against the shoreline.
Heart hammering. The village blurred past. People called out to her. She didn't hear them.
Didn't care.
All she could think about was Kiri.
The uncertainty.
The silence.
The tone in her father's voice when he'd said we don't know.
That had terrified her more than anything.
She rounded the final corner and nearly skidded to a stop. Jake sat outside the mauri. Norm beside him in his avatar body.
Max standing nearby with likely what would be Kiriโs neural scans on the tablet.
All three looked exhausted. Worried
"Dad?" she called.
Jake's head snapped up. "Pumpkin."
The moment she heard his voice she
ย crashed into him. Arms wrapping around him.
Jake immediately pulled her close.
"Dad...Is Kiri okayโฆ" Her voice cracked. Just slightly.
Jake glanced toward the mauri. (Y/n) followed his gaze.
Inside. Ronal was working. Neytiri hovered nearby. Tuk knelt beside the sleeping figure.
And Kiriโ Kiri lay utterly still.
The sight punched the air from her lungs. She hated it. Hated seeing her sister like that.
Motionless. Unresponsive. Small. Helpless.
A terrible thought slipped into her mind.
Is this what they saw when it was me?
When she'd been shot. When she'd nearly died. When she'd lain there unable to wake up.
Unable to reassure them. Unable to tell them she was still there.
The thought made her stomach twist.
Because suddenly she understood. Understood the fear.
The waiting. The helplessness. The awful uncertainty.
Jake must have seen it on her face. "She's going to be okay, pumpkin."
(Y/n) swallowed. Then nodded.
Before either of them could say anything elseโ
"Ma Jake!" Neytiri's voice cut through the air.
Both of them moved instantly. Rushing into the mauri.
And Kiriโ
Kiri moved. Slowly. Her eyelids fluttered.
Then opened. Confused. Disoriented.
Alive.
For a second nobody breathed. Nobody moved.
Then Kiri looked around.
Saw her family. Saw the fear on their faces. And began to cry.
The sound shattered something inside the room.
Neytiri was there instantly. Pulling her daughter into her arms. Holding her tightly.
As though she could somehow stop anything bad from ever touching her again.
Kiri buried her face against her mother. Crying harder.
Tuk immediately grabbed Kiriโs hand.
Refusing to let go.
Jake let out a shaky breath
(Y/n) stood frozen. The overwhelming relief hit her so hard her knees felt weak.
Kiri was alive. Kiri was awake. Kiri was going to be okay.
Across the room Kiri finally looked up from Neytiri's shoulder.
Her eyes immediately found (Y/n). For a moment neither sister spoke. Then Kiri managed a small, watery smile.
And (Y/n) felt the last of the terror drain away.
(Y/n) smiled back.
The relief only lasted a moment. Just long enough for her breathing to steady. Just long enough for her heart to stop trying to beat out of her chest.
Then her eyes drifted around the mauri.
And in the entranceโ Norm. Max.
The Scorpion.
The relief vanished. (Y/n)'s stomach dropped.
Her eyes snapped toward her father.
Jake knew that look. He'd seen it before. The moment someone's mind stopped living in the present and started running toward every possible disaster.
He stood immediately. "Pumpkin."
She wasn't really hearing him. Her mind was stuck on that, Scorpions were trackableโฆ
What ifโ
Jake placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come outside."
She let him guide her.
The moment they stepped onto the sand she turned on him. "How could you ask them to come here?"
Jake stayed calm. "What?"
"How could you ask them to come here?" she repeated.
Her voice wasn't angry. Not really. It was frightened.
Far more frightened than angry.
"What if the RDA tracked their Scorpion?"
Jake immediately understood. He had trained her mind to read into every possible scenario.
Of course this is where her mind went.
"What if they pinged the ship?" she continued.
"What if somebody followed them?" Her breathing was beginning to speed up. "What if you just gave the RDA the biggest hint to our location?"
Jake reached for her shoulders.
She was already shaking.
"They'll lose the signal over open water."
"What if they don't?"
"They will."
"What ifโ"
"Pumpkin."
"What ifโ"
"Pumpkin."
Her eyes snapped to him. Wide. Terrified.
Jake hated seeing that look.
"I don't want to go to war again." The words came out small. Barely above a whisper.
Jake's heart broke a little. "Oh, kid."
He stepped forward.
Pulled her into his arms.
(Y/n) grabbed onto him just as tightly.
"I know."
His hand settled on the back of her head. Holding her there.
"I know."
Her breathing was still too fast. Still shallow.
Jake kept his voice low.
"I thought it through."
She didn't answer.
"I promise."
His hand rubbed slowly between her shoulders.
"They're not going to find us."
Her grip tightened.
"What ifโ"
"They won't."
His voice never wavered.
"There's thousands of islands out there."
"They weren't followed."
Slowly. Very slowly. The tension began easing from her shoulders.
"You're okay."
Her eyes closed. "I don't believe you."
Jake smiled a little at that. "Yeah, you do."
A weak huff escaped her.
Because unfortunatelyโHe was right.
"Calm down, pumpkin."
He gave her a small reassuring squeeze.
"They won't find us."
"I promise."
Slowly she nodded.
Jake waited another few moments before finally stepping back enough to look at her.
"I hate when you're right."
Jake grinned. "You get that from your mother."
"Mom probably ย hates when you're right too."
"See?"
A small smile appeared.
Jake turned to the mauri and draped an arm over her shoulders.
"Let's go check on your sister."
"Then let's get some food into you before you pass out."
"I am not passing out."
"You flew halfway across the ocean."
"I'm fine."
Jake snorted. "Sure, you are."
The sound of the conch horn echoed across the village.
Every Metkayina stopped what they were doing.
People poured from their mauri. Children raced toward the shoreline. Smiles spread across faces.
The Tulkun had returned.
Their brothers and sisters had come home.
The Sully family was halfway out their mauri watching the Metkayina dive into the wayer when something slammed into (Y/n)'s side.
She let out a startled yell as she was shoved straight into the water.
"What the fuโ"
She surfaced sputtering.
Si'riya stood on the edge entirely pleased with herself. "Come on."
(Y/n) glared. "You shoved me."
"You should come meet my spirit sister."
"Why so I can watch your spirit sister watch me drown you?"
"It is meant to be a celebration, you damn demon."
(Y/n) splashed water at her.
Si'riya immediately jumped in after her.
Moments later an ilu surfaced beside them. "Get on."
"I hate you."
"Feeling is mutual."
"Fair."
Together they climbed onto the ilu.
The creature immediately dove.
Jake sighed. "I seriously can't tell if they're friends or enemies some days."
Neytiri the girls disappear underwater.
"...both."
Jake considered that. Then nodded. "Yeah."
That sounded about right.
He motioned Neytiri towards the ocean. Should we check it out?
Neytiri nodded and dove in with him.
The sounds of the surface vanished.
Replaced by the silence of the sea.
The endless blue opened around them.
Sunlight filtered through the water in brilliant golden shafts.
And aheadโ (Y/n)'s breath caught.
Tulkun.
Dozens.
Massive forms moving through the ocean. Graceful despite their size.
The water seemed too small for them.
Some sang softly to one another. Low frequencies she felt in her chest more than heard. Others rolled lazily through the currents. Calves remained close to their mothers.
Families reunited after months apart.
(Y/n) had seen many incredible things in her life.
But thisโ This was something else.
She felt small. Wonderfully small.
The ilu swam between them.
One Tulkun drifted past close enough that (Y/n) could almost reach out and touch it.
In front of her, Si'riya's entire demeanor had changed.
Gone.
Replaced by something softer.
The ilu accelerated. Swimming toward a larger female Tulkun.
A scar crossed part of her flank.
And the moment Si'riya saw herโ Her face lit up with pure joy
She slipped from the ilu and swam forward.
The Tulkun immediately recognized her. A low song rolled through the water.
The massive creature turned toward the young Metkayina girl.
Si'riya pressed both hands against her spirit sister's skin.
The Tulkun responded immediately.
Greeting her.
(Y/n) watched quietly.
Suddenly feeling like she was witnessing something deeply personal.
The bond between them was obvious. The trust. The love. The years shared together.
Jake stepped out into the rain. The cool water immediately soaked through his hair, ran down his shoulders and across his skin, but he barely noticed it.
His mind was elsewhere.
Still sitting in that conversation with Tonowari.
Still hearing those words.
The sky people are searching the islands south of here.
He stopped near the edge of the woven path, staring out into the dark ocean.
The rain blurred the horizon.
Tonowari had said they had not killed anyone.
That should have been comforting. Should have eased the knot in his chest.
Instead it did the opposite.
Because it meant they were still searching. Still looking. Still hunting.
And eventuallyโ Someone would find something. Someone would panic. Someone would pull a trigger.
Jake knew how these things worked.
His jaw tightened.
Then his thoughts drifted.
To Neytiri.
To the look in her eyes when she'd spoken about Quaritch.
The fear for her children. A part of her wanted to end it. To hunt him down before he could find them. To remove the threat before it reached their family.
Jake understood it.
Hell.
A part of him wanted the same thing.
But then he thought about his children.
And everything became complicated again.
His eyes closed briefly.
He saw his eldest first.
(Y/n).
He remembered the fear in her eyes.
His brave, reckless girl. The daughter who would mouth off to warriors twice her size. The daughter who would throw herself into danger without hesitation if it meant protecting somebody she loved.
Fearless.
Right up until the RDA entered the conversation.
Then the cracks appeared.
Then Jake saw the internal scars nobody else could.
He remembered how she'd clung to him. How her voice had shaken. How she'd admitted she didn't want to go to war again.
And it hurt.
Because she'd earned that fear.
She'd paid for it.
He looked down at his hands.
He didn't want to steal her smile again. Didn't want to watch that weight settle back onto her shoulders. Didn't want to see her become the person she'd been during the war.
But if fighting cameโ
If the RDA found themโ
She would fight.
There wasn't a doubt in his mind.
She'd pick up a gun.
Stand beside him.
And throw herself into the line of fire before he could stop her.
Just like she'd always done.
The thought made his chest ache.
Then he thought about the others.
Neteyam.
Trying so hard to be dependable.
Trying so hard to be the son Jake needed him to be.
Lo'ak.
All heart.
All impulse.
Braver than he knew.
And sometimes not nearly as invincible as he thought.
Kiri.
His gentle girl.
Strong in ways most people would never understand.
Tuk.
Still so young.
Still supposed to be worrying about games and stories and not war.
His children.
All of them.
The rain continued falling.
Jake stared out into the darkness.
His boys still had a long way to go.
His younger daughters weren't warriors.
Not really.
Not like he was.
Not like Neytiri.
Not like the eldest had become.
And maybe that was a good thing.
Maybe it meant they'd been allowed to stay children a little longer.
His shoulders sagged slightly.
Because when it came down to itโ It didn't matter how old they got.
Didn't matter how capable they became. Didn't matter how many times they told him they could handle themselves.
They were still his kids.
Still the tiny babies he'd held in his arms. Still the children he'd promised to protect.
And that was the problem.
Because Jake Sully knew something his children didn't.
Sometimes you could do everything right. Everything. And still fail.
Still lose people.
Still come up short.
His throat tightened.
The rain hid the moisture gathering in his eyes.
Good.
Nobody needed to see it.
He lifted his head toward the dark sky.
Toward Eywa.
Toward whatever was listening.
And for the first time in a long timeโJake found himself praying.
Not for victory.
Not for revenge.
Not for Quaritch's death.
Just for time.
A little more time.
A few more mornings watching his children laugh. A few more evenings around the fire. A few more days where his eldest could argue with her siblings instead of fighting soldiers. A few more moments where they could simply be a family.
Because if war came againโ Jake knew exactly what it could cost them.
(Y/n) and Siโriya were walking by the oloโeyktans mauri.
And immediately spotted Lo'ak.
Or ratherโJake dragging Lo'ak somewhere.
The younger boy was saying something. Jake was saying something back.
Neither eldest sister could hear a word of it.
But whatever was being saidโLo'ak looked miserable.
(Y/n) immediately became suspicious. Because Lo'ak only looked that guilty when he'd done something spectacularly stupid.
Then they noticed the others. Kiri. Tuk. Tsireya.
Aonung.
The younger siblings in the Oโoektanโs mauri.
That was never a good sign.
"You two." Tonowari's voice rang out, his gaze catching them.
Both girls froze. Slowly turning.
Tonowari stood with his arms folded. Looking entirely unimpressed.
(Y/n) and Si'riya exchanged a glance.
What did you do?
I don't know.
Then why are they looking at us?
"You two get over here."
Neither girl argued.
That alone should have worried everyone.
They walked over. Cautiously.
Tonowari waited until they stopped in front of him.
Then pointed toward the younger siblings. "The two of you are to keep an eye on them."
Si'riya was already preparing a response.
(Y/n) could practically see it forming. The eye roll. The complaint. The argument.
Unfortunately for Si'riyaโ
Tonowari saw it too. His eyes narrowed. "This is not a game."
The amusement vanished.
Both eldest sisters straightened slightly.
Because that toneโ That was the serious one. The one that meant he wasn't asking.
The younger siblings immediately became far more interesting.
(Y/n) looked at Kiri. Then Aonung. Then Tsireya.
Then the empty spot where Lo'ak should have been.
Her eyes narrowed. Si'riya's did too.
The younger ones visibly wilted.
Because they knew that look.
They all knew that look.
What did you do?
Neither sister had spoken. Neither needed to.
The question was written plainly across both their faces.
Tonowari sighed heavily.
"They wish to disrespect our ways."
His gaze swept over the younger group.
"They ignore what they are taught."
"So the two of you will keep them in line."
(Y/n) looked at the younger siblings again.
Aonung immediately looked elsewhere.
Tsireya suddenly found the ground fascinating.
Kiri wisely said nothing.
(Y/n) nodded once. "Yes, olo'eyktan."
Si'riya followed. "Yes, father."
The younger siblings looked relieved.
That relief lasted all of three seconds.
Because the moment the elders turned awayโ The eldest sisters turned back.
Slowly. Dangerously.
The younger ones visibly shrank.
(Y/n)'s eyes landed on Kiri.
Si'riya's landed on Tsireya.
Neither looked impressed. Neither looked happy.
"Walk." (Y/n)'s voice was calm.
Far too calm.
The younger siblings obeyed immediately.
Trailing behind them. Like condemned prisoners.
For several moments nobody spoke.
The silence stretched.
Growing heavier.
Finallyโ
(Y/n) glanced over her shoulder. "Alright."
"What happened?"
Nobody answered. Not immediately.
Which told both eldest sisters everything.
Si'riya sighed. The sigh of someone already regretting the next few hours.
"Oh, this is bad."
Very bad.
Because if the younger siblings were being over to them to superviseโ It meant whatever happened had already exhausted the patience of every adult involved.
And as the younger siblings followed reluctantly behind their eldest sistersโ Both (Y/n) and Si'riya were beginning to suspect they were about to learn something that was going to give them a headache too.
Neteyam rubbed a hand down his face. Already tired.Already regretting this conversation.
Because somehowโ Lo'ak had managed to get into enough trouble that not only were Jake and Tonowari involved.
But now (Y/n) and Si'riya were too.
Which honestly felt like a punishment for everyone.
(Y/n)'s eyes landed on him. "What the hell happened?"
Neteyam sighed. The sigh of an older brother who had spent his entire life explaining Lo'ak's decisions. "Lo'ak bonded with a Tulkun."
"And then back chatted the olo'eyktan."
The two eldest girls stopped walking.
Then glanced at each other.
The same expression appearing on both faces.
Done.
Completely done.
Si'riya pinched the bridge of her nose.
(Y/n) closed her eyes briefly.
Neteyam almost felt sorry for Lo'ak.
Almost.
"Si'riyaโ"
Tsireya immediately stepped forward.
"(Y/n)โ"
Her voice carried the desperate tone of someone trying to save the situation before it got worse.
"It is not Lo'ak's faultโ"
UnfortunatelyโThe eldest sisters were no longer listening.
Neither of them cared whose fault it was.
Not anymore.
"Don't care." (Y/n) cut straight through the explanation. Flat. Unimpressed. Dangerously calm.
That was always worse than yelling.
"What we care about," she Siโriya continued, gesturing between herself and (y/n), "is that somehow the bunch of you managed to mess up enough for us to get dragged into it."
Aonung immediately looked away.
Neteyam looked away too.
Because honestlyโFair.
Si'riya folded her arms. "If father is making us supervise youโ"
The younger siblings immediately knew where this was heading. And hated it.
"Then clearly," (Y/n) continued, "you cannot be trusted."
"We can absolutely be trusted," Aonung argued.
Both eldest girls looked at him.
Aonung immediately regretted speaking.
Kiri looked like she wanted to disappear into the ocean.
Neteyam was seriously considering joining her.
"If we're stuck babysitting," (Y/n) said, pointing at the entire group, "then you will be treated like babies."
Si'riya nodded immediately. "Since apparently none of you can keep yourselves out of trouble."
"We are not babies," Aonung complained.
The look both eldest sisters gave him nearly stopped his heart.
Aonung wisely shut up.
ย (Y/n) crossed her arms. Still annoyed. Still glaring. Still looking like she'd quite happily throw every one of them into the ocean.
Unfortunately for herโ Aonung had stopped hearing the lecture several seconds ago.
Because she looked angry.
Very angry.
That wasn't helping his situation at all. The idiot. He looked like he was happily melting under her gaze.
Neteyam noticed immediately. His eyes narrowed.
Then shifted to Si'riya. Who had also noticed.
Then to (Y/n). Who thankfully had not..
Aonung was staring.
Neteyam felt a headache forming.
Another one.
Great.
Because now he wasn't only worried about Lo'ak.
Now he was worried about Aonung too.
And judging by the look slowly appearing on Si'riya's faceโ She had noticed exactly where her brother's attention had gone.
Which meant Aonung was about five seconds away from becoming everyone's problem.
"Walk."
The younger siblings immediately started moving.
"Where are we going?" Tuk asked.
"Fix some nets," Si'riya answered.
The younger group collectively groaned. "Why?"
"Because we have been forced into becoming responsible adults for the afternoon."
"And now you all get to suffer with us."
The younger siblings exchanged miserable looks.
The eldest sisters continued walking. Neither remotely sympathetic.
Behind them, Neteyam slowed slightly. Allowing the others to move ahead.
Until he was walking beside Aonung.
For a moment neither spoke.
Neteyam watched his sister.
Watched the way she was chatting with Si'riya. Already complaining about the situation. Already plotting something.
Probably.
Then he looked at Aonung.
Who was also watching her.
Neteyam sighed. "We may be friends."
Aonung glanced over.
"But if I catch you staring at my sister like that again..."
Neteyam's voice remained calm. Which somehow made it more threatening. "I'll carve your eyes out."
Aonung immediately threw his hands up. "What?"
"You heard me."
"I wasn'tโ"
"You were."
Aonung looked ahead.
(Y/n) had just shoved Si'riya.
Si'riya immediately shoved her back. Neither seemed remotely bothered.
Neteyam rubbed his forehead. "Trust me."
Aonung looked back at him.
"The threat is better coming from me than her."
That earned a laugh. A mistake. A huge mistake.
Because Neteyam wasn't joking.
At all.
His expression never changed.
"If you piss (Y/n) off..."
"You'll wish you'd never been born."
Now Aonung hesitated.
Because there wasn't any exaggeration there.
No brother posturing. No bluff. Just a statement of fact.
Neteyam had watched his sister fight people twice her size. Had watched her survive things most warriors wouldn't. Had watched her lose control exactly once.
And the memory still made his stomach twist.
"She's not that bad."
Neteyam stopped walking.
Aonung turned.
Neteyam stared at him.
Then slowly looked toward his sister again.
(Y/n) had noticed a younger child struggling with a fishing basket. Without a word she'd taken it from them. Carried it herself.
Then immediately threatened to throw Siโriya into the ocean.
All within ten seconds.
Neteyam sighed. "You don't understand."
"No?"
"No."
"Just trust me."
Aonung frowned.
Neteyam continued walking. "If I threaten you."
"It's because I'm trying to help."
Ahead of them, (Y/n) suddenly stopped.
Every younger sibling nearly walked into her.
She slowly turned.
Eyes narrowing.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Neteyam pointed at Aonung.
Aonung pointed at Neteyam.
Both at the same time.
The eldest sisters looked unconvinced. Very unconvinced.
But shrugged and kept walking.
He had a feeling Aonung was not taking the hint.
At all.
And that never ended well around his eldest sister.
In front ย (Y/n) and Si'riya walked side by side.
"You notice Aonung?" Si'riya asked.
(Y/n) glanced sideways.
"Notice what?"
Si'riya looked ahead. At her brother. Then back at (Y/n). โYouโre not stupid (y/n).โ
ย (y/n) sighed sigh of someone who had unfortunately knew what it was like having idiotic siblings.
"If I do notice it."
"I'll be mad."
(Y/n)'s eyes narrowed.
"And if I get mad..."
"I may do something you hate me for."
Siโriya studied her friend's face. Trying to determine whether she was joking.
Unfortunately she looked entirely serious.
Si'riya shrugged. "Snap his nose."
"May teach him manners."
(Y/n) stared at her. Then slowly raised an eyebrow. "Your brother is the olo'eyktan's son."
Si'riya looked completely unimpressed by that fact. "So?"
"He is your brother."
"So?"
(Y/n) snorted. โI know my limits besides, itโs just the gaze of a boy.โ
"I'll drown him on your behalf if he doesn't get the hint."
(Y/n) immediately barked out a laugh.
"Drowning is very reasonable."
"Compared to breaking his face?"
(Y/n) shook her head.
She felt a strange warmth settle in her chest. Because thisโ This was friendship.
The dangerous kind. The kind where somebody would absolutely help hide a body if necessary.
Not that either intended toโฆ at the moment.
And (y/n) enjoyed it, she never had a friend like this before.
(Y/n) had been enjoying the quiet. No younger siblings causing problems. No fathers threatening people. No mothers lecturing anyone.
Just her and Si'riya sitting on the beach, watching the waves roll lazily onto the shore. The kind of afternoon that felt peaceful.
Which was probably why she noticed her dad walking over immediately.
Something was wrong.
Her father wasn't walking. He was moving with purpose. His shoulders were tight. His jaw set.
The sight alone made something uncomfortable twist in her stomach.
Si'riya noticed too.
Both girls straightened slightly.
Jake stopped in front of them. For a moment he didn't speak. As though trying to find the words. Trying to find a way to soften whatever was coming.
Jake looked toward Si'riya. "Tonowari wants to see you."
That got her attention.
The amusement vanished from her face. She and (y/n) stood and Siโriya rushed towards the village.
Then Jake stepped closer. Resting both hands on his daughter's shoulders.
(Y/n) hated that. Hated when adults looked at her like that. Like they were about to tell her something she didn't want to hear.
Her stomach sank.
"Dad?"
Jake swallowed. "I don't got much time."
"Tonowari is calling the clan together."
(Y/n)'s heart immediately began pounding.
Why?
Why would heโ
"They hit a Tulkun."
The world seemed to stop. Just for a second.
Thenโ Horror flooded her face.
Because she knew exactly who they were.
And she knew exactly what that meant. "No."
The word escaped before she could stop it.
Jake's heart broke a little at the look on her face. Because moments ago she'd been relaxed.
Laughing.
And nowโ Now he could practically watch the fear returning. The fear she'd spent months trying to leave behind.
"I'm sorry, kid."
(Y/n) stared at him. Unable to stop the thought. Unable to stop the panic clawing at her chest.
"You said they wouldn't find us."
Jake closed his eyes briefly.
Because he had.
He had promised her.
"I know."
"I know I did."
His hands tightened slightly on her shoulders.
"But the Metkayinaโ"
He stopped.
Because voices were beginning to rise elsewhere in the village. People gathering.
The atmosphere was changing.
Fast.
The peace was gone.
Jake could feel it.
His daughter looked pale.
The same way she had looked after Kiri's seizure. The same way she looked whenever the RDA entered the conversation.
And Jake hated it.
Hated that after everythingโ This still had the power to terrify her.
But he couldn't lie.
Not now.
Not anymore.
So insteadโ He squeezed her shoulder.
"The RDA hit a Tulkun to try and draw me out, they havenโt found us.โ
โThere may be a chance to delay the fighting.โ
Delay not stop
โSteel your heart, kid." The words came quietly. Firmly. The same way he'd spoken to her before battles. Before hard days.
Before impossible choices.
"Stay close to your siblings."
His eyes met hers. "Can you do that?"
(Y/n) swallowed. The fear was still there. Still trying to drag her somewhere dark. Somewhere filled with memories she didn't want.
But she nodded. "Yes."
Jake smiled. Proud.
Because even frightenedโ
Sheโd her ground for them.
Even scaredโShe still faced it.
"Good."
Then he hesitated. Just for a second. Long enough for her to notice.
"Kid."
"Yes?"
Jake looked away briefly.
Toward where he knew Lo'ak was somewhere in the gathering crowd.
Toward where trouble inevitably followed his sons.
Then back to her. "If your trouble-seeking brothers get themselves into something..."
His voice became more serious. More father than warrior.
"Don't play the hero."
(Y/n) immediately knew what he meant.
And for a secondโ Neither of them said anything.
Because they both remembered.
Jake's jaw tightened.
"Do you hear me?"
She looked at her father. At the fear hidden behind his calm expression. The fear he always tried to hide.
And she nodded. "Yes, dad."
It wasn't the answer he wanted. Because he knew his daughter. Knew exactly what she'd do if one of her siblings was in danger.
But it was all he was getting.
So Jake accepted it. "Good."
Then he removed his hands from her shoulders.
The gesture somehow feeling heavier than it should have.
And togetherโThey started toward the village.
Toward the gathering clan.
Toward the rising voices.
Toward whatever came next.
Because suddenlyโ The peaceful afternoon felt very far away.
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Twenty-one years after the second Great Sorrow, the Sky People descend upon Pandora. And this time, with a family seven strong, Jake Sully has far more to lose.
This story begins very shortly following the end of Avatar 1. Inspired by the work of just-another-idk. Go check out their series, โThe Eldest!โย
Polished Fangs Masterlist
The sickness was agonizingly slow to pass; and because Y/N was adamantly refusing to sleep anymore after the nightmare ran its course, she wasnโt exactly doing much to expedite the process.
The soreness in her throat was the first to subside an entire three days after she first felt ill. Before then, all she could do was drink water and wince as she tried to eat solid food. It had been terrible, and during one night when sheโd been forcing herself not to succumb to sleep, sheโd been so pitifully exhausted that she just cried soundlessly, her vocal cords entirely too weak to produce any substantial sound.
But even after her throat stopped burning and she could chew and swallow without pain, Y/Nโs appetite did not return all at once. She felt so hungry and yet had no strength to put food in her mouth, and what little she did she felt she could barely keep down. Her leftovers for every mealโof which there was always a lot in those first few daysโwent to Kaโota himself or the cubs.
Mostly the cubs. They were growing, and they were growing rather quickly.ย
Before, Avak could crawl, but she could only really push herself to do so for about a minute before her poor little legs gave out from the strain and she would take a nap wherever she was. Now, she was running, scampering around the cave and narrowly avoiding crashing into her siblings. She still needed to develop coordination. But despite how many times sheโd slammed into Y/Nโs leg or trampled over her tail, the excited almost chirping sounds Avak made as she grew stronger and faster were far too adorable for Y/N to really hold any grudges.
Kitan had quickly developed a habit of chasing after her own tail. She was too young for Y/N to connect their kurus and see what was really going on inside that little creatureโs head, but she and Kaโota were rather certain Kitan knew it was part of her body. She just found great joy in it. She did not, however, find any joy in the dizziness she experienced immediately after running in tight circles, trying to catch the end of her tail in her mouth. She was very vocal about this, and had learned to growl the first out of her siblings to express her displeasure in the phenomenon. She still bit her siblings, though, so maybe the dizziness was karma.
Vakor had shot up in size the fastest. He hadnโt been the smallest of his siblings, that had been Kitan. But he ate the most between his sisters and claimed most of Y/Nโs leftovers. Kaโota had promised that this was normal, that the males underwent more growth spurts than the females tended to. But when Y/Nโs migraines finally passed on the fifth day of her illness and she was able to keep her eyes open during the sunny hours and saw that Vakor was quite literally an entire head taller than his sisters, she was still shocked. He, too, didnโt seem to be used to his size just yet. He had been the chubbiest and yet now he was getting thinner as his body used up all he ate to give him height, and so Y/N gladly passed whatever she couldnโt eat over to him.ย
On the eighth day, Y/Nโs fever finally broke.ย
That wasnโt to say she was feeling perfectly fine again; far from it, in fact. Her head wasnโt throbbing but her bones still felt heavy. Her throat was no longer sore but her nausea had remained. And, to make matters worse, she had begun to bleed again. So while she knew she needed to eat to regain her strength, her appetite was completely destroyed by the pain radiating from her lower belly up her spine and abdomen and down to her lower thighs. She couldnโt keep anything down until day eleven, when the cramping began to subside and the nausea finally ebbed and faded away, allowing her to finally eat as much as she needed to.
And she was starving.
On the eleventh eclipse, Kaโota counted his blessings that heโd been able to procure a more vast hunt, because Y/N finished eating half of a full grown wild yerik. And even then, sheโd looked like sheโd have been more than willing to eat more.
โI shouldnโt have more,โ she said, almost like she was reminding herself of it rather than really feeling it. โI just stopped needing to vomit.โ
Kaโota did not push. He could see the strength was faint and flickeringโjust like the fireโbut it was still there. The recovery was nowhere near as intense as when he and Moja had first found her. She was progressing far faster. His worries were easier to suppress thanks to that.
That didnโt mean he wasnโt worrying at all, though.ย
He watched her sleep, taking care to check that her chest still rose and fell.ย
He watched her during meals, making sure she didnโt eat too fast.
He watched how her eyes drifted to the cubs and covered them with his tail. He didnโt need her to worry about them more than herself when her health was still in shambles.
On the seventeenth eclipse, Y/N had managed to have a full, proper, filling meal. She was able to walk just enough to digest it all. She slept easily.
On the eighteenth morning, Y/N was healthy again.
And Kaโota wasnโt sure if he was excited that his Naโvi cub was back to her usual self or if he was terrified of what that would entail.
The moment Y/N had the strength in her arms to keep them in the air for extended periods of time, she rebraided her hair.
โIt makes me feel pretty,โ she said to Kaโota.
Her palulukan father huffed a breath of air, bemused. You are already pretty, my sweet cub.
She grinned. Sheโd never particularly been focused on her appearance when she was young, but it certainly didnโt hurt to be complimented. To a warrior, to a hunter, the most beautiful Naโvi were the strongest, the ones who wore war paint in the patterns that designated skill level. The most beautiful Naโvi were the ones who bore the intricately woven warrior braids to denote their position in the clan. That was beauty.ย
Here, Y/N did not have the war paint. Here, she did not tie the warrior braids.
And yet she still felt beautiful. She felt good. She felt herself.
โWell, yeah,โ she drawled with exaggerated confidence. โBut it makes me feel even prettier. And that makes me feel better and healthier.โ
If you say so, he replied.ย
Then he used his front paws to separate Kitan and Vakor before Kitan could bite her brotherโs ear off.
It took Y/N exactly two days to fully braid her hair. Her locks had gotten rather long and she hadnโt once cut them, and so the process took a long time. Still, once the braids were finished and the shards black stone were woven into her hair, the effect was almost instantaneous.
The nightmareโthat horrific terrorโhad left lasting marks in her mind. Her fatherโs disdain for her, her motherโs hatred, the blood staining the river sheโd learned to fish in. It weighed heavily on her heart. Sheโd felt dirty almost afterwards. Filthy.
Having pretty hair wasnโt going to fix everything right away. But it made the loathing and disgust fade into the background, even just a bit. Focusing on something as time consuming as braiding her hair quieted the remnants of the nightmare.
Her bleeding was over for the month as well, and so Y/N took the time to walk down to the nearby stream and wash up her clothes. Her legs shook ever so slightly still, for she hadnโt used them in quite a while, but she managed to make her way to the riverbank and wash away the blood. For those first few seconds, when the blood mingled with the water, she felt her heart stop. Her stomach lurched with terror and she almost let go of the cloth entirely. But the current was strong enough to wash the red away easily, and Y/N could see her reflection in the water again.
Her face was thinner than before. Her eyes were sunken, cheeks gaunt, the bone structure beneath the fascia far more prominent than she would have liked.ย
โI need to eat more,โ she decided, tearing her gaze from her face.ย
And so she did. Kaโota continued to bring larger hunts to accommodate for his growing cubs, palulukan and Naโvi alike. Y/Nโs appetite grew, and as it did she watched the cubsโ own stomachs grow hungrier and hungrier. They were growing exponentially. She wagered that in only a couple monthsโ time, theyโd be her size. She didnโt much enjoy the idea of them surpassing her that quickly.
โI want them to stay this small forever,โ she sighed one eclipse, wiping the blood from her face after dinner. She watched as the cubs all lay on their sides. Kitan was separated from her brother and sister, obviously, while Avak and Vakor cuddled close together, their bodies swelling from the amount of food theyโd partaken in that meal. They were nice and chubby and entirely knocked out. โYou know what I mean?โ
In a way, Kaโota agreed. He was only now having his own meal, his fangs tearing into flesh and bone alike with ease. But I cannot wait to see who they will become. He glanced up at her. I cannot wait to see who you will become, sweet cub.
โI probably wonโt be so sweet when I grow up,โ Y/N noted. She gestured vaguely to her face. โI have these teeth for a reason. I have these urges for a reason.โ
No. Kaโota snorted. You will still be just as sweet. You will only save it for those special to you.
Y/N mulled over this. She supposed he was rightโthere would be no room for sweetness on hunts or in battle but she couldnโt stand the idea of treating her palulukan siblings with cruelty. She hadnโt even been able to stand treating her Naโvi siblings with cruelty.
That thought made her wince.
Neteyam. Kiri. Loโak. They were so small when Y/N fell from the rookery. Y/N had no clue still how long she had been out in the wilderness. She had no clue how old she was, much less how old her baby brothers and sister had gotten. What were they like now? Was Neteyam now the next-in-line to be Oloโeyktan? Was Kiri going to be Tsahik? Would Loโak be a hunter or a warrior? Maybe heโd be a dancer for all Y/N knew. She knew nothing about them now. She only had the memories of them as little toddlers still looking up to her for everything, using her as a frame of reference.
Now that she was gone, had been gone for so longโฆ who were they?
And in that nightmareโthough she wished she could forget it, it permeated through everything nowโher motherโs belly had been round again.ย
Are they replacing me?
Go to the river, sweet cub. Kaโotaโs words to her cut through her thoughts, interrupting her fright before it could grow into real and proper hurt. You should wash up before you sleep. You smell bad.
Y/N gasped in offense. โI do not!โ
You reek.
Y/N stood then. She immediately tipped forward but she planted her legs apart to try and steady herself. Once her body was no longer unsteady, she pointed an accusing finger at Kaโota.
โYouโre bullying me, Sempu!โ
The words left her mouth before she knew what she was saying and, for a second, there was total quiet. Before they had connected their kurus, before Kaโota had learned to understand Naโvi language, the word would have just been more nonsense, meaningless sound to his ears. But now that he knew, now that they had shared their memories, now that he knew the weight of the word sempu, his heart felt as though it stuttered.ย
And then a perfect warmth exploded in his chest and he closed his eyes as slowly as he could possibly muster.
Y/N, on the other hand, felt embarrassed heat burst across her cheeks. Her ears and face went purple.ย
โBye!โ she screeched.
And then she raced out of the cave.
word count: 2.1K
Sorry for the chapter being kinda short. Just like Y/N, I got my period. And unlike Y/N, it has not subsided just yet. I LOVE HAVING A UTERUS SO MUCH.
Now for the discussion question! If you could be adopted by any character in fictional media, who would you choose to adopt you? I have a feeling Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender would probably be a great father figure, y'know? Like, he is surrounded by powerful women which is why he unlearned his sexist beliefs. He's intelligent and clever. He's funny. He does so much for the people he loves. I feel like he'd have been an amazing uncle to Katara and Aang's children and he would've been an amazing father if he'd been able to be one.
if you're still taking requests id love a little interaction between moja and reader! maybe y/n does something strange and theyre amused by it or maybe even just some cuddling over some rough weather?
A collection of funny and cute interactions between Moja and Y/N!
A one-shot connected to Polished Fangs!
The Naโvi wereโฆ strange, to say the very least.
Moja had always been rather intrigued by the creatures. They were small and gangly, and they only needed to walk on their hind legs. When she was a cub, she would hear stories of the strange creatures. As a young cub, she found them to sound frightening. As an adolescent, she thought them weak and yet surprisingly persistent in their ability to survive.
As an adult with a mate and cubs growing inside of her, watching their adopted Naโvi cub stare at her mateโs sleeping face, she came to a new conclusion:
The Naโvi were hilarious.
At least their cubs were. Because each time Kaโotaโs loose upper lip fluttered when he exhaled in his sleep, Y/N ducked her head low and watched the skin fly up and then fall back down like it was some sort of game. Each time the skin fell, she straightened again, so she was rocking from side to side in time with Kaโotaโs breaths.
Moja snorted quietly. Silly, silly cub.ย
And then Y/N stopped swaying. For a moment, Moja worried she had embarrassed her.
But then the Naโvi cub lifted her spindly blue fingers up to her own face, to her own lips.ย
This time, when Kaโota exhaled and his upper lip lifted, Y/N manually picked hers up, tugging the skin gently until her gums and teeth were exposed. When Kaโotaโs slip fell, Y/N lowered her lip.
Mojaโs body shook with uncontrollable amusement. She turned away before Y/N could see her, but she knew her body was still trembling.
Her Naโvi cub was extra talkative today.
Kaโota had gone out to hunt and so it was just Moja and Y/N in the cave for the next few hours. Mojaโs belly was starting to grow a bit heavier and it was a challenge and a half already to move much even within the cave. She had managed a few laps just for exercise but then sheโd laid back down, exhausted.
And that meant the Naโvi cub had a captive audience.
The sounds leaving her lips were foreign, unfamiliar. It was softer than palulukan sounds but deeper than the chirps and yowls of a cub. There was a rhythm to the words and though Moja didnโt know the language enough to determine where one word ended the the next began, there were certain cadences that Y/N used that Moja could somewhat use to denote meaning. Higher notes at the end tended to be questions or curiosities. When her fangs were exposed it was to show excitement or joy. She bobbed her head up and down to confirm things. She contorted her face into a strange scrunch when she was unhappy or disgusted. The nuances were entirely lost to Moโat. She couldnโt tell what she was asking about or excited over or confirming or rejecting. But it was rather fascinating to see the way Naโvi body language differed from palulukan body language.
And then the sounds of Y/Nโs voice was cut off by a sharp, high-pitched squeak. Her chest and shoulders jumped ever so slightly for a split second and her eyes went wide.
Moja blinked. Was that a word?
Y/N went back to talking. Her words went in Mojaโs ear and out the other, the gibberish sounds melodic and intentional as she spoke endlessly and thenโ
Another sharp squeak. Y/Nโs brows pinched together and she raised a hand to pat at her chest.
What is she trying to say? Moja wondered. She tilted her head to the side. Is she hurting?
A deep huff left Y/Nโs lips then. She went right back to talking before she was interrupted once again as the squeak tore from her lips, cutting her off.ย
The Naโvi cub made a sound of discontent.
And that was when it hit Moja; the cub was not in pain or saying a new word to her. Those squeaks, the ones that made her chest jerk and her words falter, were hiccups. Perhaps the cub had eaten too fast just a few minutes ago before Kaโota left to hunt for dinner. The sounds were so small that Moja almost hadnโt recognized them at all, but they were hiccups nonetheless.
Y/N was bigger than a palulukan cub in size. But Moja had no clue how old she was. And she had never seen an adult palulukan hiccup. This cub was a baby, she decided. Her heart felt like it was being pulled apart from how cute it all was.
Once again, hand on her chest, brows furrowed with frustration, Y/N opened her mouth to speak.
Another hiccup came out instead and the Naโvi cub threw her head back and groaned.
Thunder echoed through the cave. The sound entered through the wide mouth, ricocheting across the stone walls and ceiling and floors and resonating through the space with such force that it vibrated in Mojaโs bones.
Which was how she knew that it was absolutely affecting Y/N, even before the Naโvi cub began to slowly and quietly crawl closer to her body. It was dark in the cave. The fire had gone out thanks to the tumultuous winds from outside, and the only light came from the lightning strikes beyond the palulukan den. But Moja could see the shape of the half-asleep Naโvi cub crawling close in the darkness with ease. She could hear the faint pitter-patter of Y/Nโs Naโvi paws. She smelled her clearly even with the scent of the rain and wet flora and fauna wafting into the cave.
She felt Y/Nโs bodyโfelt the slightly cold skin and the clammy palms and feet and the long and thick dark hair and the kuru braidโas the cub carefully pushed Mojaโs front paws aside to make room for her body. She felt Y/N nestle close to Mojaโs form, her shins pressing against Mojaโs chest, feeling the beat of the palulukan heart through the thick, armor-like flesh. She felt Y/N relax, felt her warmth bleed into the cubโs body.
And she felt Y/N stiffen with fright when thunder clapped again.
Moja decided it was time to stop pretending she was still asleep.
She breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of the Naโvi cub and the rain and the wet flowers outside and even catching a whiff of some pali frolicking in the downpour nearby. And then she leaned closer to the cubโs face, opening her mouth to prod gently at the Naโvi cubโs hair with her tongue, smoothing the black locks back out of her face. She pulled Y/N closer to her body, closer to her warmth.
Y/N sighed with relief, eyes practically rolling into the back of her skull as the warmth flooded her. The fire had gone out some time ago and she had been shivering in her sleep. Now, exhaustion weighed her down.
A Naโvi word left her lips as she fell into deep slumber again. The thunder cracked through the sky, and if Moja hadnโt been a palulukan, she might not have been able to hear it. She didnโt know the meaning. She never would.
But in those few moments where Y/N was drifting into peaceful sleep, she had mumbled, โSaโnok.โ
wc: 301 // tw: smut, hair pulling โ mdni
maddie's scribbles: another kinktober leftover for ya
The storage closet is usually a very quiet place, filled with brooms, mops and other daily use objects. But thatโs not the case todayโcans of grease falling from the shelves, cartons of milk knocked over to the floor, and your very not quiet moans falling from your lips.
Your boobs poking out from above your yanked shirt flatten against the wall, hitting it forcefully with each of Rexโs brute thrusts into your dripping cunt.
When your head lulls down, mouth gaping wide, letting the cries and whines spill from you freely, Rex yanks your hair hard towards his face and growls through clenched teeth, โLook at me when I fuck you. I want to see your face when you lose your mind on my cock.โ He accentuates each word with a powerful roll of his hips, the tip of his length bruising your poor uterus.
Whatever intelligible mumbling gets past your pretty lips is enough for him, a cruel yet satisfied smirk adorning his features. โYeah,โ he laughs, โthatโs what I thought.โ
The grip of his fist in your hair doesnโt loosen, quite the contraryโhe twists your head painfully low, leaving you breathless, choking on your sobs. With nowhere to look but him, you focus on his eyes, the green of his irises far gone, replaced by the vast darkness of his pupils. His stare is wild, laced with lust and hunger for more.
โDonโt you fucking dare look away. That understood?โ
You try to nod, but it proves impossible with his steel hold on your head.
โY-yes,โ you manage to whisper, your voice cracking when his other hand finds your breast, his thumb and index finger rolling your pert nipple excruciatingly hard.
โGood,โ he groans, his movements getting sloppier. โLet the whole base hear how well your man fucks you.โ
Debrief: you write a big check out to the government to steal your favorite gaurdian for your tour.
Warnings: SMUT, MDNI - 18+, car sex, hotel sex, unprotected sex, p in v, power imbalance (boss/employee), oral sex (f!receiving), fingering, use of pet names (sweetheart, ma, mama)
Case Notes: this was initially for my participation in invincimonths but I ended up way busier than I expected. Glad I finally found the time to finish this! Enjoy!
Rex had been on this tour for exactly nine days, fourteen hours, and some number of minutes he refused to calculate. Nine days of screaming fans. Nine days of flashing lights. Nine days of behaving.
Which, according to Cecil, was the entire point. โprofessionalism.โ Or whatever.
The second rule was also professionalism. The third rule came with a twenty-minute lecture, a slideshow, and a threat that sounded suspiciously like paperwork. Rex remembered exactly none of the slideshow, but he remembered the number attached to the donation to the GDA if they let you take him as your personal bodyguard.
It had commas. Plural. So here he was. Standing outside the dressing room of the most famous pop idol on the planet, wearing a black suit that fit a little too well and an earpiece that made him feel like he should be narrating a heist movie instead of guarding a singer who could sell out stadiums by simply blinking.
He really did try to stick to being professional. He didnโt let himself get caught up anytime you called him into your greenroom before or after a show with excuse after excuse of some security breachโ but heโs only a man. Even if heโs trying to be better how could anyone expect him to continually turn down your obvious advances?
โRex? Could you come here, pretty please?โ Your sweet voice rattled through his earpiece. Rex let out a sigh, a hand running down his face before turning towards your door and opening it slowly.
Rex immediately knew two things once he stepped into that room.
One: there was no security threat.
Two: he was in danger anyway.
You stood near the vanity, bathed in that soft halo of mirror lights, wearing lace.
Nothing like the bodysuits you typically wore on stage. This was much more intimate. The lace, cheeky cut panties, hugged the swell of your ass. And when you turned to greet him, rex was met with you in a bra stitched with lace material that covered absolutely nothing. The whole set matching. He could completely make out the way your nipples were perked from the cold of the room and where your areolaโs laid against the completely see through material.
Rex stopped just inside the doorway, hand still on the knob like he might need it for balance, clearing his throat and immediately lifting his eyes to the ceiling, โโฆ You called for security?โ
You turned to him like this was a perfectly normal situation, like you werenโt currently dismantling his entire sense of discipline thread by delicate thread. How many times had you set him up to see you in your intimates? Not that he minded, he could put those mental images right into his spank bankโ just because heโs trying to be a better man, doesnโt mean he still isnโt a man!
โI did,โ you said, nodding, โI thought I saw something.โ
His eyes flickedโ traitorous and quickโ over your form before snapping back up to your face like theyโd been burned.
โWhere?โ he asked.
You gestured vaguely toward the far wall, โOver there. Thought I saw a blinking red light.โ
He moved automatically, because his training didnโt disappear just because you looked hot as hell. His gaze swept the room, sharp and efficient.
His hands ran over corners. Checking inside vents and fixturesโฆ and once again, nothing. Not even a suspicious hat that youโd sworn was a camera a few days ago.
โโฆIโm not seeing anything,โ he muttered.
โReally?โ you asked, stepping a little closer to him, batting those thick lashes that framed your pretty eyes.
Rex turned back to youโ and immediately regretted it, because you were right infront of him.
Distance had been doing him favors. Up close, it was worse. The lace, the soft lines, the way you carried yourself like you knew exactly what you were doing to him. Not to mention your perfume. Sweet and warm.
His jaw tightened, clearing his throat nervously, โYeah. Really.โ
โHm. Thatโs strange.โ You say back, voice soft and just a hint of a smile on your lips
Rex narrowed his eyes slightly. Silence stretched between the two of you. Rex shifted his weight slightly, adjusting his stance but not entirely for tactical reasons. His pants were getting far too tight for his liking and you were going to notice if he wasnโt careful. He couldnโt afford to mess this up just because little Rex couldnโt keep his head in the game.
He cleared his throat, โYou canโt keep calling me in here for this.โ
โFor what?โ you asked, blinking up at him, all doe-eyed and completely not innocent.
โForโโ he gestured vaguely, then immediately regretted that too, because now his hand had moved in your direction and his brain short-circuited trying not to notice everything, โโthis.โ
Your lips twitched, fighting a smile, โI canโt call my security head in the moment when I feel unsafe?โ
โThat is not what this is, unless youโre really just that crazy paranoid.โ
You giggle, a sound that makes Rexโs heart stutter and you shrug, โmaybe I just like watching you move around the room to keep me safe.โ
Rex let out a slow breath through his nose, dragging his gaze away again. The wall. The mirror. The floor. Anything safe. Neutral. Non-revealing lace.
โMaโam,โ he said, voice tightening, โif thereโs no actual threatโโ
โWhat if there was? And youโre just doing your job and youโre sooo good at it.โ You cut in, batting those thick lashes again, and dragging out your words in that cute way that does things to him.
He looked back at you, and what a big mistake that was. You stepped closer. Not enough to touch, just enough to close the space in a way that felt intentional. Pointed.
His shoulders squared automatically, like bracing for impact, โI, uh, I meanโ itโs what you pay me for.โ
Your smile softened, but your eyes stayed sharp. Curious. Watching him like he was the interesting thing in the room.
โYou are,โ you say again. โYouโre very good at it.โ
Rex swallowed, jaw flexing, and shifted againโsubtle, careful, trying to keep everything under control. Including himself.
Which wasโฆ becoming a situation.
โYou done?โ he asked, a little more gruff than intended.
โWith the security check?โ you hummed, โAlmost.โ
He blinked, โAlmost?โ
Your gaze dippedโ quick and deliberate, then lifted back to his face. And that nearly did him in.
โI just want to make sure,โ you said softly, โthat you didnโt miss anything.โ
Rex stared at you. Long. Hard. Processing.
You were playing with him, right? Absolutely, undeniably, intentionally playing with him.
And the worst part? You knew exactly how close he was to cracking. You had to of based on that not-so-innocent smirk on your red lips.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand over the back of his neck.
โYeah,โ he muttered, โDidnโt miss anything.โ
โGood,โ you say, letting a couple beats pass before saying casually, โThen you can stay a second.โ
Rex huffed a quiet, disbelieving breath, glancing toward the door like it was offering him salvation.
It wasnโt, โMaโamโโ
โRex,โ you interrupted gently. He looked back at you. Again. Mistake. Always a mistake. He should really know better.
Your expression had shifted just slightly. Still playful. Still warm.
But there was something else there now. Something a little more honest. A little less teasing.
โI asked for you, specifically.โ you said, your lips popping a bit on the โpโ sounds
And suddenly this wasnโt just a game anymore. Rexโs posture stilled, the fight draining out of his shoulders just enough to be noticeable if you were looking for it.
He studied you for a second, like he was trying to solve something. Or maybe decide something.
Then he let out a slow breath.
โโฆYeah,โ he said quietly. โI noticed. Why exactly?โ
Silence settled againโ but softer this time. Less sharp. Still charged, but in a different way now.
He shifted once more, subtle, controlled, dragging himself back into something resembling professionalism before he did something incredibly stupid.
โI saw you on television a few times. I love a confident man who knows what heโs doingโฆ and I thought a little forced proximity couldnโt hurt.โ You admit casually with a little shrug, the epitome of a woman who is seldom told no.
โYou likeโโ Rex starts to parrot you, a befuddled look on his face, โIโm sorry, maโam. What?โ
โYouโre hot. I have a thing for heroes. Thought Iโd be able to shoot my shot if you didnโt have choice but to let me say hello. But youโre so different than what I read online about you.โ You say, lifting yourself to sit on the vanity, pretty legs crossed as you twirled a lock of your hair around your finger, โI thought this would be an easy โHi, youโre hot, I have a bodyguard fantasy cause I read too much smut online. Letโs fuckโ but youโve just been SOOOO professional.โ
Youโre pouting now, legs swinging as your head tilts a bit. And Rex? He is in disbelief. This SERIOUSLY cannot be his life right now. In no way is this happening to him. He turns to scan the room for the simple fact that Ashton Kutcher must be about to jump out and punk his ass, to reboot that iconic MTV hit.
โโฆ you hired me toโฆ fuck you?โ Rex finally asks, his mouth feels dry. He knows heโs hot, heโs slept with plenty of women over the years, but certainly none to your caliber. He knew he had game but certainly not to this level.
โWell of course not, Rex. Youโre not a prostitute.โ You say, that sweet little giggle leaving your lips, โI just meant, yโknow, if youโre interestedโโ
He doesnโt let you finish that thought, stepping in closer, his large hands coming to rest on either side of your thighs on the vanity, his voice sounding practically relieved, โIโm interested, Iโd be a fuckinโ idiot not to be.โ
๐ฅโจ๐ฅโจ๐ฅ
The entire arena still vibrated from the show. Even three floors beneath the stadium, tucked away in the private underground garage, the bass lingered in the concrete like a heartbeat. Crew members rushed around loading equipment, security shouted into radios, and fans somewhere above screamed your name like a prayer.
Rex barely heard any of it. Because you were in the backseat beside him. Alone. Privacy divider up, and looking at him like youโd been thinking about this for the entire concert.
Which, judging by the way you had kept glancing toward stage left during the show, you absolutely had.
The car door had shut with a heavy thunk behind him as he climbed in after escorting you through the garage. The SUV smelled faintly like leather, expensive perfume, and the adrenaline still radiating off your skin.
Youโd changed after the concert, thankfully. Or maybe not thankfully, Rex wasnโt sure. You looked sexy as hell in your stage costumes but the oversized zip-up hoodie you wore now hung off one shoulder, exposing the smooth line of your collarbone and the tiny remnants of glitter still dusted across your chest from stage makeup. Your thighs were bare beneath it, one leg folded underneath you as you turned toward him.
Rex sat rigidly beside the door. Too rigid. Like if he relaxed even slightly, heโd do something catastrophically stupid like he almost had in your green room.
You noticed immediately. A smile tugging at your mouth as you teased him softly, โYou survived the show.โ
โBarely.โ
Your laugh lit up the dim interior of the car. God, that sound did things to him.
Rex loosened the knot of his tie with a rough tug, finally exhaling for what felt like the first time in an hour. Watching you perform after that conversation backstage had been torture. Absolute torture.
Knowing you wanted him while you danced under stadium lights in outfits that shouldโve been classified as psychological warfare? Cruel and unusual punishment. Especially every time your eyes found him near the wing and send a smug little smile his way.
Rex shook his head, muttering something under his breath before leaning back against the seat. His suit jacket strained slightly across his broad shoulders, tie loosened now, rust colored hair mussed from running his hands through it too many times tonight.
You watched him carefully. Hungry, almost. Rex noticed that too. Heโs had the same look countless times.
โQuit lookinโ at me like that,โ he muttered.
โLike what?โ
โLike youโre about to eat me alive.โ
โMaybe I am.โ
His eyes flicked toward you instantly, sharp and dark now instead of merely flustered. The tension from earlier hadnโt disappeared. If anything, it had fermented. Thickened. Become something hotter in the cramped privacy of the car.
You shifted closer across the seat. Enough for your knee to brush his thigh. Rex inhaled sharply, your perfume surrounding him like warm velvet.
Rexโs jaw flexed.
โYou have any idea what you put me through tonight?โ he asked quietly.
Your lashes fluttered innocently, โMe?โ
โDonโt start.โHis voice had dropped lower now. Rougher. Dangerously close to snapping.
โYou get on stage after tellinโ me you hired me because you think Iโm hot,โ he continued, eyes locked on yours, โthen spend two hours lookinโ at me like that in front of an entire arena.โ
Your lips twitched, โYou noticed?โ
โSweetheart,โ he said with a disbelieving laugh, โI noticed everything.โ
The pet name slipped out naturally. The second it landed between you both, the air changed.
You felt it and so did he.
Rex went still for half a heartbeat like he regretted saying it. Then your hand slid slowly onto his loosened tie and whatever regret he had vanished completely.
His eyes dropped to your fingers curling around the fabric.
โโฆYouโre trouble,โ he muttered.
โYou still got in the car.โ
โPart of the job.โ
โMhm.โYou tugged him a little closer. Not hard by any means. Just enough to get him to move. And Rex let himself.
His hand planted beside your hip against the leather seat, caging you in without fully touching you yet. Big shoulders blocking the dim light spilling through the tinted windows. Close enough now that you could feel the heat radiating off him.
โYou keep lookinโ at me like that,โ he said softly, โand Iโm gonna forget every single lecture Cecil gave me.โ
โWhoโs Cecil?โ
Rex laughed under his breath, low and incredulous, forehead dipping briefly toward yours like he was gathering the last scraps of his restraint, not bothering to answer that cause honestly that man was the last thing he wanted to think about when you were sitting so pretty there under him like this.
โYou have no idea,โ he murmured, โhow long Iโve been trying not to kiss you.โ
Your breath caught slightly, plump lips quirking into a smile, โSounds exhausting.โ
That did it. Rexโs hand finally slid to your waist, fingers spreading against the soft fabric of your sweatshirt as he pulled you flush against him in one smooth movement. The sudden closeness knocked the breath from both of you.
โYeah?โ he asked quietly, eyes dropping to your mouth, โYou gonna make it worth it?โ
You answered by pulling him down the rest of the way, your lips pressing to his in a heated kiss. Teeth bumping and tongues exploring the depths of one anotherโs mouths.
It isnโt long before his hand is slipping up under your quarter zip, callused fingers trailing over ribs until his thumbs are brushing the underside of your breasts.
โWhat? No fancy lace to tempt me with now, huh?โ Rex asks breathlessly against your lips, his hand gently gripping at your breast.
โNo, those shows are so hard on my body. Nothing but this sweatshirt and comfy panties until I get back to the hotel to soak.โ You explain back, your own hands slipping down the fabric of his button up, heading towards his waistline.
He huffs into your mouth, swallowing your moan as his thumbs roll over your nipples. His hips rolling gently into yours so you could feel the strain of his manhood in his pants before your hands get there, โyou ever fight aliens? Shits real hard on your body.โ
You giggle at his response, tracing his lips your fingers tracing the hard planes of his abs before quipping back, โYou ever dance three hours in six inch stilettos?โ
He groans this time, his hands pulling away from your breasts to push up the offending material, his head dipping down for his mouth to find your nipples. Rexโs tongue swirling around the sensitive bud while his fingers roll the other between them and switching.
Your back arches off the seat, chest pressing further into his face as he pulls the sweetest sounding moans from you. His hand leaves your breast, slowly sliding down your torso before slipping under cotton panties, thick fingers brushing through your folds, โshit ma, already this wet and Iโve barely touched you.โ
โBeen fantasizing about you since I saw you fight aforementioned aliens on TV.โ You tell him breathlessly, a gasp passing your lips as he pushed his middle finger into your tight heat.
โGod you sound so damn pretty.โ He moans, feeling your cunt flutter around his finger as he gently pumps it in and out a few times, curling just right to find that spongey spot inside your velvety walls.
He adds a second finger keeping a steady pace, drawing out more of the sweet sounding mewls he wishes he could bottle and save for later, โfuck, thatโs it, you like that sweetheart?โ
You nod, one of your pretty manicured hands rubbing over the hard bulge in his pants, making him hiss and gently rocking into your touch and when you ask for more, who is Rex to deny you such a thing?
He pulls back, chuckling a bit at the whine that passes those pretty plush lips when he removes his fingers so he can pull the damp cotton down your thighs as he moves to the floorboard. His knees press into the carpet and his tongue drags through your fat lips, moaning into your pussy like itโs the most delectable thing heโs ever tasted, โGod baby, taste so fucking sweet. Gonna drown in this pussy.โ
His tongue and mouth work together expertly, lips sealing over the sensitive bundle of nerves and sucking gently as he adds his fingers into your tight heat once more, curling perfectly as he pumps them in and out, making you see stars with a dizzying pace.
โRex, Rex godโ donโt stop. Please.โ You beg, egging him on as your hand finds home in that pretty red hair, strands tugging between your manicured fingers.
He doubles his efforts, tongue playing with your clit as your hips buck into his mouth until heโs pulling you over the edge, your sweet release making him moan in tandem with you as he drinks down every drop of sweet nectar.
All in time for a quick couple knocks to the privacy divider and the intercom to click on from your driver, โMs. Y/N, weโre at your hotel.โ
๐ฅโจ๐ฅโจ๐ฅ
The hotel suite was offensively luxurious. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across one wall, the city glittering below like someone had spilled diamonds over black velvet. Everything smelled faintly expensive. Fresh linen. Citrus. Vanilla and lavender from some candle already burning near the soaking tub.
Rex barely noticed any of it.
He was too busy trying very hard not to think about the fact that less than thirty minutes ago, heโd had you tangled against him in the back of an SUV while your driver politely pretended not to notice.
His mouth still tasted like you but yet here he was hearing Cecil in his head droning on about professionalism.
Cecil was going to kill him. Actually, scratch that.
Cecil was going to make PowerPoint slides about killing him and make it an example for future recruits.
The elevator doors opened directly into the suite, and you stepped out first with the kind of exhaustion only performers seemed capable of carrying. The adrenaline from stage had finally started draining from your body. You looked softer now. Sleepier. Still devastatingly beautiful, unfortunately.
Your oversized hoodie hung off one shoulder, glitter dusting your collarbone in stubborn little flecks. Mascara slightly smudged beneath your eyes. Human. That was the dangerous part, really. Because somehow, seeing you tired made Rex feel something suspiciously close to tenderness, and frankly, he preferred being horny. Horny was easier.
โMassage therapistโll be here in ten,โ you muttered, toeing off your shoes near the entryway with a groan.
Rex blinked, โMassage therapist?โ
You gave him a tired look over your shoulder, โRex. I danced for three hours.โ
That was fair. Actually, judging by the way you were rubbing the back of your neck, probably very fair.
He set himself near the door automatically, in some plush chair, his instincts settling into place despite everything. Scanning exits. Windows. Entry points. Still doing his job. Mostly.
You disappeared into the bathroom area, muttering something about washing your face and a quick shower.
Rex tried not to notice your legs when you walked away. He failed spectacularly.
โJesus Christ,โ he muttered under his breath, scrubbing a hand down his face.
Nine days. Nine days on this tour and somehow this had become his life. Heโs not fighting aliens. Not stopping supervillains. No. He stuck being catastrophically attracted to a pop star who looked at him like he personally hung the moon.
A soft knock at the suite door interrupted his spiraling. The massage therapist.
Rex checked credentials. Did the quick security sweep because he took suspicious situations seriously.
The therapist entered with practiced efficiency, setting up a portable table near the windows. You reappeared a few minutes later looking freshly scrubbed and impossibly comfortable.
Hair damp around your face. No makeup. An oversized hotel robe tied loosely around your waist.
Rex immediately looked at the ceiling. Because somehow this was worse than the lace in your green rooms.
The lace had been distracting, sure. But this? This felt intimate. Domestic almost. Dangerous if he ever had to name the feeling.
โYou staying?โ you asked casually, โyouโre done for the day if you want.โ
Rex blinked, โFor the massage?โ
โYouโre my personal bodyguard.โ
He crossed his arms, โPretty sure nobodyโs assassinating you via deep tissue massage.โ
A sleepy laugh escaped you, โWhat if the massage table attacks me?โ
The therapist snorted, and Rex sighed dramatically, โYou are exhausting.โ
โBut charming.โ
โโฆDebatable.โ
Still, Rex stayed. Because apparently his spine had dissolved somewhere between your green room and the backseat of that SUV.
You settled onto the massage table with a quiet sigh, face resting in the cushion as the therapist began working oil into your shoulders.
And immediatelyโ
โOw.โ
Rex looked over. You were wincing, heโd imagined from the tone of your voice.
โJesus,โ the therapist muttered gently, hands pressing into a knot near your shoulder blade, โYouโre carrying half the world back here.โ
โTold you,โ you mumbled into the headrest.
Rex frowned before he could stop himself, โโฆ You always this messed up after shows?โ
Your voice came out muffled, โMhm.โ
The therapist worked lower. You hissed quietly, โBack, calves, hips, My feet are the worst.โ
Rexโs jaw tightened slightly. Because suddenly he was noticing things. The faint bruising near your ankle. The way your shoulders sat tense even relaxed. How tired you actually looked now that nobody was watching.
Thereโs no cameras. No screaming crowds. No glittering stage persona. Just the softest version of you. A person whose body hurt.
Something in his chest shifted weirdly. Uncomfortable almost.
โSexy, right?โ you teased weakly.
Rex huffed a laugh from where he sat in the armchair, โLittle concerning, actually.โ
You turned your head enough to peek at him. His jacket was off now, tie gone entirely. Sleeves rolled to his elbows. One ankle resting over his knee.
โAw,โ you teased softly. โYou worried about me?โ
โNo,โ he said immediately, making you smile a bit as he continued, โMaybe a little.โ
That smile. God. That smile was going to kill him someday.
The therapist worked quietly while conversation drifted lazily. Tour horror stories. Stage mishaps. Rex telling increasingly ridiculous stories about hero work that sounded too absurd to possibly be real.
By the time the massage ended, you looked boneless. Soft around the edges. Completely melted.
The therapist packed up while Rex walked them out, double-checking locks out of habit. When he turned back toward the suite, you were curled sideways on the couch. Still in your robe, hair messy, looking impossibly comfortable.
You patted the couch beside you, โCome sit with me.โ
He hesitated for exactly two seconds. Then got up and crossed the room. Because apparently he lacked self-preservation. The couch dipped under his weight, and you shifted closer immediately.
โYou know,โ you murmured, head tilting toward him, โI thought this bodyguard fantasy was gonna be mostly hot.โ
โMostly?โ Rex echoed.
โMhm.โ Your eyes softened, in a way that matched your voice, โDidnโt think youโd actually be this sweet.โ
Something about that landed harder with him than expected.
Rex looked away briefly. Scratched at the back of his neck, โโฆ Donโt spread that around.โ
You smiled, โYour secret is safe with me.โ
Silence settled between the two of you, comfortable and warm. Outside, the city glittered endlessly. Inside, your shoulder brushed his.
โYou looked worried earlier,โ you said softly.
He exhaled slowly, โDidnโt like seeinโ you hurt.โ
You went quiet for a few moments, โTouringโs rough.โ
โYeah,โ he muttered. โStill.โ
His gaze dropped briefly as he thought about his next words, โTo be honest? You spend all night takinโ care of everybody else.โ
He doesnโt say who, you know. The crowd. Your Crew. Fans. He shrugged one shoulder, โFeels like somebody should take care of you for once.โ
Your expression softened in a way he hadnโt seen before. Less teasing. Moreโฆ vulnerable.
And suddenly the space between you felt smaller. Warmer. You leaned your head lightly against his shoulder.
โStay a little?โ you asked quietly.
Rex looked down at you. At damp hair, and sleep-heavy eyes. The faint glitter still clinging stubbornly to your skin. And something in him folded instantly.
โYeah,โ he said, voice quiet, โI can do that.โ
๐ฅโจ๐ฅโจ๐ฅ
Rexโs hips roll into yours. Deep and slow, making your lowly tummy bulge. Not that he could see that from how his large hand pressed against it, feeling himself fill you.
Soft moans fall off your lips as you take his cock, heโs not sure youโve ever looked more ethereal than you do now. Hair splayed out in a beautiful halo on the pillow, your eyes fluttered shut in pleasure based on the way your lips pursed in a pretty โOโ shape. Fingers gripping into the luxurious bedsheets.
โGod, Mama. Youโre doing so good. Taking me so well, sweetheart.โ Rex moans softly, his free hand gently massaging your tits, playing with your nipples as he takes care of you sexually.
Your velvety walls flutter around his girth with each slow roll of his hips. Rex didnโt usually take things this slow, preferring to move fast and hard. This moment with you was turning into something awful close to love making, but Rex couldnโt bring himself to put anymore strain on this perfect body of yours, his lips worshipful as he kisses on your neck, pushing you slowly over that edge of euphoria once more.
The way your cunt clenches around him has his vision blurring, going white in pleasure as you mill him for everything heโs worth. Rexโs hips stutter as he spills deep inside you, thick ropes of hot cum filling your cunt until itโs spilling out and dripping down your ass.
The room had gone quiet. The city still hummed beneath the windows, distant traffic weaving through the dark like veins of light. Somewhere in the suite, the candle near the bathtub had burned low, lavender lingering soft in the air.
But here in your big bed in this hotel room? Here, everything felt warm. Safe.
Rex laid beside you now, one arm thrown lazily across your waist, the other tucked beneath his head. His hair was even messier now, freckles dusted warm across cheeks still faintly flushed.
You looked thoroughly melted. Sleepy. Boneless against the pillows. His thumb traced absent little patterns against your side before he let out a quiet breath through his nose.
โโฆYou okay?โ he asked softly.
You smiled without opening your eyes, โMm. Think I forgot what my own name is.โ
That earned a quiet laugh from him. Low and fond before he muttered, โGood, Means I did my job.โ
Your eyes cracked open then, head turning slightly toward him. For a second, neither of you said anything. Rex just looked at you. At the damp hair spread over expensive hotel pillows. At the glitter somehow still stuck near your temple. At how relaxed you finally seemed for the first time all day. Something softened in his expression.
โYou always this tired after shows?โ he asked quietly.
You nodded a little, โUsually just soak alone. Ice pack. Complain to myself dramatically.โ
His brows pulled together immediately, โAlone?โ
โMhm.โ
Rex was quiet for half a beat, fingers reaching up to brush strands of hair off your forehead, โโฆDonโt gotta do that while Iโm here.โ
The words slipped out easy, like he hadnโt even thought before saying them. You blinked at him. Something warm unfurling quietly in your chest.
โThat so?โ you asked softly.
He shrugged one shoulder, suddenly looking almost shy about it.
โI meanโฆโ his hand squeezed lightly at your side, eyes flicking away for a second. โKinda signed up for takinโ care of you.โ
Your smile turned smaller then.
Realer.
โPretty sure this wasnโt in the contractโฆ but Iโm glad you agreed.โ
โNo,โ Rex said, voice quieter now. โGuess not. But Iโd be an idiot to turn you down.โ
The city glittered outside. Inside, warmth curled around the two of you like something alive. You shifted closer without thinking, resting your head against his chest this time.
Rexโs arm tightened around you instantly. Protective like it belonged there. His chin rested lightly against the top of your head. And after a long moment, voice gone rough around the edges, he muttered:
โโฆYou know, youโre kinda wreckinโ my life.โ
A sleepy laugh escaped you, โOh?โ
โYeah.โ He sighed dramatically toward the ceiling, โNow I gotta pretend Iโm normal tomorrow.โ
You laughed harder this time. Rex huffed before continuing.
โSweetheart,โ he murmured, pressing a soft kiss into your hair, โstarting to think Iโm the one in danger here.โ
And somewhere between your laugh and the steady rise and fall of his breathing, sleep started creeping in. The city still glowing below while Rex stayed exactly where he was. Holding you close, like maybe heโd decided he liked the job more than he planned.
๐ชInvincible Masterlist๐ช ๐ฆReturn To The Batcave๐ฆ
Hii, I love your work! I was wondering if you could do Mark Grayson head-cannons where reader is alien and doesnโt understand Earth customs, so they think like the words โbreak a legโ or something like that means literally break a leg and Mark tries to teach them more about Earth๐ฅน
๐๐ you first arrived on earth after your planet sent you away so you can get information on other planets so your people could understand space more. You traveled quite farโbut you had gotten sick in space..and crash landed into earth. And Cecil had sent mark to check you out.
๐๐ i have an alien oc actually so this is super cute to me. You were the most alien looking alien- bright differently colored skin, big doe eyes. Completely black scleras. You awoke by mark standing over you, you sat up kinda fast, startling him.
Where am i? How did i get here? Your heart was beating like a drum. Then you saw himโand you barfed all over the grassโsince your body and dna was extremely different it was a light blue liquid . You coughed hard, looking up as you slumped forward. Leaned over.
โWhere am i? Are you a human?โ You sat up kinda fast- startling him again. You reached out- and he grabbed your hands before you grabbed him. โWoah- woah- careful there..what are you doing here?โ He said, just lightly pushed you back into your seat.
๐๐ you stuck to him like glue after that, he suddenly had an alien puppyโ the cdc was stumped with you, your dna was so strong and confusing that by the time they figured you outโyouโd probably be dead and gone. But you? Had very valuable information. You told them everything you knew. Which was alot.
๐๐ you and mark got along pretty well!! Debbie likes you alot. But you had alot to learn.
๐๐ finds himself watching you like a hawk. Your not weak, but heโs nervous someone will hurt you. Hurt your feelings..he hates that knowing how soft souled you are, and how you always answer peoples questions when the ask.
๐๐ you began to stay with him. It was unspeakable. Youโd sleep in his bed next to him. Your body warmth was low..and he was always so warm, youโd find yourself cuddle up to his side. Heโd wake up after you, and if theres something he could complain about..
๐๐ it was when you would change in his room, he could see every part of you..he only hated it because he couldnโt do anything about it.
๐๐ he remembers when he got injured and he said โit feels like my head is poundingโ..and you looked around. โNothing is pounding your head?โ You muttered by his side. And he laughed his ass off.
๐๐ To this day you donโt know any saying at all. Like break a leg? He watched you frown, asking him why he wanted you not to walk. You ALMOST hated him until oliver backed him up.
๐๐ you also cannot cook at all. Heโs definitely doing that for you. Your a very capable person. But this is confusing. The pans and potsโ the fact you forget every-time you CANT touch whats cooking. Youโve definitely burned off the tips of your fingers.
๐๐ Whenever gets hurt.. youโre always there,head against his chest so you can FEEL his heart beat. Scared youโll loose him, brushing your hand over his stomach, or his wrist.
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notes reader is neteyamโs wife, workaholic neteyam, temporary separation, their son is the cutest toddler on pandora, groveling (if you squint), smut (p in v), oral (f&m receiving)
synopsis a year ago, you made the painful choice to walk away from neteyam after he proved time and again that his duties to the war party came before you and his son. you knew he was only trying to be the dutiful soldier everyone expected him to be, and that he would have kept going that way... until your son unwittingly reminded his father of everything he was throwing away for the sake of duty and war.
Your hand on your mountโs reins tightened as the sight of the clouded Hallelujah Mountains loomed closer and closer with each beat of your ikranโs wings. The flight from your home clan to the Omatikaya was over an hour long, but you were glad that the weather was nice enough for you to travel. Your other arm renewed its hold on the woven wrap strapped securely to your body, holding your son, his small hands gripping at your woven knife sheath, his large amber eyes wide with excitement.
He was two years old today. Two years since he came into the world, his cries echoing in the vast canopy of a home that no longer existed. His birth was closely followed by the return of the sky people who tore the sky open, burned your forests, forced the people to face a seemingly endless war, and took your husband from you.
โMama! Look! Look!โ Nevan chirped, his tail whipping excitedly against your hip inside the wrap. He pointed a chubby finger at the swarm of flying fkios. โFkios flying so fast! Like me!โ
You smiled, โYes, sweet boy,โ you murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. โThey are going home, I suppose, just like us.โ
He giggled when you tickled his ear with your nose. โVisit Papa?โ he asked.
You clamped your mouth shut, pulling his body closer as if he wasnโt literally tied to you at the moment. โAh, yes... Visiting Papa,โ you murmured, but his attention was already back on the flying fkios, his dangling feet wiggling excitedly.
When your ikran glided down onto the landing ledges of the High Camp, the crisp smell of distant rain from high above yielded to the smell of heavy mountain air and some smoke from the resistanceโs machinery. You dislodged your kuru from your ikranโs, trying not to look at the man standing at the edge of the platform.
He wasnโt wearing his warrior gear for once, only his chest knife sheath, but he still looked every bit the commander he had become since the sky peopleโs return. The role he allowed to step over his roles as a husband and a father, you thought cynically, but you immediately tried to quell it. Whatโs the use of thinking of it when it has already happened before your very eyes and it already ruined everything?
He was standing tall, almost like the pillar that he is to the clan, but the moment his eyes landed on you, his rigid posture faltered, but you tore your eyes off him when your son wriggled furiously in the wrap.
โAlright, alright, sweet boy,โ you chuckled, dismounting your ikran and carefully unbuckling the woven wrap.
From your peripheral vision, you could see Neteyam walking toward you two, but as soon as youโd freed him, Nevan immediately scrambled down, his little feet pattering furiously across the ground as he ran toward his father. Neteyam dropped to his knees, his massive arms catching the boy, lifting him high into the air, making Nevan let out a high-pitched, joyful screech.
You watched Neteyam press his forehead against his sonโs, closing his eyes as a fierce, protective rumble vibrated in his chest. But even as he held the boy, his eyes flew up, looking past Nevanโs shoulder, his gaze locking onto yours with a look that is so heavy, suffocatingly dense with a longing so profound it felt like a physical weight in the air between you. It was the look of a starving man staring at a feast he wasn't allowed to touch.
His eyes traced the curve of your jaw and the softness of your features, desperate to find even just a sliver of hint that youโre feeling what heโs feeling. But you didn't give him one. Carefully, you looked away, focusing instead on your sonโs little kicking legs and on the way Neteyamโs large hands held him safely. You chose to see him only as a father, completely shutting out the man who used to hold you the exact same way.
It hadn't always been like this. That was the cruelest part.
Your marriage hadn't been a political arrangement or a hasty union, it had been a lifetime in the making. Your parents were part of Jake and Neytiriโs inner circle since before the first war against the sky people. Through the many times your parents would bring you to visit the Omatikaya, you had witnessed Neteyam grow from a lanky boy into the man he is now.
And he had known you were for him since you were children. Neteyam was never one to waste time or play games, so he had always stake a claim on you, and the moment you both came of age, he courted you with a fierce, unwavering devotion that made even your parents sigh. You were sweethearts as teenagers, inseparable and fiercely protective of one another. When he mated with you before his and your people, his eyes had held nothing but a future filled with you.
And, your pregnancy had been a dream. Neteyam was a doting, almost ridiculously attentive husband. He would spend hours rubbing soothing oils on your aching back, pressing his ear to your growing belly to whisper stories of the forest and your childhood escapades to his unborn child. He never left your side. You had no doubt, not a single one, that you were the center of his universe.
Then, the sky people returned.
And the man you loved was swallowed whole by the war. Suddenly, he wasn't just Neteyam. He was the firstborn of the resistance leaders, the commander, and one of the unyielding pillars that kept the people from being completely overcome by the RDA. He began leaving before the first light of dawn and returning long after you and the baby had fallen asleep.
For over a year, you lived as a ghost in your own home. You sat alone in the dark, rocking a crying infant, praying to the Great Mother that the next body brought back on a stretcher wouldnโt be his. You begged him, you cried, you pleaded for just one evening. โJust for a day, Neteyam. Stay. Be with me, be with our son...โ
But his face would harden, that stubborn, unyielding Jake-Sully look taking over. โI am doing this for our future, my love. If I do not fight, our children will have no world to inherit.โ
And then it all just crumbled on your sonโs first birthday.
It was a simple thing, really. You had spent days gathering sweet fruits, weaving small toys, hoping against hope that Neteyam would remember. You waited until midnight. When he finally walked into the kelku, covered in war paint and soot, he didn't even look at the small, untouched feast on the woven mat. He just muttered about a successful raid on an RDA supply train and collapsed into sleep.
He had completely forgotten.
And you were hit with the realization that the man you loved was dead, replaced by a warrior who had no room left in his heart for anything but strategy and casualties. You had cried all your tears by then. The well was dry. You were just so profoundly, deeply tired. So, you talked to him about going back home, citing the safety your clanโs territory could provide for you and Nevan to make him agree.
โBaby, this is your home now...โ he had told you then, his arms tight around you as he fit his head in the crook of your neck.
โI know, Neteyam. But the explosion was too close yesterday. I am afraid for Nevan. This is not a place where he can safely run around and... be a child. I do not want to lose him, too...โ
โToo?โ he had asked, his hands maneuvering you so youโd face him but you didnโt budge. โBaby, you didnโt lose meโโ
โAll evidence to the contrary, Neteyam. I havenโt shared a meal with you in so long, you werenโt there when Nevan first laughed or when Nevan first uttered the word Papa, you werenโt there when he took his first steps. I am a ghost in this home. It would make no difference if we are away, because you had been acting like you had no family to come home to.โ
His arms tightened around you, his nose burying in your neck. โIt would make all the difference. I am coming home to my wife and child safe and sound, and that was my solaceโโ
You struggled to remove his arms around you, but his arms were iron tight. Your heart throbbed with pain but you couldnโt even cry. โSo, then let me go home. Nevan and I will be completely safe there, if thatโs what you truly care about.โ
โI canโt be away from you, yawne, youโre practically asking me to stop breathing. I cannot not see you and Nevanโโ
โWhen was the last time youโd seen your son, Neteyam? You leave before he wakes up and comes back long after heโd fallen asleep. I think you can, Neteyam, you can stand not seeing us. As I said, it would make no difference if we were here, or we were back home.โ
That was that beginning of you leaving him to his war. He hadnโt known it would be a full-blown separation... But he had long before set that distance between himself and you. Youโd just gotten the memo late.
โWatch, Mama! My big splash!โ
Nevanโs high-pitched voice snapped you back to the present. You sat on a smooth, sun-warmed rock by the riverbank, your hand propped on the soft woven mat laid beautifully on the grass. Around you were various food, pies, and fruits Neteyam had prepared. You could barely eat it without your throat closing at the grief of this not being a permanent thing.
Youโd told him Nevan wanted to celebrate his birthday here, that he misses Jake and Neytiri, and he promised you it would be different this time. You told him not to promise you anything, and just show it to his son. So far, he had kept his promise. He had cleared his entire day, which is probably an unthinkable feat for the commander of the resistance. He had brought a mountain of gifts for his boy. Beautifully carved wooden toys that he probably spent the past moons making, a small bow, and a woven arm band.
Now, he was knee-deep in the crystal-clear water, his loincloth soaked, laughing as Nevan furiously slapped the water, sending a pathetic little wave toward his fatherโs shins. Neteyam exaggerated his reaction, falling backward into the water with a loud splash, making Nevan howl with glee.
For a moment, the illusion was perfect. You looked like a little family. Neteyam would look up at you from the water, a soft, hopeful smile playing on his lips, trying to pull you into the warmth of the moment. You would smile back politely, a distant curve of your lips that never reached your eyes. You were here for Nevan. Only Nevan.
Nevan waddled out of the water, dripping wet, and proudly held up a crudely constructed object from the pack you brought from home. It was a woven sheath of colorful leaves, bound tightly with vines, holding a cluster of bright purple orchids. You shook your head with a smile as you fixed the pack, wiping the puddle of water he left behind.
โLook, Papa!โ Nevan beamed, shoving the wet flowers directly into Neteyamโs face. โA flower sheath! Uncle Maytel taught me how... how to twist the vines. They don't break!โ
You searched for a dry towel in your pack, smiling as you watched your son speak, his little body trembling in excitement.
โUncle... Maytel?โ Neteyam echoed. The playful, warm tone in his voice vanished instantly, replaced by a low, measured cadence.
You blinked, your eyes snapping to him. Suddenly, you had become aware of how ugly that sounded in the ears of people who didnโt know. You froze for a moment, the air in your lungs suddenly feeling like liquid lead as you watched Neteyam momentarily narrow his eyes, the look of a formidable hunter spotting a prey. Or a predator sensing blood might be the better description.
โYes!โ Nevan replied excitedly, entirely oblivious to the sudden, deadly shift in the atmosphere. He had just opened a cage containing a predator, and he thought he was playing with a puppy. โUncle Maytel... He makes the best ones! He is Mamaโs friend... They talk all the time. See... This is pretty. Right, Papa? Look at Mama's hair. See? I can make that, too, Papa. I will teach you!โ
Nevan pointed a chubby finger at you. You had indeed used a beautiful hair decoration to pin back your hair in a half ponytail, letting the rest of your wavy locks flow loose behind you, having no idea at all how the sight of you earlier today literally stole the breath from Neteyamโs lungs. You are so beautiful, always have been, but it hits him particularly hard now that he doesn't see you as often.
He has never been used to being away from you for so long. This is probably the longest he has gone without you, such that every time he sees you now, his heart starts doing the thing it did when he first realized he loved you: flipping inside his chest and then melting into a puddle.
You kept your face as blank as stone, waiting for Neteyam to look at youjust as his son instructed. Neteyam was standing up now, but he wasn't looking at the decorations on your hair. He was staring directly at you, and the look he gave you almost choked the air right out of your throat. He didnโt look mad, it also wasnโt the detached look of a commander. It was that intensely familiar, deeply possessive, primal look he used to give you when another hunter talked to you for a second too long during his youth. His eyes darkened, his lips tightening into a straight line as his gaze finally dropped to the decorations in your hair before snapping back to your eyes immediately.
โIs that so, my boy?โ Neteyam said softly, his voice dropping an octave, his eyes never leaving yours.
โYes! He says Mama is... is very beautiful!โ Nevan cheered, completely ruining any chance of a graceful exit.
So for the rest of the afternoon, you made it your absolute mission in life to never, ever be left alone with Neteyam.
When you returned to the camp, you practically shadowed Jake and Neytiri. When Neytiri pulled Nevan onto her lap to feed him sweet fruit, you sat right beside her, suddenly intensely interested in what she has to say. When Jake took Nevan to show him the ikran roost, you walked right behind them, using your son as a shield as Neteyam followed like a shadow.
He stayed a respectful distance though, answering his son's hundred questions about the beasts, even the imaginary ones, coming up with the perfect answers for it. For a moment, you were back to being a teenager, annoying the golden heir of Toruk Makto with your silly questions and having him answer you with complete seriousness, as though he really thought about your silly questions like they were points for further research.
His eyes were a constant, burning pressure on your skin the entire time, and every time you glanced up with a neutral expression, he was watching you. Eventually, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in bruised purple. Neytiri, seeing how exhausted the toddler was, scooped Nevan up.
โHe will sleep with us tonight,โ Neytiri said softly, giving you a knowing, gentle look that made your stomach twist. She thought she was doing you a favor, giving you and Neteyam a night of privacy. โGo. Rest.โ
โOh, I can take himโโ you started quickly, reaching for your son.
โNo, no,โ Jake chuckled, clapping a heavy hand on Neteyamโs shoulder. โLet his grandparents spoil him for one night. Go on.โ
You stood there, watching Neytiri walked away, your son already fast asleep against her shoulder. Oh, boy. You watched the rest of the camp clear out as the rest of the people retreated to their homes. You didnโt turn to Neteyam, turning instead toward the guest tents, your pace brisk, but you didn't even make it halfway before a large hand gently but firmly gripped your forearm.
It wasnโt a harsh pull,ย but his grip was unyielding. โOur homeโs here,โ he reminded you.
You glared at him through your lashes. โI havenโt forgotten,โ you said in a clipped tone, walking straight into the shadows of your old home, and seeing that nothing much had changed, only that heโd put up photos on the wall.
And from where you were standing, youโve seen one from his unilatron many years ago. With him painted in swirling marks of white and you, standing beside him with a huge smile. Another, at your mating ceremony, and another, a photo of you heavily pregnant. The last one was a photo of the three of you, with Nevan as a newborn, cradled in your arm, both of your faces adorned with brilliant smiles.
Grief seized your heart and you had to physical turn away from it, your hands balling into fist.
โYou've been avoiding me all day,โ Neteyam stated, standing between you and the flap entrance, his large frame casting a long shadow over you.
โI was spending time with our son's grandparents, Neteyam. It's his birthday,โ you replied, keeping your voice entirely light and normal. You walked over to the sleeping mats, untying your travel pack and organizing your things with practiced nonchalance.
โWho is Maytel?โ
The question was sharp and direct, like always. Neteyam had never liked beating around the bush. You took a deep breath, turning around with a calm, casual smile. โA childhood friend from my clan,โ you said.
โA childhood friend,โ Neteyam repeated, his voice low, a dangerous rumble vibrating in his throat. He took a slow step toward you, his tail twitching rhythmically behind him. โNever heard of him before.โ
โI have many friends back home, Neteyam,โ you said. โThere was no reason to bring him up. He's just a friend. He helps at home, and heโs good with Nevan. My friends have all been a huge help to me since I moved back.โ
Neteyam stopped just inches from you. He was so close you could smell the familiar mint-y scent of him. All your senses were melting. It knew the smell so well, had even associated it with home and safety, and it tore at your chest, a cruel reminder of the husband you had lost. He leaned down slightly, and though he didnโt touch you, you were forced to look into his heavy, shadowed eyes. The possessive fire in them hadn't died down, if anything, it was burning hotter, fueled by the agonizing restraint he was forcing upon himself.
โHe makes ornaments for your hair,โ Neteyam murmured, his eyes dropping to the flowers on your soft hair. His hand twitched, as if he wanted to reach out and rip it from your hair, but he kept his fist clenched at his side. โHe talks to you all the timeโโ
โTo help. All my friends help me, Neteyam, youโve seen Laika and Nira helping me last time," you countered smoothly, your eyes locking onto his, refusing to back down. โI am a single mother raising a little boy. I needed all the help I can get. Nothing more.โ
His head reared back a little as if youโd hit him. The words single mother hit him squarely like a slap and you saw the visible flinch in his jaw, the way his chest heaved as he swallowed the bitter taste of his own failures.
He stared at you for a long, suffocating moment. He knew you were telling the truth about Maytel being just a friend. He knows you, he knows the woman he married, he knows that you would never violate the bonds of marriage, even a broken one. But that didn't stop the sickening, agonizing jealousy from clawing at his throat. Another man was filling his space. Another man was teaching his son how to weave. Another man was making his wife smile.
โYou are not single. I am still very much here,โ he said.
โI donโt want to argue about what here actually means,โ you replied, tearing your eyes away and removing the decorations on your hair to free it from its bounds.
He watched you, choosing not to press further, but as he stepped back, his eyes remained devastatingly heavy on you. โHe is a friend,โ he whispered, his voice thick with an unspoken, desperate plea. โBut he is not my sonโs father. And he is not your husband.โ
As he uttered those words, the reality of his hypocrisy came crashing back down on him. Maytel, indeed, was not Nevanโs father, nor was he your husband... But could he honestly say he was both of those things to you and Nevan? He visited the two of you as much as he was capable, but that didnโt mean anything. He was an absent father, and an even more absent husband, and he wondered completely how his son still held excitement and affection for him instead of distance.
And how the boy knew everything he was doing for the people. He knew that, even in your current indifference, you had thoroughly made the boy understand that his father had sacrifices to make for the benefit of Eywaโeveng. He watched you lay down on the sleeping mat, pulling a woven blanket up to your shoulders and turning your back to him. He sat down on the opposite side of the yurt.
He wouldnโt lie down, and you had noticed he never did once the two of you were alone in a space. Whenever he visited back home, he would do the same thing, sitting down far away from you, his heavy, burning gaze fixed on your back, mourning a home he had lost to a war he was still fighting.
The morning arrived with a crisp chill you hadn't felt in so long. The altitude of the floating mountain made the sun feel unreal. You shared a meal with Neytiri and Jake. Your son, having already bathed, wore a new loincloth with fine weaving, and you put a hand over your mouth as you laughing at him proudly showing it to everyone.
โGrandma made this, Mama!โ he told you, munching on a sweet fruit as his little body leaned into Neteyam.
Neteyam held his wrist gently, kissing the side of his head. โNo sweet fruit yet without a real meal, little boy...โ Neteyam mumbled, replacing the fruit with a bite-sized piece of meat.
โOkay, Papa... But Grandpa said I can eat? I donโt eat this at home... Right, Mama?โ Your son turned to you, now munching on the meat Neteyam had given him.
You smiled softly. โI try not to let him eat too many sweets unless necessary to regulate his body,โ you explained. โBut Papa is right, Nevan. You must eat your food first before the sweet fruit.โ
Neteyam glanced at you, his soft eyes smiling even as he tried to look serious for Nevan who nodded without a fight, even picking some vegetables off his leaf and eating happily.
Neytiri smiled at you. โHe is a good child, Y/N. You are doing such a great job with him,โ she said, her eyes a little misty.
You smiled, caressing your sonโs head. โNeteyam is, too, Mother. Despite the grueling demands of the war, he makes sure to find time for Nevan,โ you said. You couldn't possibly leave him out, not when you knew he was trying his best.
After the meal, the peace you were feeling had dissolved and was replaced by the reality that you had a hazardous flight ahead of you. Outside the yurt, the camp was already buzzing with the low, mechanical drone of the resistance. You stood beside your ikran, adjusting the heavy leather straps of the riding harness, checking every buckle with meticulous care. Nevan was already strapped securely to your body in his woven wrap. He was heavy, but his warmth was comforting, his little hands clutching a newly carved wooden ikran that Neteyam had given him.
A shadow fell over you and you didn't need to look up to know it was Neteyam. He double-checked your ikranโs saddle, his movements deliberate and sharp, before he checked the saddle of his own mount, preparing to take flight alongside you. You stopped tightening the cinch of your saddle, your hand resting flat against the leather. You swallowed the dryness in your throat and turned your head toward him.
โNeteyam,โ you called out, your voice quiet but steady. He paused instantly, his ears twitching forward as he turned his head to look at you, his golden eyes wide and alert, catching every syllable. โI think... It wouldnโt be safe if you come with us.โ
A subtle, pained stillness took over his features. His chest expanded with a sharp breath, his fingers tightening against his mount's reins. โThe skies are not safe, yawne. The gunships have shifted their patrol grids closer to the western border. I am accompanying you home.โ
โNeteyam, I would like that, too.โ you said, stepping closer so your voice wouldn't carry to where Jake and Neytiri were standing a few paces away. You gestured faintly to the sky, then down to the boy against your chest. โBut the tension with the sky people is worse this moon. They know your ikran, Neteyam. They know you. You are the commander of the vanguard; your presence draws the kind of attention I cannot risk when I have our son with me.โ
The words seemed to render him weak. Neteyam looked at you with eyes so deeply pained, so utterly crushed, it felt like a blow to the chest. He looked down at his own hands, then at his son's chubby legs dangling from the wrap, as if he couldn't fully comprehend the reality that his very existence, the fierce, formidable identity he had built to protect his people, was now a liability to the safety of his own family.
Nevan, completely unaware of the reason of the heavy silence, looked up at his father with wide eyes. He held up his wooden toy, making a little whistling sound through his teeth. โHeโll fly with us, Papa!โ
Neteyamโs heart tightened so visibly you could see the muscle in his jaw clench as he forced a small, strained smile for the boy. He reached out, his large thumb gently tracing Nevanโs round cheek, but his eyes kept flickering back to you, searching your expression for any sign of hesitation. There was none.
Behind him, Jake and Neytiri exchanged a quiet, heavy look. Jake stepped forward, his hand coming down firmly on his eldest son's shoulder.
โSheโs right, son,โ Jake said softly. โThe RDA has scout ships tracking your specific signature. If they spot you flying with your wife and child, we donโt know what they could do.โ
Neteyamโs shoulders sank, the breath leaving him in a low, defeated hiss. He knew the logic was flawless. He knew it was the right tactical decision. But the soldier in him was currently losing a brutal war against the husband and father who desperately wanted to prolong his hold on both of you.
โI will send two warriors,โ Neteyam muttered, his voice thick as he stepped back from his mount. "They will fly low behind you, out of sight. They will ensure you reach home safely.โ
You nodded. โThank you,โ you said softly, genuinely relieved.
Neteyam stepped closer to the side of your ikran, his large body aching to simply reach out, to wrap his iron-strong arms around both of you and never let go. He leaned in, pressing a tender, lingering kiss to the top of Nevanโs head, his eyes closing as he inhaled the scent of his son one last time.
As he began to pull away, Nevanโs small fingers suddenly shot out, grabbing Neteyamโs long braids with a stubborn, toddler grip. He yanked, preventing his father from moving back.
โPapa kiss Mama!โ Nevan ordered with a bright, demanding grin, his tail swishing behind him in a mischievous flick. โGood bye!โ
Neteyam froze, his head tilted downward by the boy's grip. Slowly, his eyes lifted from Nevanโs face to yours. They were completely stripped of the commander's armor, now earnest, dark, and filled with a raw longing that made your breath hitch in your throat. He waited, silently asking for permission.
You looked at his lips, then at the desperate hope in his eyes, and felt the old, stubborn walls in your chest crack just a fraction. Slowly, you tilted your chin up, offering your lips to him.
The tension in Neteyamโs shoulders died instantly. A soft, ragged sigh escaped his nose just before his large, warm hand came up to cup your neck, his thumb on your jaw. He leaned down and closed the distance. You were expecting a brief, polite kiss of departure, but you should have known by the way he held you that it wouldnโt be like that.
The moment his lips touched yours, he held you there with the fierce, unyielding eagerness of a man who had been starving for a year. His lips were warm, firm, and thoroughly possessive, parting slightly as he kissed you, reminding your body of exactly who he was to you. A sudden, stupid heat flared in your stomach, your pulse spiking as your lips instinctively softened against his, responding to the familiar, intoxicating rhythm of his kiss.
He groaned softly against your mouth, his thumb caressing your jaw, pulling you just a fraction closer, trying to collapse the entire year of separation into a breathless second. But a sharp, high-pitched giggle broke the air. Nevan was squirming between you, his small hands clapping.
The sound snapped you back to reality. You pulled away, your breath coming a little faster, your cheeks flushed dark with a sudden surge of heat. Neteyamโs hand lingered on your jaw for a second too long, a low, deep rumble of impatience vibrating in his chest at the interruption, his eyes dark and heavy as he stared at your parted lips.
โFly safely, baby,โ he whispered, his voice rough.
You couldn't even form words. You simply nodded, mounted your ikran, and took to the sky, your mind in an absolute daze as the wind rushed past your face.
The flight back home felt like a blur. Even after you had safely landed on the soft, mossy platforms of your home clan and unbuckled an exhausted Nevan from the wrap, your lips still felt strangely warm, tingling with the ghost of Neteyam's mouth.
โMy bestest friend in the world! You are back!โ
The cheerful voice of Maytel broke your reverie as he walked down the wooden ramp, followed closely by Laika and Nira. The three of them had been your lifeline this past moons, always ready to help with the daily chores and Nevan.
Maytel practically bounded over to you, his face painted with a mischievous, gossiping energy. He didn't even wait for you to greet them before he leaned in, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. โTell me everything! How was the High Camp? My weekend went just as good! Do you remember that hunter from the clan nearby that I was eyeing? The one with the long arms? I swear, yesterday, we were togetherโโ
โMaytel!โ you hissed, your eyes widening significantly as you pointed them sharply down at your son who was rubbing his eyes but listening intently.
Nevan was an incredibly smart boy and his ears picked up on village gossip faster than a direhorse on the run.
Maytel immediately clamped his hands over his mouth, grinning apologetically. โOh! Right. Hello there, little Neteyam. How was your visit to your Papa?โ
Nevanโs ears instantly perked up, his fatigue temporarily forgotten as his eyes lit up with excitement. โWe played a lot!โ he chirped before holding his small arms out as wide as they could go. โPapa made big splash in the river! And gave me many toys! Youโll see, Uncle!โ
Nevan eagerly held up the wooden ikran, bouncing on his heels as he babbled to Nira and Laika about the sweet fruits, the big mountain camp, and how his Grandpa let him touch a real ikran's snout. The three of them doted on him, laughing at his wild gestures until the boy's eyelids grew too heavy to fight.
You carried him down on his soft, woven cot, watching him with a doting smile as his tail curled peacefully. Even in sleep, his small forehead furrowed slightly in a way that looked identical to his father. It was a constant wonder to you how your boy could look so much like Neteyam, even with his soft baby features.
When you walked back out to the main platform, Maytel was sitting on a woven mat, repairing a fishing net. He looked up, a theatrical sigh escaping his lips.
โNow,โ Maytel smirked, leaning forward on his elbows. โWhat happened with the dear husband?โ
You rolled your eyes, sitting down across from him and pulling a basket of fibers towards you to clean. โNothing.โ
Maytel groaned loudly, tossing a piece of twine into the air. โI do not know how you could do it, syulang! How you can resist all of... that! The last time he came to visit you here, oh, I couldn't even come near the house even if I tried. The air was so heavy! He is so large... taller than all the men in our village! And so handsome, too... Ah, those thighs... One could only imagine the beast he has inside that loinclothโโ
โMaytel!โ you shouted, your face burning as a sudden, vivid image of Neteyamโs muscular frame hovering over you flashed unbidden into your mind. Your stomach did a treacherous little flip. Oh, indeed, it was a beast. You cleared your throat quickly, trying to suppress the heat in your neck. โPerhaps you should have visited when he was here. Just yesterday by the river, Nevan mentioned your name to him, and it sounded so terrible. Neteyam thought you were my boytoy.โ
Maytelโs eyes widened to the size of stones, his hands dropping the net completely. โWhat?!โ
You rolled your eyes at his dramatic reaction. โYeah. I should introduce you sometime, just so he stops looking like he wants to hunt something down.โ
A slow, terribly mischievous smile spread across Maytelโs face. His amber eyes danced with glee. โWas he jealous, syulang?โ
You shrugged, trying to appear completely indifferent. โNeteyam has always been very possessive. It is just his nature.โ
โOf course he is!โ Maytel grinned, leaning in close, his voice dripping with dramatic flair. โThe way that man looks at you... Oh, he looks like a predator completely ready to pounce! Only that youโve put him inside a cage.โ He shivered, rubbing his arms. โWe should rattle the cage, syulang.โ
Your eyes narrowed instantly into a dangerous glare. โWhat are you talking about?โ
He smirked, waving a hand dismissively. โI mean, letโs see what happens if he keeps thinking I actually want you. You know? A little competition...'โ
โNo,โ you said firmly, your voice dropping into a serious, unyielding tone that left no room for argument. โWe will not play with my husband like that. He is currently in the vanguard, fighting a war for all of us. He has enough weight on his shoulders without us playing petty games with his mind.โ
Maytel pouted, rolling his eyes as he picked his fishing net back up. โYou are such a killjoy!โ
When night finally came, the village fell into a quiet rhythm, the bioluminescent flora providing light in brilliant shades of cyan and deep magenta.
Inside your quiet hut, the small tablet you used for long-range communication emitted a low chime. Neteyam called almost every day when he wasn't able to visit, a routine he had stubbornly kept since the day you left.
You picked up the device, pressing the connect button and Neteyamโs face appeared on the small screen, the blue light of the monitor reflecting his sharp features, sitting in the dark of your yurt, looking exhausted.
โPapa!โ Nevanโs voice cut through the quiet as the boy scrambled from his cot, his small hands immediately snatching the tablet from you.
You let him take it, stepping back. The memory of the kiss from this morning was still burning in your chest, and the ridiculous things Maytel had said earlier kept echoing in your mind. Hearing the deep, gravelly texture of Neteyamโs voice through the speaker seemed to tickle something deep within you, sending a slow, persistent heat crawling up your neck.
You watched from a distance as Nevan babbled to the screen, showing his father the toy again, telling him about the fish he saw in the river. Neteyam listened with an intensity that made your heart ache, his expression soft and full of a quiet, reverence for the boy.
โGo to sleep now, son,โ Neteyamโs voice softened as Nevan yawned heavily, his little eyes fluttering shut as he rested his head against the mat, the tablet propped up beside him. โGood night, Nevan.โ
โNight, Papa...โ the boy murmured, completely out.
The screen shifted slightly as Neteyam adjusted his hold on his end. He knew you were still in the room. Even though he couldn't see you in the dim light of the hut, his voice dropped into a low, intimate frequency that felt like a warm hand sliding up your spine.
โGood night, my love,โ he whispered into the quiet. โI love you so much.โ
The line went dead with a soft beep.
You stood there in the dark for a long time, the silence of the room suddenly feeling incredibly loud. Your skin felt hypersensitive, your heart drumming a strange rhythm against your ribs as you carried the tablet back to the shelf and finally lay down on your own sleeping mat beside your son.
When sleep finally took you, it didn't bring the peaceful, dreamless rest.
It was a dream that seemed familiar to you. It was real... More like a memory haunting you. You were under a canopy in a forest that was so green and vibrantly alive. Your vision focused and you saw Neteyam in fromt of you. He looked so young, entirely devoid of the rigid exhaustion the war brought. He was grinning, a look that made your heart jump.
He had you pinned against the smooth bark of a giant root, his large hands mapping the curves of your body with a desperate fervor. You were both shivering, caught in the reckless, consuming heat of youthful desire. His fingers were knuckles-deep inside you, the slick, wet heat of you coating him as he moved frantically in and out, stretching you beyond relief. It was a tight, intense friction, but even in the haze of the dream, you found yourself thinking that it was a far gentler stretch than the thick, heavy length of his cock, which your hands were currently fisted around. You pumped him in tandem with his rhythm, his weight leaning heavily into you as a ragged groan escaped his throat.
โI missed you, my baby...โ he mumbled against your skin, his lips trailing a path of burning kisses from your collarbone up to your jaw before crashing onto your mouth, tasting of pure adoration. His fingers moved faster, driving you closer and closer to a cliff you wanted to fall off of.
You let out a soft, breathless chuckle against his lips, your fingers tightening around his length. โMissed me? We are always together, โteyam...โ
But the moment the words left your mouth, you watched his face fall, a profound sadness washing over his golden eyes. โNot really, no...โ he whispered, his voice cracking with a vulnerability that made your chest ache. โYou are so far away from me right now...โ
Panic seized your heart, sharp and sudden like an arrow to the ribs. โWhat...?โ you gasped, reaching for his face, but his image was already dissolving like smoke in the wind. โNeteyamโโ
You woke up with a violent gasp, your eyes flying open to the quiet, dark interior of your hut.
Your heart was hammering a frantic, echoing rhythm against your ribs, and your breath came in ragged bursts. The cool night air swept over your bare skin. Between your thighs, the phantom ache of his fingers was still vividly there, a throbbing warmth that slowly turned cold as the reality settled in. You pressed the heels of your hands against your eyes, trying to force the image of his younger, unburdened smile back into the dark.
You missed him so much.
This wasn't the first time. You had dreamed of him many times in the past moons. But they were never dreams that hasnโt happened, they were always memories, beautifully cruel and vibrant, haunting you even in your sleep. Your dreams werenโt showing you what could be, it was torturing you with what used to be, a reminder that while you had successfully run away from the war, you had never truly managed to run away from him.
The lingering mix of heat and longing from the dream stayed with you for days, but lately, only the heat seemed to have stuck. And itโs annoying. You were glad you didnโt have to see him for the time being, because it often happens every time you see him. Fortunately, you somehow at least manage to overcome the trials and tribulations of being a woman who chose to separate from the man she loves so much.
By midday, you were sitting on the main platform of your hut, the basket of fibers in your lap serving as a distraction while Maytel sat cross-legged opposite you. He was at it again, his fingers weaving river-grass and glossy feather-like fibers into an intricate hair crown. It wasn't for you this time, because Maytel has always been the unofficial beautifier of the clan's young women, and right now, he was carefully crafting a piece for a girl from the lower terraces.
โI am telling you, syulang, he nearly fell out of his hammock when I walked past,โ Maytel was wheezing, his tail thrashing with dramatic delight as he recounted his latest encounter with his long-armed hunter. โHe tried to act so smooth, but the poor thing was blushing so hard his stripes almost turned purple!โ
You let out a loud, genuine laugh, shaking your head as you tossed a cleaned fiber at him. โYou are terrible, Maytel. Leave the poor man alone before you break his spirit entirely.โ
โNever! A little torment keeps the blood pumping,โ he grinned, his fingers flying through the weaving.
โMama! Mama!โ
Nevanโs high-pitched voice shattered the lighthearted bubble. You blinked, looking toward the main walkway, expecting to see Nira or Laika chasing after your hyperactive son.
Instead, your breath caught squarely in your throat.
Walking just a step behind Nevan, his massive frame practically shadowing over your son, was Neteyam.
He was in his full warrior gear, wearing his cummerbund, his chest knife sheat, and his heavy longbow strapped to his back, looking thoroughly prepared in case he gets attacked on his way here. He looked terrifyingly formidable, and a little out of place, too. Everyone in your clan knows of his reputation as a warrior leading the resistance with his parents, and they have always treated that as something to celebrate.
Your eyes snapped straight to his face after a quick sweep of his gear, your heart jumping to your throat at the sight of his eyes narrowed into slits. To anyone else, he just looked like the stoic, fierce commander of the Omatikaya, carrying himself with his usual rigid authority. But you? You had known him since you were children. You had held him in the dark. You knew every subtle twitch of his ears, every micro-expression of his jaw.
There's your angry man.
He was staring directly at Maytel, his eyes tracking the way Maytel was sitting so comfortably close to you, sizing up his competition with a cold, calculating precision.
โOh, Great Mother,โ Maytel muttered through entirely gritted teeth, his smile freezing in place as he deliberately kept his lips from moving. โIs this your view every day? If yes, how dare you leave him, syulang? If I had one of that at home, I would never think of this clan again.โ
You threw Maytel a furious, warning glare. Those seem like the perfect digs, because this isnโt your view at all, you barely even see him. You also didnโt have one of that at home... Literally, because the man was rarely home. You stood up, looking at Neteyam with look of genuine confusion. Before Maytel could even speak again, Nevan reached the steps leading to the platform, throwing his little body against your legs before turning around and pointing proudly at his father.
โPapa surprised me at the ledge, Mama!โ
Neteyam stepped onto the platform, the wood creaking slightly under his weight. Without a word, he bent down and effortlessly scooped Nevan up into one massive arm, propping the boy against his hip. His jaw was clenched so tightly a muscle jumped in his cheek as he looked down at you.
โNeteyam,โ you said, your voice tilting up. โYou... you weren't due to visit until next week. The patrol schedules on the tablet said you were in the western valleys... You should have sent word, I havenโt prepared anything.โ
His brows raised slightly, his tail twitching in an agitated flick behind him. He adjusted his grip on Nevan, his voice dropping into a deep, gravelly tone. โA word to visit my wife and my son? Do I need that now, my love?โ
You blinked, completely caught off guard by the sheer pettiness dripping from the commander of the Omatikaya vanguard. A tiny, involuntary rise twitched on your brows. โN...no, of course you donโt,โ you stammered slightly, trying very hard to keep your face neutral. โBut what brought you here? Are the people alright?โ
โThe people are perfectly fine,โ he answered, his eyes darting back to Maytel who was currently staring up at him with wide, completely unbothered eyes. In fact, Maytel looked like he was watching a theatrical performance, his gaze tracking Neteyamโs shoulders and the broad sweep of his chest with shameless appreciation.
You pursed yourself to stop a chuckle from escaping you at the realization that Neteyam had absolutely no idea what Maytel's true self was. To Neteyam, this was simply the man who was staying way too long talking to you, helping you, and weaving flowers into your hair.
โNeteyam,โ you cleared your throat, stepping between them to cut off Neteyam's death stare before he accidentally declared a one-man war on your village. โThis is Maytel. The one Nevan was telling you about.โ
Neteyam shifted Nevan to his other hip, his posture locking into an intensely rigid, formal stance. He looked down at Maytel as if he were interrogating a prisoner of war. โI see,โ Neteyam rumbled, his voice dripping with an absurd amount of authority. โI hear you have been a great assistance to my family, Maytel. I couldnโt thank you enough.โ
Maytel blinked, a slow, highly amused smirk tugging at his lips. He stood a full head shorter than Neteyam, but showing absolutely zero fear. Instead, he let his eyes lazily trail down Neteyam's torso, before going back up to his face.
โIt is no trouble at all,โ Maytel purred, his voice smooth. โYour wife is my absolute favorite person to spend my days with and little Nevan here is just a joy to watch grow. You canโt take your eyes off of kids these days, they grow up so fast!โ
You gritted your teeth, widening your eyes at Maytel, and having him glance at you with that confident I-can-handle-this look.
Neteyamโs ears threatened to flatten against his head. His nostrils flared as he looked at Maytel, his jaw locking hard as he absorbed the thinly veiled barb about being an absent husband and father, but the aggressive tension in his shoulder dissolved as quickly as it came. In its place emerged the smooth grin of a boy you had grown up with. Neteyam has never been one to take a slight seriously.
โIs that right?โ Neteyam asked, his grin widening into something effortlessly dangerous. He patted Nevanโs back, his tail flicking behind him in slow, rhythmic moves. โWell, I canโt blame you. My wife is an excellent company, and my boy is easily the best part of anyone's day. I appreciate you keeping them entertained while I was away.โ
Your lips twisted at how easily Neteyam was able to ride over that wave. Meanwhile, Maytel glanced like you, his eyes communicating ooh, the man can bite and you rolled your eyes. Neteyam caught the way Maytel glanced at you and your dear friend immediately tore his eyes off.
His plan to rattle the cage? Forget that. Neteyam looked physically capable of tossing him off the platform like a sack of dried grass, and as much as he would love to support you to the ends of the world, with the way your husband was sizing him up like a tactical competition, he decided he valued his life. It was time for a very graceful, very immediate exit.
โOh, don't mention it. Taking care of Y/N and Nevan is the least I can do to contribute to the war efforts... Since you are too busy in it," Maytel said. You closed your eyes, shaking your head with how that once again landed like another dig!
Fortunately, a voice called out to Maytel several yards away and you saw how relieved he looked to have an excuse to get out of here. Your ears perked up, too, ready to send him away so you can finally deal with your husband.
โOh, as much as I would like to stay...โ Maytel sighed, โI think I shall leave you three to your... family time.โ
โRight. Thanks, Maytel...โ You said, widening your eyes at him when he sneaked in another once-over on your husbandโs body.
With a theatrical swish of his tail, Maytel sauntered down the wooden ramp. Neteyam didnโt break his stare from the walkway until Maytelโs silhouette vanished into the lower terraces, but the moment he was gone, Neteyamโs golden eyes snapped down to the corner of the platform. His gaze locked onto a bundle of fibers that Maytel had carelessly left behind, a habit born from being used to coming here whenever he pleased.
โHe leaves his things here,โ Neteyam muttered, his tone dropping into a low growl. โLike he knows he can just walk back here anytime he pleases.โ
โMaytel is harmless, Neteyam... if youโd only open your eyes to see,โ you told him.You couldnโt possibly tell him what Maytel really was for that wasn't your secret to share, so you felt conflicted. You didnโt want Neteyam to think you were just allowing random men into your home.
โHe is my friend. He can come back. He helps here, so heโs here almost every day.โ
You saw Neteyamโs jaw tighten at the words every day and you almost groaned out loud at how you seemed to be cursed with the exact same syndrome Maytel just had: pissing off Neteyam with your choice of words.
โBut that is not the point,โ you quickly followed, cutting off his impending tirade before he could even start. You stepped closer, looking at the sheer exhaustion hidden beneath his rigid posture. โWhatโs the reason for this sudden visit?โ
Neteyam looked down at Nevan, who was currently occupied with chewing on one of his fatherโs arm bands. Slowly, deliberately, Neteyam set the boy down on the woven mat. โWill you go inside and play for a while, son? Papa needs to speak with Mama.โ
โOkay!โ Nevan chirped, completely oblivious to the tension between his parents.
Once the boy was out of sight, Neteyam turned to you. The rigid, unyielding commander of the Omatikaya resistance seemed to slowly fracture, his shoulders dropping. He didn't look like he was preparing to leave. In fact, he had unbuckled his heavy longbow, setting it carefully against the weapon rack by the door, a gesture of permanence that made your heart skip a beat.
โItโs not a visit,โย Neteyam said softly, his golden eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your breath hitch. โI am staying.โ
You blinked, a sudden wave of confusion washing over you. โWhat do you mean, you are staying? For how long? A week? Neteyam, the raids in the westโโ
โI have handed the command of the western vanguard over to Lo'ak and Reyโto,โ he interrupted, his voice steady. He took a step toward you, his large hand reaching out as if to touch you, before he caught himself and let it drop to his side. โI am staying here. With you. With our son. For as long as you are here. Even if it takes years.โ
Your breath hitched. You stared at him, your mind frantically trying to process the words. The golden heir of Toruk Makto, the boy who had been groomed since birth to carry the weight of his people, the commander who had chosen the war over his own family... had walked away from the vanguard.
โWhat... What about the resistance?โ you whispered.
โI left it,โ he whispered, his eyes heavy on you, but for the first time in years, he looked so unburdened. โI donโt expect a pie for it, baby. I know I have a lot of things to make up for. To you, to Nevan, and to our family. There is nothing more important to me in this world but youโโ
โNeteyam, y-you cannot do that. Your father, the people, they... need you. You are one of the pillars keeping the people from falling to the demonsโโ
โAnd who is keeping us from falling?โ he uttered, his voice filled of a raw, desperate emotion breaking through his warriorโs facade. He stepped closer, completely invading your space, his familiar scent clouding your senses. โI spent the entire flight here realizing the hypocrisy of my own words. I told you that Maytel was not Nevan's father, and that he was not your husband... but Eywa help me, I haven't been either of those things to you in years.โ
He looked at you with eyes so heavy with longing it made your throat close up with grief.
โMy father told me that a leader makes sacrifices for the future,โ Neteyam murmured, his hand finally defying the distance, his long, warm fingers gently cupping the side of your neck, his thumb resting against your jaw. โBut if the future means I have to stand in an empty home, realizing that the woman I love, have loved my whole life, looks at me like a stranger... then the war has already taken everything worth fighting for. I am choosing you, and I didnโt think it could be that easy. Baby, I cannot lose you...โ
You held his eyes as his words hung in the air, your throat working silently as your eyes mapped the familiar contours of his face. The rigid, hyper-vigilant set of his shoulders was still there, and perhaps it always will be there, but the desperate, raw vulnerability in his eyes sent an ache in your chest. The thumb on your jaw trembled just slightly, a rare display of fear from the Omatikayaโs most formidable young commander.
He was giving you everything you had spent a year aching for. He was giving up the vanguard. He was setting down his bow. He was choosing to be a husband and a father over being a war legend.
Yet, as you looked at the set of his jaw and the sharp knife strapped to his chest, a sudden grounded clarity washed over you. You couldn't help but peek past his shoulder toward the lower terraces where Maytel had just vanished. Your eyes narrowed as you stifled a knowing smile, cutting through the heavy emotional fog.
โYou are a very foolish man, Neteyam,โ you whispered, your voice dropping into a soft cadence that made his ears twitch in surprise. โYou fly all the way across the forest, hand over your lifelong duty to your brother, and declare an end to your warrior days... and a significant part of it is because your son said something about some guy making hair decorations for me.โ
Neteyamโs posture stiffened instantly. His nostrils flared, a faint, dark flush creeping beneath his cheeks. He tried to maintain his solemn, deeply romantic expression, but the telltale twitch of his ears betrayed him.
โThatโs notโI did not leave the vanguard because of that,โ he muttered with a defensive, stubborn scowl that reminded you of your son, melting away at your icy defenses.
โNo?โ You tilted your chin up, your eyes dancing with a quiet, knowing light. โYou didn't look at Maytel like you wanted to feed him to your ikran? This wasnโt prompted by the thought that someone else was here, helping me with everything and teaching your son stuff while you were away in the trenches?โ
Neteyam closed his eyes for a brief second, letting out a long, defeated hiss through his teeth. When he opened them again, the fierce commander was entirely gone, replaced by the intensely possessive, fiercely protective man you know very well.
He sighed. โI hate imagining and seeing him here... seeing another man's things in our space, knowing he gets to hear our sonโs first morning words while I am decoding scout reports... I hate it, yawne. It made me realize that while I have been busy holding up the sky for everyone else, my own world was moving on without me. I am a warrior, yes. But I am your man long before I became one. I am Nevan's father. If I have to crawl to get your forgiveness, I will. Please, just do not tell me to leave.โ
The sheer honesty of his words struck deep within your chest, like a lightning bolt cracking at the frost that had settled over your heart during the year of separation. You love him very much, and you knew he could easily get you back if he showed you how regretful he was, but you didnโt want to make it completely effortless for him.
You tilted your head before slowly moving away to let his hand drop from you. Neteyamโs fingers flexed against the empty air, a pained, searching look crossing his features as he watched you move a pace away.
โYou can stay, Neteyam,โ you said softly, your expression turning serious. โYou can stay and be a father to our son. You have a lot of lost time to make up for.โ
Neteyamโs chest expanded with a deep, profound breath of relief. You didnโt mention anything about how your relationship will go from here, but that only made a determined, unyielding fire lit up in his eyes. He will work hard to earn you, to replace the time he wasted letting you carry the burden of his absence alone with the reminder that he is still very much here, and that he will never leave again.
โI will earn it back,โ he promised, his voice thick with emotion. โEvery single day.โ
And surprisingly, Neteyam kept his word with a relentless, quiet devotion that left no room for doubt.
For the first few weeks, you remained intentionally wary. You kept your distance. You expected the long-range communication tablet on the shelf to chime at any moment, expecting Jakeโs stern voice or Neytiriโs desperate call to summon him back to the battlefield. You expected Neteyam to pace the platforms at night, staring longingly toward the mountains like a caged predator.
But the summons never came, and Neteyam never looked back.
While he still kept a strict routine of waking up before dawn to check his longbow and spending an hour on his tablet giving quiet, tactical advice to Lo'ak or coordinate defensive tactics with his father, the moment the sun broke over the mountains, he belonged entirely to his family.
Nevan, unlike you, required absolutely zero groveling. To your son, having his father home every day was a miracle straight from Eywa. The little boy practically attached himself to Neteyamโs hip from the moment he opened his eyes.
โLook, Mama! Papa taught me how to make the ikran call!โ Nevan chirped one bright morning, running into the hut with his arms spread wide, letting out a surprisingly accurate, high-pitched screech that made you laugh.
Neteyam walked in right behind him, carrying a massive basket of freshly gathered jungle fruits and roots for pie. He had stripped off his heavy war gear weeks ago, now wearing only his daily clothes. His long braids were freely dancing, and his skin lacked the harsh black soot of the vanguard. He looked exactly like the boy from your dreams... unburdened and happy.
โHe is an apt hunter, yawne,โ Neteyam smiled, setting the heavy basket down near your cooking hearth. He paused, his golden eyes locking onto yours, admiring the way you look in the morning with that steady, intense warmth that always made your pulse quicken. โThough he still needs to work on his stealth. He gasps too much when he spots a prey.โ
โI donโt, Papa!โ Nevan protested, throwing his little body against Neteyamโs sturdy thigh. โI am silent like the wind! Right, Mama?โ
You couldn't help the soft, genuine laugh that bubbled up from your throat. โI supposed you are, my little breeze. Now go wash your hands before breakfast.โ
As Nevan scrambled toward the water basin, Neteyam stepped closer to you. He was never an impatient lover. Even when you two were younger, he had always made sure you were comfortable with the pace he was taking. It was actually you who was impatient, pushing him to his limits and challenging the rules he set for himself.
Now, he didn't exactly invade your space aggressively, but he came close enough that you could feel the heat radiating from his body. He reached into the basket and pulled out a single, perfectly bloomed night-glory flower, its petals glowing a vibrant, brilliant shade of blue. Without a word, he gently tucked the stem behind your ear, his knuckles brushing against your cheek just a second longer than necessary.
โYour son said this matches the pattern of your stripes,โ he murmured, his voice low and gravelly, meant only for your ears. โHe seems to have memorized your patterns like I have when I was a boy... I think every part of me loves you, baby. That includes Nevan, because heโs a part of me.โ
Your face burned a sudden, dark shade of violet. You batted his hand away with a playful, frustrated sigh, though your fingers instinctively came up to touch the cool petals. โNeteyam... You are supposed to be helping with breakfast, not picking flowers and uttering pick up lines like a flustered young hunter trying to win his intended mate.โ
Neteyamโs lips curved into a slow, utterly devastating grin, the exact same cocky, confident smile that had stolen your heart when you were teenagers. โWho says I am not? I am courting you, yawne. I told you I would earn my way back.โ
โYou are ridiculous,โ you muttered, turning back to the hearth to hide the massive smile breaking across your face.
As the moons bled into one another, Neteyamโs quiet crusade to win back your heart took on a life of its own. He stayed and showed no interest in going back at all, integrating himself so deeply into your daily life that the memories of your lonely year apart began to fade like mist under the scorching sun.
Every single day seemed like an adventure with Neteyam and Nevan always making sure you were at the center of it, but today, your son had miraculously stayed behind when Neteyam went out to hunt. Both of you shared a laugh at the fact that the boy was obviously having a lazy day.
Nevan was sitting cross-legged in front of you, his tiny tail curling in a calm concentration. You had a shallow clay bowl filled with crushed, vibrant purple berries between your knees, using the thick juice as a makeshift paint.
โLike this,โ you murmured softly, dipping the tip of your finger into the dark juice. You gently pulled his small hand into yours, guiding his index finger into the bowl. โGently, my boy. We do not want to drown the wood.โ
Nevan let out a soft, eager chirp, his ears pinning back in focus as you helped him press his finger onto a flat piece of smooth wood. Together, you dragged his finger down, leaving a thick streak that was meant to represent the neck of a direhorse. The moment you lifted his hand, Nevan gasped, his golden eyes going wide as a bright, toothy smile split his face.
โPretty, Mama! Look!" he squealed, his little tail swishing frantically against your thigh.
You couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped your lips, leaning forward to press a sweet, lingering kiss right to the tip of his nose. โArenโt you just Mamaโs little artist?โ
Nevan giggled, squirming happily against your legs before leaning his small head completely against your chest. He was getting bigger every day, but in moments like this, when he curled up against you and let out those tiny purring sounds, he was still just your little baby. You wrapped your arms securely around his small frame, resting your chin on the top of his head, gently rocking him side to side as you hummed a soft, ancient lullaby, your hands continuously working on the paint.
Unbeknownst to you, Neteyam was standing completely still in the threshold. He had just returned from his hunt, his muscles aching and his heart still filled with the adrenaline of it. He had been prepared to strip off his boundary gear and weapons, but the moment he stepped onto the platform and saw the two of you, the breath completely caught in his throat.
He couldnโt move, he couldn't possibly break the absolute sanctity of the scene before him. His eyes, usually so sharp and vigilant on the battlefield, softened until they were thick with a profound reverence. He watched the way your long hair fell over your shoulder, framing the gentle, fierce love on your face as you cradled his son. He watched how comfortably Nevan fit against your chest, completely protected from the harsh, violent world outside these walls.
He thought about all the days he missed, the quiet days you and Nevan spent together just like this, and a wave of emotion hit him squarely in the chest, so overwhelming and pure it made his throat tighten. Suddenly, his whole world shrank down to just this sight of you humming in the golden light, with his son safe in your arms, and a fierce, blinding clarity washed over him.
Nevan shifted, his little ear twitching as he caught the faint rustle of Neteyamโs movements. The boy's head snapped toward the entrance, his eyes lighting up. โPapa!โ
You blinked, breaking out of your peaceful daze, and turned your head to see him just standing there.
Neteyam offered you a soft, utterly devastating smile, the last remnants of his exhaustion melting completely off his features. He stepped into the alcove, immediately welcomed by Nevanโs insistent chirping.
โPapa! Papa, look!โ Nevan babbled, squirming in your grip so he could proudly point his purple-stained finger at the piece of wood. โMama and me made... a pa'li! A big, big one! See the long neck? Like a real one? It eats through the big trees!โ
Neteyam let out a low, rumbling chuckle before leaning back to press a kiss on Nevanโs head before his large hand came down to cup it, his thumb gently smoothing back the boy's twitching ear. โWow, doesnโt this look fiercer than Agre, Mama? Papa has an own paโli back in the forest... Mama and I loved going for a ride. One day soon, weโll go see him,โ he told Nevan, the little boyโs eyes perpetually twinkling. โTell me more about this masterpiece.โ Neteyam comfortably sat down near you.
โIโ I... I didn't drown the wood!โ Nevan continued eagerly, his hands gesturing wildly, completely unbothered by the purple juice drying on his skin. โMama said do it gently. Like a hunter when you hunt the big yerik, Papa!โ
As Nevan kept rambling, acting out the hunt with tiny, dramatic lunges of his hands, Neteyamโs gaze slowly drifted up from your son to meet yours. His hand slid from Nevan's head to rest against your jaw, his thumb caressing your cheekbone with a tender, heavy pressure. He was looking at you as if you had personally handed him the stars and the silence between you filled with a shared devotion for the beautiful, bubbly life you had created together.
You leaned into his palm, tilting your head up to press a soft kiss into the center of his hand. Neteyamโs smile widened, his heart hammering a heavy rhythm against his chest. You are his whole world. The little hands holding his braids right now holds his entire world. And he couldnโt believe he lost sight of that.
โPlease come! The river is very big today, Mama!โ Nevan pleaded one afternoon, tugging furiously at your hand while Neteyam stood by the doorway, holding a woven utility basket.
โI have to finish mending these, Nevan,โ you replied gently, gesturing to the tangled fibers in your lap.
Before you could even protest further, Neteyam walked over and effortlessly scooped you up from the floor, basket and all, setting you firmly on your feet. He took the fibers from your hands and tossed it onto the shelf.
โThese can wait,โ Neteyam said, his golden eyes dancing with a mischievous spark. โThe commander orders a family excursion to the falls. No exceptions.โ
Your lips parted for a moment, curling into a smile of disbelief. โYou cannot use your commander voice on me, Neteyam te Suli. I do not report to your vanguard.โ
โNo,โ he whispered, leaning down so his warm breath brushed against the shell of your ear, sending a sudden, electric shiver straight down your spine. โYou are the only one I report to.โ
You rolled your eyes, still smiling as you let your shrieking son drag you out of the hut, but your eyes lingered on Neteyam as you walked past, glinting with a mischievous light he hasnโt seen in over a year, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared that he decided he had just conjured it.
At the river, you waded in the shallow waters, watching Neteyam teach Nevan how to float on his back, the air cool and misted with the spray of the waterfalls cascading down the upper terraces. Your son splashed his little feet wildly, creating cute splashes that made Neteyam chuckle.
โYou need to calm down, son. Make your body light... Think you can remain unmoving for a few seconds?โ Neteyam asked, and you watched your son look up at his father with twinkling eyes.
โI can! Watch, Mama!โ Nevan said proudly.
Neteyam slipped his large hands under Nevanโs small back, gently lifting him until the boy lay flat on the water's surface. โRelax your shoulders, Nevan. Look up at the sky, not at your feet,โ Neteyam instructed, his voice low and soothing.
Nevan stiffened at first, his tail twitching underwater, causing him to sink immediately with a loud gasp and a splash. Neteyam caught him instantly, pulling him up with a warm laugh.
โAgain, son. You must trust the water... and Papa. I wonโt let you go.โ
It took a few more tries. On the second attempt, Nevan held his breath too hard and tipped sideways. On the third, a stray splash hit his nose, making him sneeze and sink. But by the fourth try, you saw a quiet determination take over your sonโs eyes, much like the one you often see in Neteyamโs eyes, as he took a deep breath and relaxed his tiny frame, letting the river hold him. Neteyam slowly lowered his hands away. Nevan was floating all on his own, his ears twitching in delight.
โI'm doing it? Mama, look!โ Nevan squealed, the sudden movement breaking his balance and sending him plunging back into the water.
Your eyes widened, but he surfaced sputtering and giggling, and you couldn't help but laugh, too. Neteyam caught him, knowing he couldnโt really swim on his own yet. You waded closer to them and Nevan reached for you, his little arms wrapping around your neck. Neteyam grinned at you, his large hand cradling his sonโs head.
โLetโs see you do it again, boy,โ you grinned at him and Nevan splashed his hand in the water excitedly. You laughed, peering up at Neteyam, โHeโs like one of those Terran toys Norm used to show us before.โ
He tilted his head, โRobots?โ
You chuckled, โNo? Those stuff with a string you pull... And then it does something,โ you said, helping your son lay flat on the water.
โPull string toy? That one that talks?โ he asked, already laughing.
You nodded, laughing with him as you turned to your son who is now relaxing his little body and letting the water carry him. You slowly let go of him, allowing him to float on his on.
โCalm down, Nevan... Mama will do it, too,โ you mumbled, slowly letting yourself fall backward into the cool water, perfectly buoyant.
Neteyam grinned, dropping down right beside Nevan, his long limbs stretching out effortlessly. The three of you drifted together in the shallow waters, staring up at the canopy. Nevan let out a bright, bubbling laugh at the ticklish sensation of the water rushing past his ears, and the sound was so infectious that you and Neteyam burst out laughing too, your voices echoing alongside the waterfalls
The river soon became the site for your familyโs almost daily bondings.
Nevan learned to swim in no time, but you still cautioned him against going to the river to swim on his own. Your son might be bigger than average kids his age, but he was still only two, and you worried he would run off to the river unsupervised.
Nevan splashed wildly in the shallow pools divided by smooth stones from the body of the river, chasing after the tiny, bioluminescent fish that darted beneath the surface. You sat on a smooth rock at the edge, watching him with a soft, content smile as you prepared the food for lunch. Nearby, Neteyam moved through the water with a fluid grace that vividly reminded you of his younger self, when he worked so hard to master his stealth as a hunter.
He was a good hunter, and an even better warrior.
He had been so skilled back then that he was grouped with older, more experienced warriors because he always seemed to know what to do. His parents took pride in how he outdid Jake in everything at an even younger age; there was no doubt at all that he would make a great Oloโeyktan. He was the golden heir who had bent his back to the crushing weight of his peopleโs expectations, carrying it all without a word of complaint.
And he had exceeded all of it, right up until the day he decided to leave everything behind to show you that heโs choosing you.
The thought settled heavily in your chest. You love him so much. Not once, even during the bitterest moons of your separation when you felt hollowed out by his neglect, had you stopped loving him. You had loved him as a wide-eyed child visiting Hometree and chasing him through the roots, you had loved him as a fiercely protective teenager, and you loved him now, as a woman who had given him a son.
But as you watched him move with a breeze of a warrior he will always be, a sudden, sharp ache of guilt pierced your heart.
You had taken him away from what he spent his whole life preparing for.
You were supposed to love every piece of him, just as he loved everything about you. Yet, when the war demanded too much of the man you loved your whole life, you had given up on the warrior entirely. You had forced him into an ultimatum between his duty to the people and his duty to his heart.
This realization plagued your mind for the days that followed. You watched him closely, searching for any flicker of resentment, any lingering gaze toward the horizon where the sky peopleโs metal birds still flew. But you found nothing. He looked entirely settled, his focus anchored completely on you, on Nevan, and within the confines of your family's hut.
In fact, the only thing that seemed to break his hard-earned peace was the occasional appearance of Maytel.
By midday, you were back on the platform, organizing a fresh basket of weaving fibers. Nevan and Neteyam had just climbed the ramp, returning from a short trek to gather wild spices for your recipe.
Neteyam had barely stepped onto the wood before his golden eyes laser-focused on Maytel, who was currently standing across from you, chatting about the latest village gossip. Under normal circumstances, the sheer intensity of Neteyamโs possessive glare would have made you stifle a laugh. But because youโve spent days with the weight of your thoughts about him made the humor fade.
Maytel giggled at you, โYou never did tell me anything, syulang! Itโs been moons! With the way your husband looks at you, I was thinking youโd be round with child but now, but, oh well! Youโre too slow,โ he rolled his eyes, handing you the small, securely wrapped clay dish.
โShut up,โ you whispered, watching Neteyam and Nevan approach.
โUncle Maytel!โ Nevan excitedly greeted, waving a hand and skipping excitedly.
โI brought over some berry pie I baked this morning. I know how much you like this, little boy.โ
Nevan peered up at him happily, his eyes twinkling as his hands clasped. โThank you, Uncle!โ
โThank you again, Maytel,โย you said smoothly.
Maytel straightened himsef up himself gracefully, his eyes darting toward Neteyamโs rigid frame. โWell, I must be off. I have a date with a certain long-armed hunter down by the shallow banks, and if I keep him waiting, he might snap another bow string out of pure despair.โ
He gave you a dramatic wink, but Neteyamโs expression remained entirely hard, calculating, and intensely territorial. He stood frozen until Maytelโs silhouette finally disappeared down the main walkway.
โMama! Look at the big leaf I found!โ Nevan babbled, showing it to you.
You examined it with great curiosity, admiring its beautiful patterns. โThe patterns looks like the canopy at Hometree, son,โ you smiled at him.
โWow...โ Nevan looked down at his leaf with wonder before scrambling past his fatherโs legs and running into the hut to add the leaf among his toys.
With the platform suddenly empty, you stood up and crossed the small distance between you and your husband. For the first time since he had arrived moons ago, you stepped directly into his space, your hands coming to rest flat against the warm skin of his chest where you immediately felt the heavy thudding of his heart beneath your palms.
Before he could speak, you slid your hands up to his shoulders, tilted your chin up, and pulled him down into a deep, lingering kiss.
Neteyam froze, his breath catching sharply in his throat. He looked utterly stunned, his ears twitching back in absolute surprise before the instinctual hunger took over. His large hands came up to grip your waist, anchoring you against him as he kissed you back with a sudden, dark intensity that sent a wave of heat straight to your core.
When you finally pulled away, your lips were tingling, and his golden eyes had darkened with something different.
You let out a dramatic, teasing sigh, a faint smile breaking through the serious fog of your mind. โThey always told me my husband possessed the keen eyes of a viperwolf... but it has been moons, my love, and you still haven't caught on.โ
Neteyam blinked, his forehead furrowing in confusion. โWhat?โ
You let out a soft giggle, your fingers tracing the strong line of his collarbone. โMaytel just said he has a date with his hunter, Neteyam. He is trying to get on with a man, not with your wife.โ
A sudden, staggering silence fell over him, his mouth opening slightly, his ears lifting as the pieces finally clicked together. You chuckled as you watched the fearsome commander of the resistance suddenly looked incredibly flustered, a violet flush creeping along his neck.
โHe... with a hunter?โ Neteyam muttered, clearing his throat roughly.
โYes,โ you laughed softly, leaning your head against his chest. "There was never any reason for you to be jealous, โteyam. I never looked at another while I was away from you. How can I possibly ever replace you? Even when I was trying my hardest to act like I didn't care, I would never betray you like that.โ
Neteyamโs gaze softened, his large hands smoothing down your back, pressing you closer to his warmth. โI know that, baby,โ he whispered, his voice rough. โNot once did I ever doubt your faithfulness to me. It was... the men I did not trust. But... I suppose I should thank Maytel. Not just for watching over you and Nevan when I was too blind to be here, but because the mere threat of him made me straighten myself up.โ
You smiled, looking at the scars on his chest. โWell... about that. Maytel was never a threat, you see. It is just... you left the vanguard for this. You left everything you worked hard forโโ
โNo,โ Neteyam interrupted firmly, his forehead furrowing as he caught your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. โDo not think that. I did not leave the vanguard simply because I was jealous, I left because I was terrified of losing you completely. I have missed so much of our sonโs life, yawne. I didn't even know how to make up for all the time I lost. I will carry the regret of that lost time for a very long time...โ
A wave of emotion rose in your throat, making your lower lip tremble a little. โI was so hurt during those moons, Neteyam... but I wallowed so deeply in my own pain that I failed to see how hard you were struggling, too. You were keeping up with the two lives you were living, carrying the future of this world on your shoulders, and instead of being there to be the support you needed... I walked away. I left you alone, Neteyamโโ
โDon't,โ Neteyam commanded softly, his thumb sweeping across your cheek to cut off your words. โDon't you ever blame yourself, or think your choices were wrong. Baby, I wasn't keeping up with my lives. I was living fully as a warrior, entirely forgetting that I had a wife and a child who needed me to be a man, not just a leader. I was a terrible husband. I was a failure of a father. Do not deny that.โ
He leaned down, pressing his forehead against yours, his breath shaky.
โYour decision to walk away did me a favor, baby. I was too blinded by my duty. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't put me in my place early on, if I had kept believing that everything was perfect while you were breaking in the dark?โ
You stared at him, your throat tight, unable to find an argument. Slowly, you wrapped your arms around his neck. โThen let us settle it,โ you murmured. โWe both made mistakes. I should have spoken to you clearly instead of expecting you to know exactly what you were doing wrong... And you should have remembered that the war isn't the only thing worth fighting for.โ
He breathed a huff of relief. โI am so scared, baby... I cannot lose you. You are half of me,โ he whispered.
โI forgive you, Neteyam...โ you mumbled, pressing a soft kiss against his lips.
He was quick to shake his head, looking almost angered. โI donโt want you to forgive me. I will not accept that. I want to remember this moment in our lives when I have let you and our son down. I would sacrifice and leave behind everything just to make sure this wonโt happen again.โ
You smiled. โThen I supposed I shouldnโt ask for forgiveness, too, for my selfishnessโโ
โYou are not selfish and I have nothing to forgive,โ he countered fiercely. โYou only wanted whatโs good for you and for our son, Iโm glad you made that your priority. Can you imagine what younger me would have thought of me now? He would beat me up, baby, Iโm willing to bet...โ he pressed his forehead against yours.
Both your hands came up to hold his jaw. โWe are allowed to make mistakes, my love... Both of us are still learning. Whatโs important is that even with what was happening between us, we were still good parents to Nevan.โ
He smiled, his eyes lighting up at the mention of his son. โHeโs a very resilient boy, my love... It makes me even more guilty that he just... loves me very much despite my absence.โ
Your brows furrowed a little even as you smiled softly. โI guess Nevan is just a reflection of my heart. Heโs a part of me, too, and every part of me loves you very much,โ you caressed his jaw, pressing a soft kiss in his lips.
โI love you more. I love you so much,โ he whispered against your lips, before he delivered a harder, more desperate kiss. It was a release of all the months of unspoken grief, longing, and the lingering heat that had built up between you. Neteyam groaned deep in his throat, his grip on your waist tightening until your breaths mixed into one frantic rhythm.
โOh, Great Mother!โ
The loud, dramatic gasp broke the air, making you pull away from Neteyam in an instant, breathless and flushed, only to see Maytel standing at the edge of the platform, his eyes wide with a look of pure, devious glee. He had caught you both completely red-handed, and you could practically see the chaotic, mischievous gears turning in his head.
โIโm so sorry to interrupt this moment, syulang, Neteyam... Well, I forgot my weaving shuttle... Just coming back for it...โ he carefully tiptoed before getting what he came here for. โGot it!โ
Maytel sneaked a smirk at you, his tail swishing with absolute triumph. Before you could hiss at him, Nevan bounded out of the hut, his little ears perking up at the sound of Maytel's voice. โUncle Maytel! You came back?โ
โI did, little star,โ Maytel grinned, kneeling down to Nevanโs level while deliberately keeping his eyes locked on your flustered expression. โIn fact, I am on my way up to the upper terraces to visit your grandparents. Would you like to come with me and help me pick some wild ferns?โ
โYes!โ Nevan answered way too quickly. โMama, Papa, can I go?โ Nevan squealed, bouncing on his heels as he looked up at you and Neteyam.
Neteyam, still entirely dazed by the intensity of the kiss and thoroughly eager to get you back into the privacy of the hut, patted his son's head, nodded wordlessly.
Maytel giggled. โAnd I guess you will stay there until tomorrow, little boy...โ he threw you an incredibly wicked wink. You're welcome, his eyes screamed.
โBye, Mama! Bye, Papa!โ Nevan cheered, snatching Maytelโs hand and dragging him down the ramp.
You stood on the platform, your face burning a violent shade of purple, completely aware of the heavy, dark promise in Neteyamโs gaze as he slowly turned his massive body back toward you. The platform was entirely quiet, your son was snatched away by Maytel, and the commander seemed very ready to claim a year-worth of action from you.
You bit your lip as you sensed his body turn toward you, making the air feel heavier with the thick tension you know will have you inevitably under him before the day ends. You finally turned to him when he stepped forward, his shadow falling over you, his broad chest rising and falling in deep breaths, his eyes dark as he tracked the soft features of your face, the flush your collarbone, the swell of your breasts, and the curves of your waist down to your shapely thighs.
โSee you inside?โ you said in a small, seductive voice, stepping backward with your eyes locked onto his while you were retreating into the hut. Neteyam followed you like a predator stalking a familiar territory. He stopped at the edge of your sleeping alcove, his tall frame blocking out the fire from the hanging firepot, casting you entirely in his shadow.
With a slow, challenging smile, your hands came up to the knot of your top, holding his unblinking gaze as your fingers untied the cords, letting the feather-like fibers slip until it pooled at your feet.
You followed it by untying your loincloth behind you, shedding it off until you stood before him entirely bare, the soft dim light catching the gentle curves of your body. You knew exactly what you looked like to him. Completely vulnerable, yet entirely in control of his sanity.
Neteyam let out a low, ragged growl through his teeth, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the wooden partition. His chest expanded, his nostrils flaring as he took in the sight of you. You looked so innocent standing in the quiet of your home, yet the mischievous, heavy heat in your eyes was pure sin.
โDo you mean to torture me, baby?โ he rasped, his voice deep and rough as his hand grabbed his crotch to give his aching hard on a squeeze.
โTorture?โ you echoed innocently. โWho says you canโt touch, warrior?โ
He blinked, as if it took time before he realized what you said. He stepped into the alcove, his eyes never leaving you, his hand aggressively shedding his loincloth off, as he walked toward you. You opened your mouth to tease him, but before you could do that, his large hands were already on you, his grip firm as he lifted you effortlessly and pressed you back onto the soft furs of the sleeping mat.
You reached for your kuru behind you, biting your lip when his calloused hands parted your thighs with an authoritative, heavy pressure to fit himself between them. You relished the familiar weight of him on you, the warmth and heaviness of his cock grazing your thigh. โHello,โ you mumbled, smiling as you caught his kuru that he let fall over his shoulder.
He watched you darkly, his hand prompting your hands to connect your kurus together. You gasped as the burning intensity of his emotions that surged through you, enveloping your soul with a familiar warmth youโve never felt in almost a year. You breathlessly pulled him down for a kiss and his mouth enveloped yours right away, swallowing your breaths, kissing you hard and desperately. His arm wrapped around your frame to pull you against him until your soft mounds were squished against his chest, his large hand cupping your jaw.
You kissed and kissed, and you were reminded with just how much you loved kissing him. When you two were younger, making out with each other had been your favorite thing to do. Every lovemaking starts with what seemed like hours of making out sessions, and this moment brought you back. You licked at his lower lip and kissed him with more ferocity than you had earlier, moaning against his lips as your hands roamed the hard planes of his body.
When you pulled away to breathe, his lips found your jaw, leaving burning kisses until he reached your neck. He licked and nipped at your skin, his hand now coming down to your breast to knead and fondle, before his lips followed, filling his mouth with your flesh as he suckled on your pebbled tip.
โOh, baby...โ you cradled his head, your hand grabbing a fistful of his hair.
His kisses slid down your body, his lips kissing every inch of your skin reverently until his face reach between your leg, his hot breath brushing your slick center. You bit your lip as he kissed the soft flesh of your inner thighs, his lips wet as it sucked a bit of your flesh into his mouth before it trailed down to bury his face between your thighs. Your breath hitched in your throat when his tongue swiped upward in one long stroke.
He suckled on your sensitive nub and you shrieked when he playfully nipped down on it, your hands instantly flying into his thick braids as your hips bucked violently off the mat. The sharp, electric heat hit your sensitive nub, and Neteyam hummed a low, vibrating sound of pure satisfaction against your skin as he felt you tremble. He used his tongue relentlessly, sucking and lapping at you until your breath came in ragged, broken sobs.
Desperate for the weight of him, you tilted your pelvis upward, grinding against his mouth, begging for more. Normally, heโd insert his tongue in you, and you canโt understand why heโs being greedy with his tongue now. He paused, lifting his head just enough to look up your body, his lips glistening in the dim light. He let out a low chuckle, kissing the soft, sensitive skin of your inner thigh.
โBaby, I know you love it... but I won't put my tongue in, hm? My cock will be jealous. Your best friend hasnโt been in you for a year... you see, he hadnโt known a life like that since I was seventeen.โ
You groaned loudly, throwing your head back against the furs as the teasing drove you mad. You kicked his chest lightly with your heel, though it lacked any real force. โThen fuck me already! What are you waiting for?โ
Neteyam caught your ankle instantly, his grip tightening as he pulled your leg over his broad shoulder. He nipped fiercely at the tender skin near your knee, making you gasp. โSo bossy,โ he drawled, a wicked spark returning to his eyes. โJust for that, Iโd add another thirty minutes to this...โ
โNeteyam, please...โ you whined.
โGive me one more, baby... I am so parched,โ he said dramatically, his handsome face pulling into a mock pout before his mouth came down onto your pussy again.
He didn't give you a chance to protest. He lifted your hips high off the mat, wrapping his powerful arms beneath your thighs, draping your legs completely over his broad shoulders, before burying his face deep between your legs, using the rumbling vibrations of his voice and the flat of his tongue to drive you over the edge. The pressure on your swollen, sensitive flesh was too much, that within seconds, a violent wave tore through you, making you scream his name into the empty hut as your muscles clamped tightly around his mouth.
He held you through the tremors, lapping at your release until you were thoroughly cleaned. He eased you back onto the furs, your eyes closed, completely whited out by the intensity of your recent climax. Your skin was slick with sweat, your long hair sticking to your neck, but Neteyam only seemed to burn hotter at the sight.
You felt the heavy weight of his body settle over yours, his warm mouth moving down to claim your breast, his large hand firmly pressing your knees wider.
โEyes,โ he commanded, his voice dropping into that soft, unyielding tone he only ever used on you.
โI'm so spent...โ you breathed, your eyelids fluttering as you weakly pressed a hand against his muscular chest, trying to find your breath.
Neteyam chuckled, a deep sound that vibrated straight into your bones. He kissed the tight line of your jaw before capturing your mouth in a bruising kiss. โYou practically kept me in a cage, woman...โ he drawled against your lips, his hard length pressing demandingly against your aching center. โAnd now, youโve let me loose...โ
Your eyes flickered completely open, staring up into the golden fire of his gaze. You pushed your lips forward, leaning into him, and you watched him hold his breath as he realized you were completely his.
โFuck, I missed you so much, baby...โ he whispered, his thumb caressing your slippery folds before he gathered your wetness.
You watched him lather your wetness on his throbbing length as its wide tip nudged your entrance, and with one heavy, agonizingly slow thrust, he slid inside you. Neteyam let out a ragged, guttural groan deep in his throat, his arm snaking behind your waist to pull you up as he buried himself to the hilt, earning a pleasured cry from you.
He froze for a second, his head burying into the crook of your neck as his entire body shuddered, absorbing the intense, tight heat of your walls clamping around him. โFuck, you're so tight, baby...โ he choked out, his breath scalding against your skin.
Before you could fully catch your breath, he lifted himself back up on his hands, his golden eyes finding yours again, refusing to let you look away. Slowly, he began to move. He pulled nearly all the way out, letting you feel every ridges of his length, before driving back in forcefully, making you whimper. Your head rolled back against the furs as your back arched.
His hand instantly came up to cup your jaw, his fingers firm but gentle as he guided your face back to his. โNo, look at me,โ he commanded, his breath hitching as he started moving.
You bit your lip, but your pleasured whimpers find their way out of your mouth as his large hand caged your jaw to make sure you wonโt look away from him as his pace picked up. Your moans grew louder when his thrusts turned deeper and harder, striking the very center of your pleasure. Your breaths came in jagged huffs, mixing alongside your cries and his deep groans.
โFuck, baby...โ he moaned, his eyes closing for a moment.
You pressed a palm against his chest. โOpen your eyes,โ you commanded, pushing him back a little. โWatch yourself take me.โ
He groaned, a huff of weakened and humored laugh escaping through his nose as he lifted himself on his hands, looking down at you with eyes filled of unadulterated hunger. His humor died in his throat the moment he saw the look in your eyes. He was the commander, yes, but right here, pinned beneath the weight of your gaze, he was entirely at your mercy.
โYou like to play the general now, do you?โ he rasped, his voice dropping into a dangerous register that sent a violent shiver straight down your spine.
His large hand slid from your jaw, his fingers tangling tightly into the hair at the back of your head, anchoring you firmly to the furs. With his other hand bracing his massive weight over you, he delivered a frantic, brutal, and deep pace into you. You stared up at him, your chest heaving as your breaths came in ragged, desperate gasps. You watched the way the veins in his neck strained, the way his jaw clenched so hard the muscles jumped, and the sheer worship bleeding from his eyes.
He was completely undone, sweating and growling like a wild creature, stripped of all his rigid discipline until there was nothing left but his love for you.
The friction was driving you insane that you were literally reduced to a moaning, crying mess under him as your hips began to meet his every thrust instinctively, the coil of heat in your lower stomach tightening to a breaking point.
โI love you so much...โ he moaned.
โOh, baby... โteyam, I am so close, I can'tโโ you wept, your hips twitching away from his relentless thrusts but you only seemed to burn even more when his hand grabbed your waist to keep you in place.
โNo, stay with me,โ he rasped, his grip on your hair tightening just enough to keep you grounded. He picked up the speed, his movements becoming a blur of friction as he drove himself into you so hard that the entire world shrank down to your pussy. โLook at me when you break, baby. Give it to me.โ
You couldn't hold it anymore. With one final deep plunge, the dam broke in a violent, white-hot explosion of pleasure rippling through your core, your walls seizing and pulsing around his girth. You cried his name, your eyes squeezing closed as your climax tore through you. Meanwhile, the tight clench youโre holding him with was the final blow to his restraint.
Neteyam let out a low groan as he threw his head back, burying himself to the absolute hilt, pouring his heat deep inside you while his body shuddered violently against yours. He collapsed over you a moment later, his frame curling a little so he could fit himself in your smaller frame, his face buried in the valley between your breasts.
His breath scalded your skin before his mouth moved to kiss your skin. He stayed buried deep inside you, his long arms wrapping securely around your waist, holding you so close it felt like he wanted to press his very soul into yours. You cradled his head, your other hand squeezing his shoulder when he sucked on your pebbled tip hard.
You groaned, โWhat about rest?โ you mumbled.
He lifted his head. โRest?โ he raised a brow as if that was a foreign word.
You pushed your lips forward. โSee, I was... undisturbed for moons, Neteyam. I think my stamina needed practicing,โ you mumbled.
He smirked. โNow might be the best time for practice.โ
You bit your lip, your hand cupping his nape to kiss him. โOn the side note... Youโre right,โ you squeezed around him. โI miss you very much.โ
He smiled, his lips coming down on yours. The hours dissolved into the shadows of the hut. The clan had grown quiet as the night went on, but neither of you noticed as though the world outside your hut didn't exist. There was only the rhythmic, heavy slap of skin against skin, his low, breathless groans, and your desperate cries of his name echoing in the quiet room.
By the time the bioluminescence outside began to glow with the midnight moons, the frantic heat had finally settled into a soft, exhausted warmth. You lay on top of him, your chin sitting on his chest as his arms wrapped securely around your waist. You were tracing the smooth, familiar lines of his chest, your breathing finally matching his steady rhythm.
Suddenly, a loud, deep rumble echoed through the quiet space.
You blinked, a bit dazed and Neteyam let out a low, amused chuckle. You pouted, pushing yourself up a little, his large hand slid down to caress the soft, slightly damp skin of your flat belly.
โFuck, I forgot dinner,โ he said, his eyes widening a little.
You blinked, lazy, satisfied smile spreading across your face. โHuh... I strangely feel full.โ
Neteyamโs hand paused on your stomach, his fingers rubbing a warm, slow circle over your skin as a knowing, utterly devastating chuckle escaped him. He leaned over, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss to your lips.
โI sure hope so,โ he grinned, his golden eyes flashing with a playful, wicked heat. โBut letโs feed you first, my love. Iโm not done with you yet.โ He reluctantly sit up, lifting you up a little by your waist and gently plopping you down the furs with a hard kiss on your lips. โDonโt get up.โ
He came back with the dinner you had prepared earlier and Maytelโs berry pie, both of which you devoured, occasionally feeding each other small bites while sitting cross-legged on the floor, unashamed of your nakedness. The moment the last of the food was cleared, Neteyam didn't give you a chance to think about cleaning up.
He moved to clean it all away quickly. True to his word, he wasn't done with you. The lovemaking that followed was slower and sweeter, full of whispers and quiet giggling. By the time you two settled back into a soft, exhausted warmth, you lay tucked against his side, your cheek pressed flat against his muscled chest, listening to the steady thudding of his heart while his long arm wrapped around you, anchoring you to him.
You stared into the soft darkness, tracing a light circle over his chest. โWhat do you think about going back to High Camp?โ you asked softly.
Neteyam stiffened instantly beside you, his breath hitching before his eyes snapped down to look at you, wide and suddenly laced with absolute horror. โBaby, surely you are not kicking me back to High Camp?โ he asked, his voice rough and panicked. โWe have just reconciled. I want to stay. I am staying. I will never leave again. Besides... what if you get pregnant and I am not here?โ
The sheer dread in his tone made you stifle a smile, but a soft chuckle eventually escaped you. You shifted, resting your chin on his chest so you could look at him properly. โI will be with you. Me and Nevan... we will all go back to High Camp together. What do you think of that?โ
Neteyam blinked, entirely caught off guard, his ears twitching in confusion. โI... I don't know,โ he murmured softly, his hand coming up to gently smooth down your hair. โYou are safer here, baby. You and Nevan. And I donโt want to be away from you ever again...โ
A sudden wave of warmth made your eyes tear up. โThat is why we are coming,โ you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. โYou will never be apart from me again. From us. But... that doesn't mean you have to stop doing what you worked your entire life to prepare for,โ you stared at him, โI fell in love with a warrior, Neteyam. I mated with a warrior. You are a leader to the people, and I shouldn't have made you choose between your duty to them and your duty to your heart. I meant what I said earlier, baby. We are all learning. I will always be here to support you now, and I will never leave your side. So... I think we should go back. But only if you want it.โ
Neteyam stared at you, his own eyes growing misty in the dark. The crushing weight he had carried seemed to fully lift, replaced by a profound peace. Without a word, he pulled you up by your waist, bringing your lips down to his in a deep kiss that tasted of absolute gratitude and a love that grew even deeper and larger.
The next say, Maytel returned your son the moment the morning sun broke over the terraces. His teasing, knowing eyes were incredibly annoying as he took in your flushed skin and Neteyamโs completely relaxed posture, but you chose to ignore his smirks, focusing instead on your son who was as bubbly as ever, practically throwing his little body into your arms, eager to tell you everything about sleeping at his grandparentsโ as if it was a vacation.
While you held Nevan, Neteyam stepped forward, his expression serious but entirely respectful. โMaytel,โ he said, his voice deep. โCan we talk for a moment?โ
Surprised, Maytelโs smirk faltered, his eyes darting quickly to you. You offered him a warm, reassuring nod and a smile, letting him know it was for something good. The two stepped outside onto the platform, and though you couldn't hear the words, you watched as Neteyam clasped Maytel's shoulder in a gesture of gratitude.
Once the air was fully cleared, Maytel left with a promise of more pie for your son, who had just discovered that his parents completely finished off the pie Maytel brought yesterday.
โWhat would you like for breakfast, my little sun?โ Neteyam asked, playfully tickling Nevanโs belly.
Nevan giggled, patting it as his chest puffed proudly. โI ate many smoked fish and... and kelp soup!โ
You watched Neteyam chuckle, feigning surprise for his sonโs entertainment. โOh! You already ate, huh? No wonder your bellyโs so rooound.โ Neteyam bent down a little to blow air into Nevanโs belly, sending your son into a fit of giggles as he threw his head back in laughter.
You leaned your cheek against your sonโs small arm, looking at Neteyam as you sat down on the mats of your receiving area. โNevan,โ you smiled, smoothing his little ear back. โHow would you like to go on an adventure? We are flying back to Grandma and Grandpa.โ
Nevanโs eyes went completely wide, his little tail swishing frantically against your leg. โTo see the big ikrans? With Papa?โ he squealed, jumping straight into Neteyamโs arms and hugging his neck tightly.
Neteyam melted against his son, his eyes crinkling with absolute adoration that made your smile grow wider. Later that night, you trekked up to your parentsโ hut to bring a pie you made and to discuss with them your plans to go back to High Camp. Neteyam took his time sincerely apologizing to your parents who kindly dismissed his apology, gently reminding him that your forgiveness was the only kind that mattered and it clearly seemed like you had given it.
The flight back to High Camp was long and carefully calculated. Neteyam took no chances with your and Nevanโs safety, choosing to fly his ikran yards ahead of yours, scouting the valleys first, taking a much longer, winding route to completely avoid the coordinates he knew were patrolled by the RDA.
When your ikrans finally landed on the rocky ledges of High Camp where you were welcomed back with a small, joyous celebration. Jake and Neytiri were the first to embrace you, their eyes shining with relief to see their eldest son whole again, while the council looked on with relief to have Neteyam back into the fold.
But the moons he spent just learning the rhythm of the world with you and Nevan seemed to have ingrained themselves deeper than his warrior routines. Now, he couldnโt leave the hut without sharing breakfast with you, his large hands gently guiding his sonโs tiny fingers over his food to teach him how to eat on his own before heading out to the scouting decks.
Then, he would return at midday to spend the eclipse with you, helping put Nevan down for a nap before heading back out to coordinate the perimeters. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, he was home for the night, stripping off his weapons and warrior gear to belong entirely to you.
He still couldnโt believe how stupid he had been. Even though you had forgiven him, insisting that you both made mistakes because you were still just learning, he believed he should have known better. Now that he was able to manage both of his lives so seamlessly, he couldn't understand how he had let the war consume him so completely before, letting years pass making you feel neglected and thinking he had chosen his duty over you, his heart.
There are nights though, where the weight of his duty still clawed at his shoulders. After an armed encounter with the RDA during his patrols, he still tried to come home as early as possible, his body rigid and vibrating with tension. You had already blew the firelight dimmed by the time he arrived from the council, his movements hurried and when he saw that Nevan was already asleep in his hammock, you saw his shoulders slumped, his face crumpling in controlled distress.
You stood up, welcoming him to help bim remove his cummerbund and weapons, hanging them on a rack. โHas he been asleep long?โ
โOnly because he played too much with the other kids earlier,โ you told him, chuckling as your hands caressed his shoulders. โHe could barely eat his dinner, his eyelids were already drooping.โ
He looked down at his son, his large caressing the boyโs head. โIโm sorry, I came home late...โ he mumbled.
You bit your lip. โNeteyam...โ you hugged him from the side, kissing his shoulder, feeling the tension in them soften a bit. โI heard of the encounter. Tell me what happened...โ
Your hands gently worked through the knots in his shoulders as he spoke, his voice dropping into that low, tense cadence. โThe skirmishes have escalated, baby,โ Neteyam muttered, his jaw tightening as he stared blankly at his hands. โItโs only been three moons since we came back, and the RDA patrols are pushing further into the southern valley. Earlier, they nearly pinned my scouts against the ridge. I almost called in a full air strike, but the canopy was too thick. I had to pull them back. Loโak thinks we should ambush their next supply line there, but... the risk is too high.โ
You stopped massaging his shoulders and shifted, angling your head so he had to look at you. โYou did the right thing by pulling back,โ you said softly. โIf thereโs one thing Iโve learned from you in all the years Iโve known you is that you are not impulsive. You are not a warrior who wants only victory. I think... they are baiting you and they are expecting an ambush on their supply line. Eywa has given us enough to fight the demons, โteyam. Perhaps you could change your flight paths, lead them toward the weeping bogs where their heavy metal suits can't tread. Let the forest do the fighting for you.โ
Neteyam blinked, a sudden, quiet clarity washing over his stressed features. He let out a long breath through his nose, his lips parting as a humored, thoroughly impressed smile broke through his tension. โSee, this is why Iโm not performing well in the moons you were not with me...โ he pulled you for a kiss.
You smiled, โAnd thatโs completely my fault, I think,โ you whispered. โMind if I make up for it?โ
His eyes narrowed a little as you slowly sank to your knees in front of him. His breath hitched in his throat, his hands coming down to rest heavily on your shoulders as your hand moved to his loincloth to palm his hard on, biting your lips when you found him already hard, responding to your show in an instant. You stroke it for a moment before moving the fabric aside to let the thick, throbbing length spring free.
You wrapped your hand around the base of his girth, sliding your palm up to feel the heavy ridges snaking along his length, looking straight up into his eyes, you leaned forward and opened your mouth, sliding your lips over the wide head of his cock. Neteyam let out a low, ragged groan, his knuckles turning white as he gripped on the nearest rack.
You kept an unbroken, intense eye contact as you took him deeper, your throat stretching to accommodate his impressive length, pumping your hand at the base while your mouth worked relentlessly, sucking the sensitive head before sliding all the way down until your nose pressed into his pelvic, the heat of his cock filling your mouth.
โFuck, baby...โ he choked out, his head tossing back for a second before your firm gaze anchored him right back to you.
His large hand came down, caging your jaw to keep your face tilted up toward his. His eyes darkened as he began to move his hips, delivering restrained thrusts straight down your throat. You took every inch of him, your eyes watering slightly from the depth, but you never broke your stare. You sucked harder, swirling your tongue around the ridges, driving him absolutely mad with the tight, wet friction of your mouth.
His breathing turned into frantic, ragged huffs as his thrusts became faster, deeper, completely losing his hard-earned discipline warmth of your mouth. โFuck, you're so good to me...โ
The veins in his neck strained, his jaw clenching as he reached his limit. He delivered three deep plunges into your mouth before his whole body stiffened, his thick, hot release pulsing down your throat. You swallowed every drop of his heavy warmth, your throat moving refusing to pull away even as he pulled you back.
When you slowly slid your mouth off his length with a squelching sound, he shivered, thinking it was over but when you dragged your tongue up to lick him entirely clean from base to tip, your eyes still locked onto his blown-out gaze, his knees buckled.
Neteyam looked entirely undone, his chest heaving as he stared down at you in pure, reverent worship. You licked your lips, smiling at him, while his hands lifted you up effortlessly. His arm wrapped around you, his lips crashing down on your lips at the same time your body landed on the hard planes of his. He groaning as silently against your mouth, his large hand groping your chest down to your waist and hips until it wrapped around the back of your thighs.
He lifted it up and knowing what he wanted, you hooked your arms around his shoulders before wrapping your other leg around him. His hard length was already hardening again against your thigh, and with a swift wipe aside of your loincloth, he drove into you, fucking you with a ferocity that made you feel exactly the tension that was engulfing him the whole day.
You pursed your lips to and buried your face face against the crook of his neck to muffle your pleasured sounds as his fingers dug into your hips, relentlessly moving your over his cock.
โI love you,โ he groaned, way louder than he should.
โNeteyam!โ you whisper-shouted, your fingers on his scratching.
He chuckled, his head angling to press his lips against your cheek, groaning as muffled as possible, but still letting you know how good he's feeling as your warmth enveloped him tightly. You let out a pleasured huff when he shivered against you, spilling his warm seed inside you, and triggering your own release.
He groaned again, but as silent as he could now, his hand working on the ties of your loincloth behind you, shedding it off you without removing himself from you. He lowered you down on the soft furs, his cock slipping out a little when he removed his own loincloth. He spread your legs wider to slip it back in though, lowering himself to kiss you softly.
Hours later, the frantic heat had settled into a soft, exhausted warmth. You lay tangled together on the messy furs, your head resting on his chest while his arm was around your waist.
โThank you, my love,โ Neteyam murmured into the dark, his fingers gently tracing patterns along your arm.
You let out a soft, sleepy giggle, pressing a light kiss against his bare chest, listening to the steady, peaceful rhythm of his heart. โSomeone has to keep the commander grounded.โ
The peace in the weeks that followed was a precious, yet stolen gift, because with the encounters along the borders growing increasingly volatile, you knew it would soon reach a tipping point. What began as scattered, desperate shootouts quickly spiraled out of control, and Jake found it better to lead an offensive attack before the demons pushed deeper and harder against the resistance.
So, when Toruk Makto took to the sky once more, High Camp emptied. Neteyam kissed your lips until they were bruised and held Nevan so tightly the boy let out a confused whimper, before taking to the sky on his ikran, his jaw set with the determination of a man fighting to make sure that his children would never know the shadow of a gunship.
While the sky in the distant horizons burned with the smoke of explosions, you remained in the deep caverns of High Camp, sitting among the circle of women, your fingers tightly interwoven with Kiriโs, while Moโat led the low, rhythmic chanting, praying to the Great Mother for the battleโs success.
Every breath you took felt heavy, not just from the fear for your husband, but from the secret you had yet to tell him. You had known for a few weeks now. You were pregnant.
You chose not to tell him at the height of the planning the offense, wanting him focused entirely on staying alive, but Nevan had practically been manifesting it. Ever since one of his playmatesโ mothers had given birth to a tiny, squirming infant, your son had been absolutely obsessed with the concept.
Just days before the warriors marched, Nevan had sat on the mats, badgering you both with endless demands. โWant one of those at home, Mama! To play with!โ
Neteyam had just laughed, sweeping the boy up into his powerful arms to cradling him against his broad chest like an infant to distract him. โBut you are still our baby, my boy,โ Neteyam had teased, his voice thick with affection as he brushed the tip of his nose against Nevan's. โYou are always Mama and Papaโs baby.โ Nevan had thrown his head back, giggling frantically, completely forgetting about the talk.
Now, clutching your flat stomach in the dim light, you whispered a prayer to Great Mother Eywa to bring that doting their father back to you. Whole and safe. You didnโt realize how much of a pressure it would be to be his wife during a major battle. Even in your distress, you needed to put on a calm facade and show the other women the tranquility that should belong to a wife of a warrior.
Fortunately, even before night fell, Eywa answered your prayers in the thunderous, victorious roars of ikrans echoing through the mountains.
The people had won. The clans Toruk Makto had united once again cleansed Eywaโeveng of the evil the sky people brought upon your world. Tuk roamed around chirping about reports on how the war party blew up Bridgehead, crushing the RDAโs main stronghold and ensuring they wonโt bounce back as quickly as they usually should, with Jake leading the talks to force them back to the sky.
High Camp exploded into a frenzy of celebratory flutes and drums as the warriors touched down, their wives and children welcoming them with tears. Through the crowd, you spotted him. Neteyam leaped off his ikran, covered in soot and paint, his braids wild. The moment his eyes found yours through the throng, his fearsome warrior mask completely shattered, walking faster to get to you.
โPapa!โ Nevan sprinted toward him and Neteyam caught the boy in his arms, before colliding into you with a force that lifted you off your feet, his massive arms wrapped around your waist, burying his face into the crook of your neck as he breathed in your scent, desperate to replace the stench of burning metal.
โI'm back, baby,โ he choked out, his voice rough against your skin.
You held his face, tears streaming down your cheeks as you kissed him desperately. Nevan was already pulling at his father's braids, forcing him away from you, making both of you laugh. Neteyam pressed fierce kisses all over the boyโs face, and you did the same, making Nevan giggle, his neck scrunching in ticklishness.
The celebration for the victory began as night fell, all the torches and firepots were lit, glowing brighter than it ever had before. Even the moons cast down a glow different than the ones youโve had in the past years, as if they were breathing more peacefully, too.
As the drums beat steadily in the background, Neteyam sat with you at the edge of the gathering, his arm anchoring you to his side while a thoroughly exhausted Nevan curled up asleep against his thigh. Neteyam looked down at his son, a soft, content smile resting on his lips, before his eyes drifted back to you, brimming with an unburdened, quiet adoration.
โWe can build anything now,โ Neteyam whispered, his large hand lifting to cup your nape, massaging a little. โA real future. Just you, me, and our boy.โ
You smiled, your heart hammering a joyful rhythm against your ribs. You took his large hand, slowly guiding it away from yours and placing his wide palm flat against your lower stomach.
Neteyam blinked, looking down at his hand on your belly, then back up at your face. He froze, his ears twitching as he caught the blooming, emotional heat in your eyes.
โBaby...?"โ he breathed, his voice suddenly trembling, the fierce commander completely replaced by the image of a stunned, hopeful boy you had grown up with.
โI canโt believe youโre surprised,โ you playfully widened your eyes at him.
He chuckled, and even through that, you saw a tear slipped down his cheek. โRight. Like I wasnโt actively aiming for that.โ
You huffed a chuckle through your nose. โNevan is going to get his wish,โ you whispered, โYou are going to have to practice cradling another baby very soon, Neteyam.โ
A breathless, ecstatic laugh erupted from his chest. He didn't care who was watching; he leaned forward and captured your mouth in a deep, bruising kiss, his large hand trembling where it rested over the new life you were carrying.
โI will be here now. Always. To hear her first laughs, first words, and to watch her first steps...โ he mumbled against your lips.
You smiled, your eyes locking onto his. โHer?โ
His smile grew. โI just had little you in mind.โ