Neteyam was the kind of person who acted first and thought later. If his family needed help, he jumped without hesitation, no matter the risk. You understood the loyalty part—you respected it, even—but the recklessness made your head hurt. Half the time, the only reason he came back alive and in one piece was sheer, stupid luck.

You, on the other hand, thought before you moved. Every action had consequences, and you refused to ignore them just because adrenaline or emotion told you to act. From your perspective, the Sully family charged headfirst into danger like it was a game. Watching them was exhausting.

Still, none of them irritated you the way Neteyam did.

And annoyingly, the feeling was mutual.

Neteyam tried to like you. He really did. Even when he didn’t understand you—your caution, the way you always seemed two steps ahead—he tried. But his efforts were always in vain. No one got under his skin like you did, and he couldn’t even fully explain why. You challenged him without raising your voice, judged him without saying much at all, and somehow that bothered him more than outright insults ever could.

To make matters worse, Aonung decided it was a great idea to take Neteyam and Lo’ak out past the reef to hunt fish.

The water was clear and blue, sunlight slicing through the surface in shimmering ribbons. Fish darted between coral formations, scales flashing as they scattered at your approach.

Aonung didn’t even look at you at first. He could feel your glare burning into his back.

You caught up to him underwater, grabbing his arm just enough to stop him. He turned, already wearing an apologetic expression, his ears tilting back slightly.

Why did you bring him? you signed sharply.

He shrugged, completely unbothered.

I thought you two could use some bonding time, he signed back, that familiar grin stretching across his face.

You rolled your eyes and turned away, watching the Sully brothers instead. Neteyam was gesturing animatedly to Lo’ak, clearly giving instructions while trying to track a large fish weaving through the coral. Lo’ak nodded—then immediately did something else entirely.

You scoffed.

Look at them. They’re stupid. You signed to Aonung.

He chuckled, nodding in agreement.

When you looked back, Neteyam had already noticed you. He hovered in the water, jaw tight, eyes narrowed slightly as he signed back with visible annoyance.

You know I can understand you.

You didn’t look away.

I know.

The water between you felt heavier than the ocean itself, tension hanging thick even as fish swam lazily past. Aonung shook his head, watching the two of you like an exasperated parent.

To your deep dissatisfaction, Neteyam turned out to be very good at fish hunting.

Annoyingly good.

Good enough that Aonung stopped going beyond the reef himself—the weekly trips the two of you used to take—and instead began delegating them to Neteyam. Every time. As if that solved anything.

You hated Aonung for it. You hated that he didn’t back out.

And you hated that it meant spending hours alone with Neteyam.

The sea stretched endlessly ahead, darker where the reef dropped away. The wind was mild, salt clinging to your skin as your ilu moved smoothly beneath you. Neteyam rode beside you on his own ilu, matching your pace without crowding you. He had learned that much, at least.

“You’re quiet,” he said after a while, glancing toward you.

You shifted slightly. Your eyes stayed on the horizon. “I don’t have much to say to you.”

“I get it,” he replied, voice calm but careful. “But can’t you at least try?”

You could feel his attention like pressure against your back. You rolled your eyes before finally looking at him.

“We’re not friends,” you said firm.

“I know,” Neteyam said unfazed. “But it doesn’t have to be this uncomfortable.”

You didn’t answer. The only sound was the water breaking against your ilu and the distant cries of seabirds overhead. You hated that he wasn’t wrong—and hated even more that he was trying.

“Let’s stop here,” you said. “It’s a good place to start.”

You slid off your ilu, the cool water wrapping around you instantly. Neteyam followed, keeping a measured distance as you both dove beneath the surface.

Below, the water grew quieter, light filtering down in soft beams. Schools of fish flashed silver as they scattered, coral and rock formations rising from the sea floor in uneven clusters. This area was more open, good hunting, if you stayed sharp.

You moved with purpose, tracking movement, adjusting angles. Neteyam mirrored you from a distance. It irritated you how well he adapted, how easily he kept pace without interfering.

You dove lower, following a fish as it cut sharply around a rock. Your muscles tightened as you lined up the strike.

Then the water shifted.

The current changed abruptly, sending a subtle warning through your body. You turned just as a large predatory fish surged upward.

You twisted away, heart spiking as it passed close enough to feel its pull. Before you could recover, Neteyam was there.

He shoved you aside without hesitation, placing himself directly between you and the fish. His spear struck, driving it back—but not before it snapped.

You saw its teeth close around his hand.

Blood bloomed instantly as the fish retreated into the depths. Neteyam jerked back, a sharp sound escaping him as he clutched his hand.

You grabbed his arm and kicked upward, pulling him with you. The surface rushed closer as your lungs burned, the open water suddenly feeling far too exposed.

You broke through the surface together, gasping as waves rocked you. The sky felt too bright after the depths. The ilu circled nearby, sensing the shift.

Neteyam stayed quiet, jaw tight, injured hand pressed to his chest as blood continued to drip into the water.

You climbed onto your ilu, muscles tight as you fought the urge to snap.

“We’re getting back,” you said, voice sharp and final.

Neteyam didn’t argue. He mounted his ilu, and you took off immediately.

You swam ahead—not far enough to lose him, but far enough to make your anger clear. The shoreline eventually came into view. The moment you reached the beach, you dismounted and started walking.

“Hey—wait,” Neteyam called, catching up and grabbing your arm. "Are you mad?"

You turned on him, ears flat against your head.

“Of course I’m mad. What you did was stupid. Very stupid.”

“So I was supposed to leave you?” he shot back, frustration breaking through. “Just watch you get yourself killed?”

“No,” you snapped, voice rising despite yourself. “But you were supposed to think before jumping in!” You stopped, drew in a breath, and forced your voice down.

“Maybe if you thought things through, you wouldn’t be hurt.”

Neteyam stared at you, searching your face like he was trying to solve something.

“Why do you care if I’m hurt?” he asked. “You don’t even like me.”

“It doesn’t mean I enjoy watching you bleed, you skxawng,” you muttered.

“You confuse me,” he said, a small, reluctant smile pulling at his mouth.

You shook your head, exhaling. “Believe me. You confuse me too.” Your eyes dropped to his hand, still stained red.

“Take care of it. I don’t want you bleeding out.”

He nodded, glancing at it before looking back at you.

“See you next time, I guess?”

There was something tentative in his tone.

“Yeah,” you said. “See you next time.”

After that incident, something between you and Neteyam changed.

Not drastically. Not all at once.

You still thought what he did was stupid—very stupid. Jumping in without thinking, getting himself hurt for someone who hadn’t asked him to do it. That part of him hadn’t changed, and you doubted it ever would.

But he had saved you.

Whether you liked it or not, that mattered.

You respected him for it, and that respect shifted something inside you. You still didn’t understand many of his choices, but now they didn’t grate on your nerves the way they used to. You found yourself pausing instead of immediately judging, watching instead of dismissing.

And you had to give him this—he was trying. Really trying. Trying to understand you the way you had slowly trying to understand him.

You didn’t know exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the way, you let him get to know you.

Where there had once been irritation, there was now interest. Where your differences had once bred resentment, they now sparked something closer to curiosity. You hated that. You hated how intrigued you were by him—and, annoyingly, you could tell he felt the same.

Neteyam noticed the change too.

If he was honest with himself, he hadn’t disliked you for a while now. Something had shifted before the incident—maybe during those long hunts beyond the reef, when it was just the two of you and the open sea. Maybe when he saw how naturally you helped the younger Metkayina, guiding them with patience instead of judgment. Or maybe it was the moment he saw you in danger and realized, deep down, that the feeling he had toward you wasn’t dislike at all.

It didn’t really matter when it started.What mattered was that he could tell you wanted to know him too.

You’d changed. You didn’t avoid him anymore. You didn’t bristle when Aonung paired you together. Sometimes, it was you who started the conversation—asking him to help with something, inviting him along on a hunt. He was always happy to help—it was simply who he was—but with you, it felt different. Lighter. More intentional. Like he was earning something instead of forcing it.

Somewhere along the way, without either of you saying it out loud, he realized he was gaining a new friend.

And not just any friend.

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

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

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

You knew its name: Tawtsngal, the love flower.

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

“Are you there, Y/n…?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Mhm…”

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s nothing, Y/n…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was early but the marketplace was already awake.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Where’s Neteyam? Not with you?”

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

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

He had kept his promise to never leave your side.

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

You believed him.

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

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

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

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

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

-

You were dreaming.

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

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

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

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

“—Y/n?”

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

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

“Yes, sir…”

“Why are you out here alone?”

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

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

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

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

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

“Why?”

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

“I want to come with you.”

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

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

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

“Y/n… I—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I will.”

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

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

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

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

“I do, Sir.”

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

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

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

“A lot…”

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

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

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

“I… undertand, Sir.”

You tried to.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Y/n, I told you that I—”

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

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

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

Neteyam blinked. “What?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rain was pouring heavily.

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

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

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

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

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

“—y/n! Can you hear me?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“May I see her?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Y/n? Y/n, Are you—”

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

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

“Oh, Y/n… I’m sorry I was late.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Well then, ready for the day?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I want one too!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yes, y/n?”

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

“Of course. Anything.”

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

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

“Special… like?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Tell me your dreams, dear.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m… confused?”

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

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

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

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

-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Neteyam…

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

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

“Y/n?!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And two things you can smell?”

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

“Last one. One thing you can taste—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Of course…”

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

“Sorry—” you began, raising a hand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yes, sorry… I’m just overwhelmed.”

“I missed your voice...”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I want to kiss you.”

“...Don’t.”

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

“I… I don’t know. Please…”

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

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

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

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

“Yes…” he rasped, “So special.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Fuck, y/n…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That felt good…”

It really did.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He smiled down at you. “You did?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“...It wasn’t yours either.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hmm?”

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

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

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

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

taglist : @k----a27s @babymi1ne

The memory was still clear in your mind, the towering skin-borrowed, or avatars, dressed in human tactical gear, the grip of a female soldier pulling you up by your ear, and her thumb wiping away the mud to reveal the ink stretching from your earlobe down to your nape. Wherein the Omatikaya received a cummerbund upon passing their rites, your people wore the tolu, a permanent mark etched into the skin to honor a flyer’s passage into adulthood.

Now, you stood frozen in the council, head hung low while shame burned in your throat. You kept your lips pressed in a line, picking at the beads of your songcord as the elders hurled accusations across the room, leaving you to swallow the realization that you’d put two whole clans in danger just because of your little crush.

Ikeyni rubbed her temples, sighing. “We shouldn’t blame the children… they’re at an age where curiosity drives them, and it’s only fair that we—”

“My apologies, Ikeyni, but you speak like that only because she’s yours,” Elder Lirra interjected, her gaze slicing toward you. “If it were any other child, you’d see reason. Look at where her action has brought us! A huntress of her age should’ve stopped those kids from straying toward Mons Veritatis, yet she marched right along with them.”

“Are you serious, Lirra?” Ikeyni snapped. “I am not shielding the child from accountability, nor am I ignoring her mistake. But as an elder, I expected you to have enough wisdom to refrain from speaking such in front of these kids when we should be discussing solutions.”

“Kids who know better,” Lirra cfossed her arms. “Except Y/n, apparently.”

“Enough,” Jake’s voice cut through the tension, silencing the room. He ran a hand over his face, looking worn down as he breathed. “The responsibility falls on me. It was my job to keep those kids in line and I failed to do that…”

Neteyam frowned, every eye locked on the Olo’eyktan as he gathered his thoughts.

“Neytiri and I have already discussed this,” Jake continued, “We have to draw the RDA away from our clans, they’ll more likely come back to bomb the homes into ash. They have Spider now, and it won’t take long for them to wring information out of the kid.”

Ikeyni tilted her head. “What are you suggesting?”

“We’ll seek Uturu.”

Your head snapped up, your eyes widening as you stared at the Olo’eyktan in disbelief. You had expected him to call for a counter strike or rally the warriors for war, not abandon the canopy altogether.

They’ll leave…

Uturu... the ancient, sacred law of asylum that obligated a clan to protect refugees. It was a desperate move, but it was the only way to keep his family invisible, for sure.

“You must be out of your mind to bring the war straight to someone else’s homes.” An elder sckffed, shaking his head.

“It’s not that—”

“Where do you plan on going?”

Jake looked at them, who stared back at him with mistrust written over their features. He glanced toward Neytiri, who stood with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes fixed on the ground. “I may have a connection…” He replied.

“And what of Y/n?”

Your ears twitched at the mention of your name. You lifted your head, catching the glare Lirra threw at Toruk Makto as she pressed him. “Are you leaving her here? Under our care—”

“Y/n will not be staying here,” Ikeyni interjected, stepping up. “She will return with us to the—”

“You do realize how stupid that sounds, Ikeyni?” Pxu’tsing shrugged “We all know those sky people saw her marking. They know exactly where her people live, and they know that their target’s children have ties beyond this forest. If they lose track of him, they’ll march straight to the next place they can name which is your clan. They’ll tear your home apart looking for her, and when they find her, they’ll bleed her for answers about where Jake is hiding.”

Lirra cursed under her breath, rolling her eyes. “For once, Pxu’tsing is right, Jake. It won’t be that simple.”

“Then Y/n comes with us.”

The voice didn’t belong to the Olo’eyktan. Every head in the room turned toward the source, landing on Jake’s eldest son. Neteyam stood with his chin held high, shoulders set and arms crossed over his chest as he met the elders’ stares without flinching.

Your forehed creased, a spike of anxiety hitting your chest at the thought of leaving your clan behind. “Neteyam, I—”

“What are you insinuating, boy?” Lirra asked, cutting you off before you could finish. You licked your dry lips, biting down on the bottom one to quell the nervous tremor in your hands while Neteyam moved his gaze to the elder.

“As you said, she’s been identified, and her clan is exposed. If she stays, she puts her people in danger. The safest option is for her to come with us until this blows over.”

“No, Neteyam,” Ikeyni spoke up, stepping in front of you to block you from the eyes of the others. “I’m not allowing my daughter to be dragged any deeper into this than she already is. I’ll handle her myself. If your family must flee, then go, you won’t take her with you.”

“With all respect, Olo’eykte,” Neteyam cleared his throat, taking a step forward, “if she stays on the cliffs, and the RDA tracks her home, they bring the fire straight to your doorstep. But if she’s to come with us, she vanishes into a new territory, under our watch.”

“And who guarantees her safety out there?” Pxu’tsing grinned, a mocking smile tugging at his mouth as he eyed the young warrior. “A boy who couldn’t even keep his own siblings out of those sky people’s sights?”

Neteyam’s jaw clenched, a muscle pulsing visibly in his cheek at the strike, but he didn’t lose his composure. His golden eyes flicked over Ikeyni’s shoulder to find yours for a second before looking back onto your adoptive mother.

“I will. I give you my word as a warrior of the Omatikaya. I will protect Y/n with my life.”

With that meeting concluding, you found yourself hugging your knees as you stared into the campfire. It was the last feast in the forest you’d ever experience, knowing you’d be leaving it all behind in just a week.

“May I?”

You looked up from the log you were sitting on to find Neteyam standing there, then you nod before scooting to the side to give him room to sit. You licked your dry lips, a habit that always kicked in when you felt uneasy, before sighing deelly.

“Are you… mad?” he initiated, the question taking a second to fully process in your mind. You snapped your head toward him in shock, waving your hands. “No! What? Why would I be?”

“Well…” Neteyam rubbed the back of his neck, his ears twitching. “I spoke up in front of the elders and claimed that you’ll come with us when it was clear your heart wanted to return to your home. I realized then that I didn’t even ask for your word first. So now, technically, you’re coming with us against your will.”

You looked away, a wave of shyness washing over you beneath the weight of his golden eyes.

The thing was, out of all the Sully kids with Spider included, Neteyam was the only one you had never built a bond with. He was the mighty warrior of the Omatikaya, while you had only landed in your clan’s huntress’ ranks because your adoptive mother, Ikeyni, caught you sparring with other girls as a child and forced a weapon into your hand.

This man moved with purpose, carrying the weight of his father’s eyes on his back at all times. Lo’ak and the others were always complaining about how strict their big brother is, and over time, that image in your head had turned into intimidation.

“It’s fine, really,” you muttered, scratching awkward fingers against the back of your neck. “You spoke the truth back there. If I stayed with my people, I’d only bring them straight to the innocent paths. Besides… maybe this opportunity will be a good thing for me, somehow,” You said following a nervous chuckle.

Neteyam watched you closely, grinning before he shook his head, looking down at the ground. “Why? Because you get to spend time with Lo’ak?”

Your eyes went wide, your ears pinning flat against your head as a scorching heat rushed straight to your cheeks and neck. “What are you saying? of course not…”

“Alrighty, sure, Y/n.”

The week blurred past all too fast, and before you knew it, you were resting your cheek against Ikeyni’s chest, wrapping your arms around her waist. The small bag sat against your back, stuffed with your few belongings, alongside a handful of extra items she had fussed over and shoved inside, insisting you couldn’t leave without them.

“Tsentey and I will miss you… I guess,” she teased, resting her chin atop your head.

You rolled your eyes, though a downward smile pulled at your lips as you stepped back from the embrace. You kept your gaze locked onto hers, fighting the urge to beg her to let you stay. “I’ll miss you both… tell him that for me.”

Ikeyni reached into the pouch at her waist, pulling out a necklace lined with shells and pearls. “Here. I had the weavers craft this for you before you left. Just a… souvenir, so that no matter how far you go, you remember that there’s a whole clan waiting on their favorite huntress.”

A grin broke through your sadness, and you shook your head. “You’re so cringe, Ikeyni,” you muttered, turning around so she could fasten the ties around your neck.

“It’s a wide world out there, dear,” she whispered, her hands working at the knot behind your head. “Take this chance. Explore, and exit your comfort zone,” As she spoke, your eyes moved and instinctively searched for the family nearby, then landed right on the youngest son of Toruk Makto.

There, Lo’ak stood near his ikran, a cute visible pout on his lips and his brows furrowed as he watched Tuk wail directly into their grandmother’s chest, loudly crying for Mo’at to come with them, the Tsahik comforts her by saying she has to stay and watch over the village.

Just looking at him brought that fluttery feeling straight to your stomach, the tension draining from your shoulders as warmth spread through your chest. You couldn’t help the smile that went at your mouth, he was always so himself, so endearing even when he was trying to look tough.

Then his golden eyes flicked away from his baby sister and met yours.

Your breath caught in your throat, a flush rising to your neck. Caught staring, you swallowed hard, trying to act casual as you raised your forehead as a greeting, mimicking the lift of his eyebrows with happiness in your stomach.

Looking back at the village one last time from the back of your ikran felt like claws tearing at your chest, leaving you no choice but to force your gaze away. Your eyes moved straight to a certain Sully, who was staring back at the fading canopy just as longingly as it dissolved into the clouds.

Unbeknownst to you, another Sully’s eyes were fixed only on you, watching the way you sought solace in the sight of his younger brother.

“We’re here.”

All of you dismounted your ikran, your faces pale with nerves, though you tried your best to stand tall as the crowd of Metkayina surrounding approaching began to hiss at your arrival.

“Be nice,” Jake whispered.

You swallowed hard, your chest tightening when a few girls stared you up and down, leaning into one another to whisper. Touching your necklace, and before the prickle of discomfort could settle under your skin, a palm rested against your back, looking up, Neteyam went beside you to give a touch to calm you down.

Lo’ak stood on Neteyam’s other side, his gaze wandering out toward the water. Neteyam caught the hitch in his younger brother’s breath, watching as Lo’ak’s eyes widened, just mesmerized.

Curious, Neteyam looked out toward the waves to see what had caught his attention. A female was going off a sea creature, diving into the shallows before rising slowly into the sunlight, slicking her hair back as she held eye contact.

A grin tugged at Neteyam’s lips, and he nudged his shoulder against his brother’s. “Stop staring, weirdo.”

“Bro.”

Both of them shared a laugh, but Neteyam’s smile faded almost instantly as his eyes flicked down to his right. You were standing there in silence, a subtle and noticeable pout can be seen on your lips as you stared at the sand.

And in that split second, the sight hit him right in the chest, he had forgotten about your feelings for his brother.

Neteyam just gave a side-eye at his younger brother before refocusing on the teens approaching your group. Together, the three of you brought your hands up from your foreheads, signing Oel ngati kameie in respect. The boys just stared back, their expressions twisting with disdain as they ignored the gesture. Neteyam’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing at their lack of courtesy.

“Bro, look at his tail!” one of them smirked, coming closer while his friend pointed mockingly at Lo’ak’s hands. “Look at their fingers! And— is that even supposed to be a tail?”

Before the mocking could escalate, the girl Lo’ak had been staring at stepped between them, swatting at the boys’ arms. “Do not, Rotxo! Aonung!” she scolded, giving them a glare before turning back to greet your group. Lo’ak’s posture straightened, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

“Hey.”

The girl’s expression melted away, her lips twitching into a shy smile as she looked back at him. A pang hit your chest at the sight, you licked your dry lips and forced your eyes up to the sky just to look anywhere else.

Above the reef, several riders were soaring through the clouds on massive, winged beasts that were somewhat similar to an ikran but distinct. You watched with a flyer’s instinct as the creatures tucked their wings tight against their bodies, plunging straight into the water.

“Olo’eyktan.”

“I see you, Tonowari,” Jake signed to the tattooed male approaching your group. His leadership was obvious from his attire alone, his expression welcoming as he gave a smile in return. “Jakesully,” the chief greeted.

All of you brought your hands to your foreheads, repeating the greeting in unison as Tonowari returned it. But before anyone could relax, the crowd parted, clearing a path for a woman whose gaze locked onto the new arrivals.

“I see you, Ronal,” Jake signed again.

The Tsahjk walked forward with slow steps, her eyes scanning each of you as if searching for hidden threats. She didn’t return the sign; her soul remained closed to strangers who had shown up on her shores unannounced.

“Why do you come to us, Jakesully?” Tonowari asked.

“We seek Uturu.”

Ronal’s forehead creased. “Uturu?!”

Jake nodded. “Yes. Sanctuary for my family.”

The request hung in the air, sounding almost absurd to the reef clan. Here stood the legendary leader, asking to hide his people among the ocean tribes, a plea for refuge that felt ironic.

“You are forest people. We are reef people. Your skills will be nothing here.” Tonowari claimed. Before Jake could respond, Ronal stepped up to Kiri, grabbing the girl’s forearm and twisting it upward to inspect her skin. “These kids… You would be slow in the water!”

She dropped Kiri’s arm and moved straight to Lo’ak, snatching his hand into her palm to count his digits. “These aren’t even true Na’vi! They carry demon blood!”

The crowd erupted into a chorus of hisses and murmurs. You watched from the side as Lo’ak’s stance caved, his head bowing low in embarrassment.

“We don’t!” Kiri hissed back, her ears flattening against her head. Jake stepped between them, holding up his own hands for them to see. “Look! I was born from one of the sky people, but I’m Na’vi now. You can adapt. We will adapt. ’kay?”

Neytiri stepped forward from behind him, her spine straight and her chin held high with pride. “My husband… was Toruk Makto.”

Jake felt a cringe ripple through him for he hadn’t wanted his past title brought into a plea for mercy, but Neytiri didn’t care. “He led the clans to victory against the sky people,” she declared.

“You call this a victory? Hiding among strangers?” Ronal snapped, stepping right into Neytiri’s space, who gave a hiss, glaring as she met the Tsahik’s eyes with just as equal fury.

“I apologize for my mate—”

“Do not apologize for me, Jake!” Neytiri retorted without taking her eyes off Ronal. “She has flown a long way, and she’s very exhausted,” Jake continued, giving his wife a look that forced her to hold her tongue before he scooped a crying Tuk up into his arms.

Tonowari looked to the side before he shook his head, stepping forward to absorb the tension. “Toruk Makto is a great war leader. All Na’vi know his story. But we, Metkayina, are not at war,” He turned his gaze back to Jake. “We cannot allow you to bring your war here.”

“I’m done with war, alright?” Jake pleaded, patting Tuk’s back as she hid her face in his neck. “I just want to keep my family safe.”

“...Uturu has been asked,” Neytiri whispered, resting a hand on Kiri’s hand on her shoulder. The two leaders of the clan exchanged a look, communicating nonverbally. After a moment of contemplation with Ronal scoffing, Tonowari raised his arms to address his gathering people.

“Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us.”

It ended with them subtly mocking the sixth legendary himself, dismissing all of you as useless babies taking their first breath. Tsireya, the Olo’eyktan’s daughter, stepped forward to lead your group toward an empty marui.

You followed, letting Tuk drag you along by the hand. The moment you reached the structure, she excitedly leaped onto the floor, giggling as the netting let her bounce. Off in the distance, a few curious children began moving toward you all, but you could only offer them an awkward smile when their parents pulled them back by their shoulders, casting glares in your direction.

You settled down right beside Tuk, mostly because she had begged you to stay with her when you initially tried to step outside to give them privacy. Your feet rested on the net while the rest of the Sullys crouched in a circle on the floorboards.

“Remember? Family meeting,” Neteyam reminded his brother, reaching out to yank him down into a seat right beside him. You picked at your fingers in your lap, feeling out of place. This was a family matter, something meant for parents and their children, not an outsider like you.

“Okay. I need you kids on your absolute best behavior,” Jake began as his hands moved with every word. His gaze flicked over to you. “And that goes for you too, Y/n.”

You licked your dry lips, offering a reluctant nod. Lo’ak reached out to give your knee a pat, shooting you a look that made you roll your eyes before he turned his attention back to his father.

“Learn fast. Pull your weight,” Jake continued, pausing to glare at his youngest son. “And do not cause any trouble, ya hear me?”

The older brothre grinned, reaching over to catch the back of his youngest brother’s neck to force him to look. Lo’ak let out an annoyed hiss, swatting his hand away while Neteyam just chuckled.

Beside you, Tuk leaned her body against yours, her lower lip trembling. “I want to go home…” A frown tugged at your mouth. You rested a hand on top of her head, stroking her hair to soothe her. “It’s alright, Tuk…”

Neytiri pressed a hand over her lips to silent a breath, her eyes softening as she watched you comfort her daughter.

“Tuk, this is our home now.”

And it really is.

Over the days that followed, you began adapting to the wide island air. Back on the Tayrangi cliffs, looking out over open water was second nature, for your people were known across Eywa’eveng as the ikran flyers of the Eastern Sea. You had always lived relatively close to clans like Metkayina and Ta’unui, as well as Bridgehead, the sprawling human industrial city fueling the RDA’s destructive expansion.

Which was why it had been so easy for their squad to recognize what you were from a single glance.

You held your neck accessory as you watched your friends in the distance trying to learn how to mount an ilu. Before any negative thoughts could make their way into your mind, a hand pulled your wrist away from your skin. Turning around, your gaze fell upon Neteyam.

“Oh.... Hey.”

He didn’t let go of your wrist right away, his fingers staying against your pulse before he pulled you toward the tidal flats. “C’mon. Let’s watch my baby brother make a fool out of himself.”

Neteyam led you down to the water, keeping close as you both watched Lo’ak attempt to mount the aquatic animal. Lo’ak took a deep breath, glancing around until his eyes landed on you standing right beside his older brother.

He flashed you a smirk before turning back to Tsireya, who was guiding his hand toward the creature’s neck antennae to establish the neural connection. You held your hands behind your back, swallowing down the knot in your throat as you watched her instruct him.

Then, Lo’ak gave a command to the ilu.

You watched from where you crouched in the water alongside Neteyam, Tsireya, and Aonung’s crew, all eyes locked on Lo’ak as he tried to hold on. The ilu plunged straight underwater, doing a not-so-steady swim before yanking him off his feet and dragging him through the harsh waves. Water slapped against his face and torso as it tore across the sea, ripping him off the mounting spot before dumping him into a splash, he watched as the ilu practically groaned at him.

A muffled chuckle escaped Neteyam, sending a trail of bubbles floating to the surface before you all sat up, gasping for air as you searched the water for Lo’ak. You nudged Neteyam’s shoulder with your hand for laughing and glared at him, but your gaze quickly moved toward Tsireya. She was giggling into her hand before wading over to help Lo’ak surface, leaving you with tha bittersweet ache in your chest as his embarassed eyes locked onto hers once again.

You accidentally rolled your eyes before crossing your arms and looking away. The action didn’t go unnoticed by the man beside you, he nudged your arm too, signaling with his head for you to follow him.

“It will do you good to get away from this stress.”

“I guess…”

He pulled you away from the noise of the sea, walking alongside you down the stretch of the beach. You kept your head hung low, watching the sand kiss the soles of your feet as you stepped. Swallowing hard, you tried to smooth over the awkwardness. “Just so you know… I’m not stressed. At all. I’m all good. Just adjusting. I don’t want you thinking that I’m feeling—”

“But you are, though,” Neteyam interrupted. He tapped two fingers against his chest. “I can feel it right here. And I’m not stupid, Y/n. I know you’re jealous,” He grinned.

“Jealous is a… very big word, Neteyam,” you huffed, turning your face away. “I’m not. I am… I’m happy for him,” You shrugged, clasping your hands behind your back as you walked.

Beside you, he let out a chuckle, matching his long stride to your pace. “Oh, yeah?” he hummed, his golden eyes looking at you.

“Yeah. Yes.”

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Your forehead wrinkled, looking at him like he was dumb, and in this situation, he kind of was. “I don’t have anything to tell you man.”

“Tell me what’s running through that pretty head of yours.”

“Um like nothing—”

“Are you sure?” He tilted his head, a grin on his lips stayed as his eyes held yours. “You’re not wondering how he got so close to her so fast, or why all his usual clumsy awkwardness just vanished into thin air? I thought that maybe it was because he’s in a place he doesn’t know, making it easy for him to shed his habits, but watching him throw away what little dignity he has left over someone he just met makes me yhink what’s really going through his tiny head.”

Your mouth fell open because that was literally what you were thinking about, leaving you caught off guard. “I mean— now that you mention it, now, I’m thinking about that too,” you scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest to hide the heat rising on your neck.

Neteyam laughed, shaking his head as he matched your pace down the shoreline. “Y’know, you’re beautiful and a terrible liar, y/n.”

You rolled your eyes at the compliment, brushing it off as nothing more than his attempt to make the air between you comfortable. Since you two were never really close back in the forest, you figured he was just adopting Lo’ak’s usual overly teasing way of talking to you.

“It’s just weird,” you muttered, ignoring his comment as you stared at the sand. “One moment he’s teasing me in the forest, and the next, he cannot keep his eyes on the path because someone looked his way.”

“Lo’ak is easily distracted, y’know how he is. He sees a new face, and he just runs straight toward it without even thinking about what he’s leaving behind.”

You swallowed, giving him a side-eye. “What about you? Do you get easily distracted too?”

“No. I know exactly where my focus belongs.”

-

“Breathe in… and breathe out.”

You followed as Tsireya spoke, watching her closely to copy the way her hands moved to her chest as she demonstrated. She lifted a hand into the air, gesturing. “Imagine flickering a flame. You must slow down your heartbeat.”

Closing your eyes, you tried your best to follow her guidance, but opening them only pulled your gaze back toward her hands as she reached out to touch Lo’ak’s chest and stomach. “Breathe in,” she instructed, nudging his belly with her palm. “Breathe from down here… and breathe out slowly.”

You side-eyed Lo’ak from your right, watching him follow her instructions while his eyes stayed glued to her face. She shot him a look before focusing back on his chest, a frown appearing on her brow. “Lo’ak, your heartbeat is fast. Try to focus.”

Your eyes narrowed before you caught yourself, widening them to look anywhere else. That was when your gaze landed on the man sitting to your left, Neteyam was raising an invisible eyebrow at you, a teasing smirk evident on his lips before he flicked his eyes toward Rotxo to share a grin.

Rolling your eyes at him, you pressed a hand to your own chest and forced your attention back to practicing the breathing technique on your own.

When you’re finally alone, you lowered your hand from your chest, letting out a breath that caught in your throat. No matter how many times you pictured that flickering flame she says, your pulse kept drumming against, and it wasn’t just because of the sea air burning your lungs.

From the corner of your eye, you could still see Lo’ak staring at Tsireya, his shoulders almost touching hers as they moved into the deeper water to practice swimming.

It was almost funny to watch him, the exact same boy who, back in the forest, had been slinging an arm around your neck, whispering flirtatious comments during dinner gatherings, making secret gestures across your council meetings, and pulling you into some walks that even ended up with you losing your home too.

He had acted like you were his favorite person in the world. But standing here on the rocks, watching him look at the Tsahìk’s daughter like she hung the stars, you were forced to swallow the shameful truth that to him, it had all just been a game, a pastime while he waited for someone else to catch his eye.

Footsteps made you flinch, stepping in front of your line of sight to block your view of his brother. “Your shoulders are up at your ears, Y/n,” Neteyam murmured, he didn’t tease this time. His eyes looked at your face, catching the scrunch nose on your face. “You wanna practice breathing with me?”

You glanced up at Neteyam, your bottom lip trembling for a split second before you caught yourself. “Sure,” you pressed your palm back against your chest. “It’s just um hard to slow my heartbeat, and I don’t know why. I mean, I should be able to, since I’ve been into the seas before but for some reason, I just cannot.”

He held your hand and guided you over to sit down on the rock, taking care not to cling to you as he let go. Placing his hand flat against his own center, right over his heartbeat, he held his other hand out toward you, waiting until you hesitantly laid your fingers in his palm.

“Match me,” he whispered, his thumb giving your hand a squeeze. “Ignore the rest of the beach. Just... breathe with me.”

You looked straight into his golden eyes, forcing yourself to draw in a long breath. For the first time all morning, the knot in your chest began to loosen, his presence pulling you right out of your thoughts.

When the training session finally wrapped up and the tide began to rise, you and Neteyam stayed behind, moving farther up the shore as the white foam started lapping at the rock you had been sitting on earlier. Now, you were both resting against the trunk of a tree, sitting where you could watch the villagers gathering down the beach for the evening meal.

If you had told your younger self that you would end up living with another clan, sitting side by side and sharing a deep conversation with the eldest son of Toruk Makto, you never would’ve believed it. A polite interaction wouldn’t have surprised you, but you two had been talking for hours now, watching the sun dip below the horizon as you both stayed hooked in an endless stream of shared deep conversations.

The conversation had reached a point where you finally admitted you used to be terrified of him when you were kids, mostly because he never interacted with you or tolerated the stunts you pulled with his siblings, not that you blamed him, giving people near heart attacks was definitely not an impressive behavior.

In return, you discovered the secrets he kept buried beneath his chest. For someone carrying the title of a mighty warrior, you realized he truly had no one to lean on, with even his own brother seeing him as this flawless man. Your heart ached at the thought of him carrying that weight alone, unable to even confide in his own mother, until the urge to comfort him took over and you blurted out that you would always be there for him.

And you knew you meant every single word.

A few weeks later, you found yourself tucked away inside a cave you had discovered, it wasn’t a big cave, more like just a spot being covered by the big rocks, with no one around except Neteyam. You were both deeply wrapped in another one of those long conversations that had become a daily habit for the past few days, so addicting that it felt like you were unlocking new parts of yourselves with every secret being spilled.

You sat on the stone floor, picking at a stray thread on your loincloth as you bit down on your bottom lip. “Something that scares me…”

“Mhm,” Neteyam hummed.

“I think it’s the fact that… as I’m growing, learning, and putting my heart into things, it might all just turn out to be a waste of time,” you stated. “It’s like… what if I exert all this energy trying to learn how to swim in the ocean, only to end up drowning in the end anyway? You get it?”

You scratched your fingers awkwardly against your knee, looking back up at him to make sure you were making sense, you saw the way he nodded before you continued.

“I know people say you cannot call something a waste of time as long as you were happy in the moment, but... I’m just always thinking about the future,” you licked your lips, looking down at your hands. “I think it’s a weakness at this point cus I can never just be satisfied..”

You sighed. “Maybe it has something to do with my parents? I just cannot imagine becoming like them. Having no goals, and just floating along and riding the flow… then abandoning things.”

Neteyam listened in silence, his eyes analyzing your face as he let your confession settle into the air of the cave. “It’s because you care about where your life is going. It’s understandable, I understand you.”

“It’s kind of the same in my current situation… I don’t wanna think about it too much because like I said, it’s a fear. I hate that whatever I had with Lo’ak in the forest turned out to be… nothing. If we even had something. I just really thought he felt the same way I did. I mean, I would never touch someone so often if I didn’t like them, I wouldn’t tease them, and I wouldn’t ever make anyone feel special if they actually weren’t. It just makes me feel stupid for believing it was real, and for being the only one mourning over it while he’s out there blushing.”

Neteyam just kept nodding as you spoke. You didn’t even realize that throughout the past few weeks, he had patiently allowed you to vent to him about his own brother, about how shitty Lo’ak had been acting, and how he kept flaking on your plans whenever Tsireya showed up. It had even gotten to a point where you grew bitter toward the poor girl, accidentally snapping at her while she was trying to help you mount an ilu properly.

“I understand how the bond works,” you had rolled your eyes, swatting her hand away from your wrist. The moment the words left your mouth, you caught the frown on her face. Guilt had crashed over you, making you wave your hands in a panic as you apologized profusely, playing it off as a bad joke and weird humor.

Yet, Neteyam here never invalidated your feelings. Even though he held feelings for you that you had yet to notice, he never pointed out that you were always talking about his sibling. He never bragged or pushed himself on you, even while he was the one standing right in front of you, the one who stepped up every single time Lo’ak stood you up or promised to come back only to run off with Tsireya instead.

“You’re not stupid for feeling this way. He made you believe you had something, and that’s on him,” Neteyam said, patting your shoulder and putting your fallen hair behind your ear. “If it weighs on you this much, you should probably tell him. Clear the air so you’re not carrying this around with you.”

You shook your head, staring down at your lap. “Not yet. I’m not ready.”

Years went by as time moved with quite a speed...

You experienced more than a lifetime’s worth of moments wrapped in those ocean breezes. You got to witness Lo’ak stand tall for his spirit brother, Payakan, as the tulkun council accepted them at last, letting go of the outcast title. Then the relief of reuniting with Spider after thinking he was lost forever to the Resources Development Administration.

How you watched scared as Kiri suffered from seizures, severing from her connection to the Greatmother. You also experienced the gut-wrenching grief of losing your own ikran during the final battle, your banshee taking the hit of a sky person’s fire to shield your body from the blast, losing your bond.

And worst of all, the memory that still wakes you up in cold sweats, was feeling the blood of Neteyam soaking through your palm as you applied pressure to slow down the bleeding while you flew him back to the forest.

You remembered how you spent every second praying to Eywa while looking away from the deep bullet that had torn into his shoulder, begging the scientists to save him before his life slipped through your trembling hands from blood loss.

Looking back, you were definitely traumatized from what the war had brought alone.

Because now, you held onto Neteyam’s forearm, giving him a look, a frown on your face as you tried to stop him from leaving. He just gave you a smile before taking your hand off his arm, bringing it up to his face, and pressing his lips to the back of your palm.

He had finally been assigned to hunt outside the reef, near the three brothers rocks. It was extremely dangerous for inexperienced swimmers, as it sat in deep, open water and served as a natural hunting ground for apex oceanic predators. But Neteyam wasn’t inexperienced, you were just terrified for the boy you cared about most.

“I’ll be fine,” he whispered, his thumb caressing your hand. “I’ll come back to you.”

You swallowed hard, wetting your dry lips. “You better, Neteyam… we’re still not finished talking about our human selves.”

“Of course. I’ll bring you a rare fish too, trust me on that.”

And he did. He brought back the exact one you had mentioned days ago. It was just one of those constant days where he listened to you and gave you whatever you asked for, bringing a refreshing ease into your life that you weren’t used to.

You didn’t mean to compare the two brothers, but the fact that Neteyam went out of his way to join a higher level hunting group with members that had men that were already fathers just to get something you wanted, while a certain someone used to make excuses, hit you hard.

That certain someone no longer held your heart.

You had long realized that your feelings for Lo’ak had bled away, replaced by that undeniable love for his big brother instead.

So funny.

It was clear the day your necklace snapped while riding ilu with your friends. You had dismounted, diving beneath the water in a panic to catch the scattered shells and beads before they sank into the ocean. Swimming to the nearest cave, your friends followed, watching as you sat on the stone floor, breathing hard while you tried to piece the broken strands together with trembling hands.

Lo’ak had just leaned against the wall, watching you with a shrug. “It’s fine, Y/n. It’s just a necklace. Let’s go. We can just get you a new one, Tsireya is a good weaver anyway.”

Your eye twitched at his words, a sting rising in your chest. But while he gave up on it, Neteyam dropped to his knees beside you. He placed a hand on your shoulder, looking straight into your eyes. “We’ll string it back together, okay?”

You had broken down that day, burying your face in his chest as he picked up every single bead and shell that fell. He knew that it had been given to you by Ikeyni, that it was one of the few pieces of home you had left, and he wasn’t going to let it be lost when it could be saved. By that very night, Neteyam had restored it, presenting it back to you with a smile.

Then there was the day you stayed out late on the water. You weren’t actually lost, you knew your way back, but you had gotten swept up in reminiscing about your past, thinking of your fallen ikran, Ikeyni and Tsentey as you caressed your tolu behind your ears, and frowned at the sighf of the cracked shells on your necklace.

When you finally paddled back to the village, Lo’ak greeted you with a sneer when you stepped onto the marui. “Woah thought the sky people got you for a second! Where were you?”

But Neteyam hadn’t waited at the marui. He had met you out, his jaw tight and his posture stiff after scanning the seas for hours. The moment his eyes landed on you, the tense in his shoulders visibly collapsed. He uttered your name like a desperate sigh, stepping straight through the water to grab your wrist and pull you flush against his chest.

“Oh…” he breathed into your hair, his arms locking around you. “You’re finally back.”

It felt weird to do so, to compare them. But you couldn’t just not to.

When you were struggling with the heavy baskets during harvest, Lo’ak jogged past with a grin, “You got this, girl!” throwing that over his shoulder as he hurried off to join Tsireya by the water. He treated your struggle as a joke, assuming your resilience meant you never needed a hand.

Neteyam though, returning from a patrol with sore shoulders of his own, would say nothing at all. He would step up beside you, take the things, and match his pace to yours so you didn’t have to carry anything.

And then there were the nights by the communal hearth, which had become so annoying. Whenever you build up the courage to speak about your home in the forest, recalling its damp smell of moss, or the ache of missing your old life, Lo’ak would cut you off, hijacking before you could even finish your thought.

“Oh, you think that’s bad? Try being the guy who actually gets blamed for everything back there. At least you didn’t have my dad or brother breathing down your neck every single day.”

You would freeze, eye twitching as he launched into another rant about himself, pulling everyone’s attention away from your situation to make sure he remained the center of the story. You were left sitting in silence, feeling smaller than before, while he absorbed the energy.

Neteyam never did that though, he saw no reason to make everything about himself. Instead, he would either stop Lo’ak mid-sentence to remind him that you were still speaking, or he would wait until the others wandered off and left the two of you alone then ask, “What were you saying before? Tell me more about it.”

It was in those days that your heart finally settled.

You realized that while Lo’ak had been that thrilling experience and the kind of intense spark that made you crave a partner, he was just far out of reach. You two were never really meant to be together, a mismatch from the start, and it was clear he belonged with Tsireya instead.

Neteyam, on the other hand, was the man you had been dreaming of all along.

“Hey.”

You greeted, looking over at Lo’ak as he leaned against the abandoned skiff, watching the bioluminescence ripple across the water. He didn’t turn around, waiting for you to walk up beside him and take in the view for yourself.

“You made me wait for an hour, girl,” he said, shooting a glare over his shoulder. You chuckled, rolling your eyes. “I did. What about it?”

He turned to rest his back against the railing of the boat. He watched you from the side as you propped your chin on your palm, letting the sound of the waves wash over you. “What’s this meeting for, anyway? You scared me with that whole ‘Lo’ak, meet me at the blabla when the sun blabla down,’” he mocked your voice.

“Good,” you grinned, closing your eyes before turning around to copy his stance, crossing your arms over your chest. “I came to tell you something, and I don’t wanna beat around the bush, so I’m just going to say it.”

“Bro… just go ahead. Now I’m actually scared.”

“I like you, Lo’ak.”

His eyes widened as he looked down at your face under the twilight. His mouth hung slightly open as he searched your expression, but you only offered him a grin. “...What? Like as in— um like-like?”

“Like as in like-like, yes,” you nodded.

“Woah… I uh... I don’t know what to say,” He licked his lips, gulping as he straightened his back, suddenly hyper-aware of the dead air stretching between you both.

“Well… at least, I used to.”

“…Oh.”

You looked down, your hand rising to rub the back of your neck. “I came to realize that it would do me good to at least tell you. I didn’t want it to stay buried and forgotten in the dark, never spoken aloud. I liked you, Lo’ak, but it’s time I finally let that go.”

He nust stood, looking down at the worn floorboards of the boat. You looked up at the sky before glancing back at him, taking in his tight jaw and the tension in his ears.

“Calm down, bro,” you said. “I only wanted to tell you because… I carried it with me for years. And maybe there’s this selfish part of me that wants you to carry the weight of it too. Heh, a little guilt for making me mourn what we could’ve been. But I have to thank you for it, really. Because of that stupid behavior of yours, I discovered things about myself I never would’ve known otherwise.”

He chuckled. “So suddenly it’s my fault again?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “It kind of is… I mean, you flirted with me back in the forest, and then the second we landed here, you were gawking over someone you just met. It was then I realized love at first sight might actually be real, at least in your case.”

“Well, jokes aside… I’m sorry, y/n.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Lo’ak. Well, nothing I care about anymore. It has been years. Like I said, I just wanted to say it so you could feel a little guilty… okay, I’m kidding. But yeah… someone… someone told me to tell you once I was ready. I guess it took years for me to stand here and say it. You should be proud of me, y’know how much I hate confrontation.”

Lo’ak stared down at his feet, his toes digging into the gaps of the flooring. He swallowed hard, exhaling a breath before looking back up at you. “Y’know…” he began, rubbing the back of his neck, “you really had me sweating for a second. I thought you were about to throw me overboard.”

You covered your mouth, letting out a laugh. “Oh, I thought about it. Believe me, Y/n from years ago would’ve pushed you into the water without a second thought the moment you opened your mouth and said ‘I’m sorry.’”

“Yeah well, that Y/n was terrifying,” He muttered, he nudged your arm with his shoulder. “I’m proud of you. Really. I don’t even know what else to say, but I just am. I must be lucky to even receive an ounce of your confronting side.”

“Skxawng…”

There was no awkwardness left between you, just the wall of two people who had survived a war together, who had grown up side by side in the shade of the forest and learned to swim in the same sea.

“Seriously though. Thank you for telling me. And… I really am sorry for being an oblivious mess back then. I was so caught up in trying to prove myself to everyone that I didn’t see what was right in front of me. I’m sorry for leading you on too.”

“Yeah yeah… We were kids, Lo’ak. You don’t have to carry any weight for not feeling the same way about me. It’s not your fault that you didn’t like me the way I liked you.”

“...Man. you really are my bestest friend, y’know that right?”

“Mhm… Lucky you have your looks, because there’s clearly nothing in here,” you chuckled, gesturing to your own head before looking back up at him.

“Wow,” Lo’ak laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back. He shot you a side-eye, a grin showing. “Wait… You said someone told you to tell me when you were ready.”

“…Did I?”

“Yeah you did,” He said, crossing his arms as he stepped a little closer, leaning down to catch your eye. “I have a wild guess on who it is but I don’t wanna say it.”

“Well if you don’t wanna say it, I will… It’s Neteyam.”

Moons had gone by at Awa’atlu, and you had finally managed to grab an occupation for the time being, just to pass the times while you had nothing else to do besides nursing children. If it weren’t for your friend, Tsireya, you would’ve been stuck staring at the woven ceiling of the marui, waiting for a specific Sully to pull you out of the hammock for a walk along the beach.

You were currently inside the family’s quarters, crouching on the floorboards with a frown on your lips. In front of you sat Neteyam, wincing in pain from getting his chest and arms scraped up after crashing his tsurak into a reef rock because he had startled it a few days ago.

“Can you help me put it in now?” Neteyam asked, looking up from where he sat on the mat with a sigh. You frowned even more, your forehead creasing at the sight of his wounded skin. “Okay… but you need to hold still,” you sighed, reaching for the leather gear on the floor.

“Thanks, y/n. Sorry, it’s just really hard, and it hurts when I try to push it through,” he groaned, making you pout your lips in a desperate attempt not to show any pity.

You grabbed his armguard, untying the bindings before taking his right forearm in your hands, which made him hiss. “Oh my…. do you want me to stretch it out before I force it around you?” you asked, laying the leather flat against his skin and looking up for permission.

“I— just be gentle, please,” he muttered, his brow furrowing with an apologetic expression for making you do this when you looked ready to gag at the sight. When you wrapped the leather tightly around his forearm, he let out a groan, reaching out to pinch your wrist to handle the sudden sting. “Ah—okay, that’s way too tight… maybe loosen your grip and try again?”

“Neteyam… I told you we don’t have to do this. It’s only going to hurt you more,” you gulped, dreading the moment the gear pressed against his skin. “It’ll be fine. I know you’re scared, but I’m not, so it’s fine if it hurts me… or does it hurt you to hold it?”

“Wow, you actually don’t have a heart, do you.”

Both of you chuckled before you adjusted the leather, tying the knots enough to his liking without squeezing the life out of his flesh. He watched the hesitation sketched all over your face, which made his lips form a smile at your concern.

“What about this other one?” you pointed to the armband lying on the floor beside his cummerbund.

“If you can slide that one as well? I feel like you dont want to, your face says you’re suffering just watching me,” he teased. “Does it hurt you?”

“It does… I’m just gonna do it really slowly so it doesn’t affect me as much.”

“Slowly it is, then.”

You grabbed the band and looked for any tied knots, but the opening was confusing you, forcing you to look up at him with a wrinkled forehead. “What the… do you want me to stretch the hole open first, or—”

“It’s fine that way. Just hold the opening wide so I can slide my arm inside,” he instructed as he maneuvered his arm. You held the leather stretched as wide as your fingers could manage, slowly guiding it up his forearm to his bicep where it gripped his bare skin tight. “Okay—alright, it’s all the way in now.”

“Is it too tight around it? Are you in pain?” you bit your lip, hovering your fingers over the band.

“Not really, but hold on— help me adjust myself… hold it open while I move.” Neteyam straightened his back, holding out his left arm so you could stretch the leather away from the wounds. You sighed. “I hope it doesn’t hurt you while I ride it up.”

“I should be the one asking you—”

“STOP!”

Both of you snapped your heads toward the entrance where the curtain was shoved aside, revealing Kiri and Lo’ak standing there with horrified expressions. You looked at Neteyam in total confusion, and he mirrored your lost look before glaring back at his siblings.

“What’s going on?”

“Umm?” You adjusted your seating on the floor, skin crumpling on your forehead as you stared up at them.

“What were you two doing in here?!” Kiri demanded, crossing her arms over her chest while her ears pinned flat.

“...Helping him put his gear on?” you answered, still baffled by their expressions, which somehow looked scared, disappointed, disgusted, and angry all at the same time.

“Yo’re not doing anything else in here?” Lo’ak raised his arms, looking at you with a troubled face.

“What’s wrong with you two? What else could we possibly be doing?” Neteyam glared at his brother for daring to interrupt his private time with you.

“Alright… if you guys aren’t doing anything bad—”

Lo’ak cut Kiri off by shoving a hand in front of her face, speaking for the both of them. “We came to get Y/n because the horn blew and we assumed you didn’t hear it, and you know we love her cooking so we wanted her at the hearth! And the hunters were looking for you, bro, they said you were feeling like shit earlier so we thought you were sick! Then we walked past the marui and heard sounds… and it sounded like you two were fucking!”

He blurted it out so fast, every single word landed, sending a wave of heat rushing up your neck while your ears flattened against your head. Before you could even process a denial, Neteyam spoke up first.

“What? And even if we were, you guys would’ve just barged in like that?”

You turned your head slowly to stare at Neteyam, stunned that he didn’t even bother to deny it, acting as if the claim was totally fine while your internal organs were screaming.

“Well— we were planning on walking away and letting you guys do your own thing, until we heard you asking her to hold the hole wide so you could slide inside, and y/n telling you she hoped it didn’t hurt while she rode it!” Lo’ak gestured wildly between the two of you, looking mortified. “We obviously didn’t wanna see her get hurt!”

“Why would I hurt her?”

Your cheeks burned so hot you were sure the color had reached the tips of your ears. You kept your eyes fixed on the floor, fingers twisting together in your lap while Lo’ak’s words replayed in your head on a loop. Hold the hole wide… ride it… Every innocent sentence now sounded filthy, and the fact that Neteyam hadn’t even bothered denying it only made the heat under your skin worse. Looking back at the dialogue you had just exchanged, you had to admit it sounded absolutely appalling.

“I’m not kn duty tonight...” you could feel him looking at you, the awareness sat well in your chest. Instead of clarifying, he had just sat there and let the accusation hang, like the idea of the two of you together wasn’t something he needed to correct. That single choice made your stomach twist in a way that had nothing to do with embarassment anymore.

Your mind slipped without permission and went straight to the gutter. You pictured his hands on your hips the way they had been, only this time there was no leather between you. You imagined the weight of him pressing forward, the hard length of his cock dragging against your folds through the thin fabric of your loincloth. The thought of him asking you to hold yourself open so he could slide inside made your pussy clench hard around nothing.

You swallowed and still refused to look up, shaking your head with a scoff. Every move of Neteyam’s knee beside yours sent another explicit image flashing through your head, his mouth on your neck while he pushed into you slow and deep, the inappropriate sound he might make when your walls stretched around him, the way his hips would snap if you let him fuck you right here on the mat. Your heartbeat was loud in your ears and you could already feel yourself getting wet.

Kiri made a disgusted noise and dragged Lo’ak toward the exit, still muttering about boundaries and scoldings. The curtain shut behind them, leaving the two of you alone again.

You stayed frozen in place, cheeks still flaming indigo, thighs pressed tightly together to hide the ache that had stayed between them. Neteyam didn’t move right away, and when he spoke, his voice was quieter than before, whispering not to startle you. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes. I uh I’m fine. Sorry about them,” You nodded too quickly, still staring at the floor. Your fingers had started trembling against your thighs. The second the words left his mouth you were already thinking about how those same hands would feel if he pulled you into his lap instead, how easy it would be for him to push your loincloth aside and press the thick head of his cock right against your entrance. The fact that he hadn’t denied any of it made the want sit unbearable. You were throbbing now, slick enough that you were afraid he might notice if he looked too closely or that he could smell the arousal coming off of you.

Neteyam moved closer, his hands taking your wrist. “I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry for them. They’re so vulgar, it’s annoying,” he said, frowning at the entrance. He was unaware that the only thing terrifying you was how badly you wanted him to touch you.

Apparently the idea of the two of you fucking was vulgar and annoying to him. Oh, he would hate you so much if he knew what was running through your head right now…

“Yeah right…” You kept your eyes down, every place his fingers rested against your wrist felt too intoxicatng. You imagined those same hands sliding higher, pushing your loincloth aside, spreading your folds open so he could see exactly how wet you already were just from the misunderstanding.

The thought made your walls clench hard in absolute nothing, it’s a shame for you’re so easy. You could still feel the phantom stretch of him from the fantasy that refused to leave, the thickness pressing inside you while he looked down at you with those beautiful golden eyes of his.

You wondered how deep he would go, how deep he could go, how he’d look if he watched himself disappear into your pussy, how full you would feel if he actually pinned you to the mat and fucked you the way his siblings had accused.

Maybe... minus the arm part.

Neteyam’s thumb brushed over your pulse point, still trying to soothe what he thought was leftover embarassment. But you didn’t want any of that nonverbal reassurance, you wanted him to grip harder, to pull you into his lap, to grind that hard-on that you had ikagined against your aching clit until you squirted.

You swallowed and still said nothing, your thighs pressed together under the loincloth, trying to hide the way you were throbbing. He was still frowning, of course he’s just oblivious. Meanwhile you were soaked, aching, and convinced that if he moved even an inch closer you might actually beg for that cock.

What a shame it had been.

For the next few days it was undeniable that your relationship with Neteyam had taken a turn into something far more intimate, settling into this space between best friends and whatever this was. Technically it was still a friendship, at least on the surface, while the other person walked around the sea with filthy thoughts running through her head every single time they interacted.

From fearing his aura, wiping the grin off your face, straightening your spine, and shutting your mouth the second his footsteps approached, to sitting beside him on the sand and laughing over whatever gossip while imagining him pinning you down and telling you exactly how desperate you looked...

The change was as scary as it was effortless. It was a mystery how you had ended up here, talking to him so freely while your mind stayed occupied with the idea of him calling you a mess and making you prove it.

He made it so easy to drop your guard. The old you who held her breath whenever he walked into view to scold Lo’ak, or the one who used to shrink into the shadows of the council room just to avoid his gaze, was long gone. In that place was someone who no longer flinched when his shoulder brushed against hers, instead her thighs pressed together at the thought of him noticing how wet she got just from the contact, of him smirking and telling her how obvious she was.

Back then, if he so much as glanced your way, you would duck your head and pick at your songcord while the other hand rubbed your nape. Now the same glance made your heart jump and sent your mind straight to the idea of him looking down at you while you were on your knees, sassy and mean, telling you to open your mouth or spread your legs for him. You had started catching yourself hoping he would say something suggestive just so you could feel that hot rush between your thighs.

Neteyam changed around you too. That eldest son who carried the weight of the entire Sully name on his shoulders seemed to melt away whenever it was just the two of you. With you he wasn’t holding his breath or standing at attention for his father. He laughed, teased, and let his guard down in a way he didn’t allow anyone else to see, and every smile only made you wonder how different he would sound if he stopped being careful and started telling you what a needy, disgusting little thing you were for him.

The way he would snatch an extra piece of fruit from the communal mats just to press it into your palm as he walked past. The way his hand would stay on your back for just a second too long when guiding you through a crowd. Or the way his ears would perk up the exact moment you entered his vision. Each gesture left you aching, already imagining him using that same hand to push your head down or tie those hands behind you as he slid inside.

You were no longer the little huntress standing awkwardly on the sidelines of his family, terrified of making a mistake, thanks to Lo’ak. You were now the person he sought out when the noise of the village became too much, and he was the only one who could make your heart race and leave you soaking wet simultaneously.

And then you never would have predicted that the very same person would end up on his knees in the grass while you stood leaning back against a tree, one leg over his shoulder, while he held your thighs open and lapped at your wetness like he had been waiting for the chance to ruin you.

One leg hooked over Neteyam’s shoulder while the other stayed planted on the ground. He knelt in the grass between your thighs, mouth already buried against your pussy. Wet, and filthy sounds filled the forest as his tongue dragged over your folds like he had every right to be there.

Your hands stayed tangled in his braids, holding on while you tried (and failed) to stay quiet. Gasps left your lips every time his tongue moved, he looked up at you once with half-lidded eyes, then went right back to sucking on your clit like he was starving.

“Look at you,” he murmured against your skin, vibrating on your pussy as he speaks. “Already this wet for me. Such a mess…” His tongue flicked faster over the swollen bud. One hand held your thigh open while the other stayed between his own legs, squeezing the bulge in his loincloth.

You bit your lip hard, eyes fluttering shut, the sight of him touching himself while he ate you made another whimper slip out. It was so much hotter than anything you had imagined. Neteyam groaned at the sound and pushed two fingers inside you, curling them while his mouth stayed locked on your clit.

“Oh… ’teyam—”

“That’s it. Take it,” he whispered, still working himself through the fabric. “Anyone could walk by and see you like this, legs spread, dripping all over my face. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Letting them watch how desperate you get for me,” He sucked harder, fingers thrusting slow and deep. Your hips twitched against his face as another moan tore out of you.

You stayed mostly quiet, just breathing hard, whimpering for him, and trying not to fall apart. The two sensations hitting at once made it almost impossible to keep the sounds in. He never stopped squeezing his cock, grinding his palm over it every time you made even the smallest noise. The risk of getting caught only seemed to push him further, the way he talked to you made your walls clench around his fingers, and throb againdt his tongue.

Your fingers tightened in his braids as the pleasure built fast. He licked, sucked, and fingered you through it without pulling away, still touching himself the whole time as he couldn’t help how hard he was just from ruining you.

You moved your stance and pushed his head deeper, chasing more. A groan escaped when he pulled his fingers out and used that same hand to push his loincloth aside. He coated his cock with your slick and started stroking himself while burying his face back between your thighs, pinching his tip as you pulled on his braids.

“You close already?” he asked against your skin, almost mocking. “That fast?”

You nodded fast, head tipping back against the tree as the heat coiled tighter. “Y-Yes… please—”

He smirked at the state of you, trembling for him. A satisfaction slept in his chest at finally having you like this, all for him. He would have a lot of thanks to give that his baby brother had never bothered looking at you as more than a friend.

He kept his tongue moving, dragging it in strokes before rubbing your clit in time with every lick. The combined pressure shoved you straight over the edge. Your thighs shook hard around his head as you came, a continuous moan leaving your lips while your walls tightened around nothing.

Neteyam pulled back to watch, eyes fixed on the way your pussy throbbed from the release, still glistening and oversensitive under his gaze.

“Oh, that’s…” you managed, still chasing your breath as you leaned heavily against the tree. He carefully took your leg off his shoulder and set it back down. Then he stood, adjusted his loincloth, and looked down to scoop some of the slick still coating your folds with two fingers.

He brought them to his mouth and licked them clean without breaking eye contact. Your hands rested weakly on his neck as you watched him, eyes clouded with lust.

His stare made the heat crawl up your neck, and you turned your head away in sudden shyness. He chuckled at the reaction before leaning in and pressing his mouth to your neck. You tilted your head without thinking, giving him more access to it. He kissed along your skin, then higher along your jaw, until his lips found yours. The kiss started slow but turned messy, both of you tilting into it like neither of you could get close enough.

His hands slid down to your hips and yanked you close against him. The edge of his clothed cock pressed right against your still-sensitive pussy, and he rolled his hips once, grinding into you.

A whimper left your throat at the contact, he kissed you harder, tongue sliding against yours while he kept grinding. Every drag of his cock through the thin fabric rubbed over your swollen clit and made your nails dig into the back of his neck.

He groaned into the kiss, hands stayed locked on your waist, holding you in place so he could keep moving against you. The kiss turned sloppy, both of you breathing hard between every press of lips. He didn’t pull away, didn’t ease up, and kept kissing you as the taste and feel of you had taken over.

Neteyam wasn’t even planning on stopping anytime soon. He was ready to give up the air in his lungs if it meant keeping his mouth on yours, right up until you had to draw back to breathe.

You leaned your head against the bark, panting, eyes dropping to his lips. You slowly dragged your tongue over your own, still tasting him, before looking back up. He was breathing just as hard, chest rising and falling in sync with yours.

Then the sound of the horn echoed across the trees. The signal for the evening meal. “We… we should head back,” you muttered, heart still racing under his stare.

“Please… don’t,” he whispered, the words coming out desperate. He stayed close for another second, hands still on your hips, thumbs pressing into your skin like he was trying to keep you there before he forced himself to step back.

Your chest ached at the look on his face, you let out a giggle and reached up, cupping his jaw, thumbs brushing his cheeks before you leaned up and pressed one more kiss to his mouth.

“They’re waiting for us,” you whispered against his lips. “I have to help too. Or they’re going to kick me out of the only job I’ve got here besides looking after children.”

His eyes didn’t leave yours, his tail flicked once behind him, ears pinning back. His fingers twitched at his sides, he was fighting the urge to pull you right back against his chest.

“I’m not hungry anymore,” he mumbled, gaze dropping to your mouth again before dragging back up.

“Well, the rest of the village is,” you grinned, stepping closer to whisper right against the curve of his ear. “And we can’t have them coming here looking for us… can we, Neteyam?”

He closed his eyes and let out a breath that went across your neck. His hand rose, fingers brushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear, tracing the line of your cheekbone slowly like he was trying to memorize the last second he had alone with you. “You’re right,” he whispered, forcing his hand to drop.

“Catch you there.”

It started with the gestures that were sent across the village while the sun rested. You and Neteyam couldn’t stop the grins from breaking across your faces whenever your paths crossed, a look thrown over his shoulder as he headed out for an evening patrol, or a shy wave from you while you scraped the scales from the fish he had brought back for the clan.

Whenever the two of you ended up on the beach, your somehow unofficial shared spot after duties were done, you always found some excuse to squeeze his bicep. Your fingers would stay just a second too long against the tight muscle under his armband, and you could feel the way his breath hitched even if he tried to play it off. You caught yourself staring more than once at the way his cummerbund sat against his chest, or how the moonlight caught the line of his broadd shoulders.

Tonight you were the one pulling him along toward the secluded cave, far from the village, so that you could have him, all by yourself. The two of you had ridden the ilu out in comfortable silence, stealing glances the whole way and diving under the water just to surface closer than necessary.

When you finally stepped inside, Neteyam’s jaw went slack. There were no torches, only the moonlight creeping in and the glow of bioluminescent plants spreading across the walls. A still pond on the far side of the cave shimmered with its own light, like it had been waiting for the two of you.

“How… how did you find this?”

“It was moons ago… remember when everyone thought I was lost?” You let out a laugh, turning your back to him as you stepped over the stone, letting your fingers brush the wall. “Turns out I was just bored and wanted to clear my head, and I stumbled right in here. I remember looking at it and thinking… it’s such a shame no one else sees this. So I told myself I would only ever bring someone special here,” You glanced back over your shoulder, catching his gaze with a shy smile before ducking your head and biting your lip.

Neteyam felt like he couldn’t breathe, his heart feeling like it was going all the way up in his throat. He quickly looked up, closing his eyes for a moment to suppress the smile trying to break across his face. The bold, confident tone in your voice was doing things to his heart that had nothing to do with the long swim over, or the fact that the two of you were alone.

You sat down onto the cool, smooth stone, leaning your back against the andesite before turning your head to look up at him. You patted the empty space right beside you, your tail flicking as an invitation.

“C’mon, ma ’teyam. Sit with me.”

The two of you talked in the cave, shoulders touching. Neteyam kept glancing away whenever your eyes met his for too long, and every time he did you gave his thigh a playful hit with the back of your hand. Everything felt easy with him. You didn’t feel the need to put on any kind of face or force yourself into something that wasn’t natural.

You didn’t find yourself wanting to perform for him, for he never ever gave you a reason to. He just gave you the kind of attention you had once craved from someone, without leaving room for doubt to enter.

“And I think… probably— if possible, I’d wanna be a SWAT,” he said, eyes on the glowing pond where water trickled down from above. You tilted your head. “What’s a SWAT?”

“It’s an… a specialized unit,” Neteyam answered, his thumb drawing circles over the back of your hand as he searched for the right words. “When a situation gets too dangerous for guards or warriors in our terms, when there are heavy weapons or hostages or something high-risk, they call in SWAT. They’re the ones who go in first, clear everything, and make sure the people behind them stay safe. It takes a lot of discipline and trust. Basically what my father had us doing back in the forest, just with an official title. That’s what he told me.”

You smiled, watching the way his thumb kept moving over your skin. “That does sound like you…” You lifted your free arm and rested it on his shoulder, sweeping his braids back with your hand so you could see his profile better. He turned toward you at the touch, then raised his other hand to cover yours where it now rested against his cheek, holding it there.

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. You’re so… admirable, Neteyam. Everything about you is just… perfect. It’s really amazing.”

Both of you went a deep shade of blue at the same time. You licked your lips without meaning to, and he did the exact same thing a second later. Neteyam’s ears twitched at the word, usually, being called perfect felt like an uncomfortable weight placed on his shoulders, but it coming from you, felt different.

It was something he actually wanted to hold onto, rather than an expectation he had to carry on his own.

His fingers remained curled around yours, pressing your hand against his cheek while neither of you moved away, letting the silence sit between you, thick with everything you weren’t quite ready to say out loud, yet not ashamed to feel.

“T-Thank you… that makes me happy,” Neteyam said, still holding your hand against his cheek, his thumb kept brushing over your knuckles as he was afraid the moment would disappear if he stopped.

You stayed right there, shoulder pressed against his. The glow from the pond painted soft blue light across both of your faces. Neither of you seemed in any hurry to put space between you. “I mean it. Y’know I don’t just say things like that.”

“I know,” He lowered your hand, but instead of releasing it he rested both of your joined hands on his thigh. “That’s why it means something.”

You looked down at your fingers tangled together, his skin was balmy. You could feel the faint scar near his wrist from the injury months ago. Without thinking you traced it once with your thumb. “Does it still bother you?” you asked.

“Not really. Not when you’re the one touching it,” He said it so simply that it took a second for the weight of the words to settle. When he realized how it sounded, an indigo spread across his cheeks, but he didn’t take it back. You smiled a little and leaned your head against his shoulder. He went still for half a breath, then tilted his head so his cheek rested against your hair.

“What about you? What do you think you would be if you were a human?”

You closed your eyes for a second, soaking in the question laid out for you to answer. Your hand came up to rest over his forearm, your thumb stroking his skin while feeling his pulse jump beneath your touch. “I think… I’d wanna be a cook. What’s it called? Um… a chef? I would be one.”

“I would be your number one customer then,” Neteyam murmured.

“Of course, I’ll make sure to serve this SWAT man of mine,” you giggled, poking his thigh, making a chuckle rumble in his chest. He huffed, his tail flicking against the cool stone behind him. “Of yours…”

“Mhm,” you hummed, tilting your head up. He gulped, pulling back just an inch when you moved to meet his gaze. A sigh escaped him. “You’re a danger, Y/n.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“Yes, you. You look at me like that… it makes it hard to keep my head on straight,” he admitted, biting the inside of his lip as a shy smile revealed itself. The sight made your chest feel tight in th best way, leaving your stomach fluttering. “Good. I like when your head isn’t on straight around me,” you whispered, closing the small distance between your faces.

Neteyam’s ears flicked back, looking away to catch his composure before turning back to you, his gaze softer than you had ever seen it. Slowly, he lifted your joined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of your fingers. He kept his lips resting against your skin longer than necessary, kissing his way across your knuckles and right into the center of your palm.

“I like this… sitting with you, talking about nothing and everything,” he sighed omce again, smiling at you. “I keep finding reasons to stay out here with you.”

“I don’t want you to leave so stay.”

“I will stay...” he whispered, his eyes dipping down to your mouth, watching the way you licked your lips before dragging his gaze back up to yours.

You offered him a grin, reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him down to connect your lips. You kissed him like he’s the air you breathe, and unlike the desperate heat of the woods, this was a romantic kiss steeped wholely in love. His hands slid down to grip your waist and thighs, holding you against him so you couldn’t pull away anytime soon.

Not like you were ever planning to.

Neteyam let out a whimpering noise right against your mouth when you bit his bottom lip, parting his mouth to slide your tongue inside. He surrendered, letting you take the lead before his hands tightened around your hips, lifting you out of your seating stance to pull you right into his lap. You adjusted your weight over him, straddling his thighs while his arms locked around your back.

He kept the kiss going without losing a single beat, both of you only drawing back for gasps of air before diving right back into each other’s mouths. His hands traced up your spine, fingers pressing into your skin while his heartbeat thudded right against your own chest.

The longer the kiss lasted the less careful it became. Your mouths turned messier, tongues sliding against each other with growing need. You moved in his lap and felt the boner of him press right against your core through the thin fabric of your loincloth, makimg you remember the scene that played out in the forest.

A moan left your throat at the contact, his hands flexed on your waist. You rolled your hips once, testing the pressure, and the friction made both of you whine into the kiss. He didn’t stop you, his grip tightened and he pulled you down more against him. You started grinding in circles, feeling every ridge of his clothed cock drag against your already sensitive folds.

Neteyam groaned into your mouth and kissed you deeper. One of his hands slid up to cup your breast after pushing your top aside, massaging your nipple while the other stayed on your ass to guide the roll of your hips.

You kept moving against him, whimperkng sounds escaping between kisses as the grind turned needier. The cave stayed quiet except for the noise of your mouths and the drag of skin against skin. Neither of you seemed interested in stopping.

You pulled away and put both hands on his shoulders, starting to bounce on his clothed cock. You sought angles until every downward roll hit just right, drawing shameless moans from your throat. Neteyam watched the way your breasts moved and leaned in to mark a path down your neck, tongue dragging along your throat until you maoned.

He pulled back, braced both hands under your back, and lowered you onto the cool stone. He asked if it hurt, but you shook your head fast, already too desperate to care. Neteyam untied his loincloth from his tail and wrapped a hand around his cock, stroking while he watched you rub yourself through the fabric of your own loincloth.

You lifted one leg toward your chest, giving him a view of your inner thighs. His hand fell to your leg to hold it open before he licked his lips, then swatted your hand away and pushed the cloth aside himself. Two fingers slid through your wet folds, making a whine out from you as he teased your clit with circles.

“So wet… I love it,” he muttered, biting his lip. He moved closer and nudged the head of his cock against your clit, then began sliding the thick length up and down your folds. Your nails dug into your own skin as you tried to open your shaking legs wider, holding them close to your chest so he could see everything.

Every pass of his cock soaked him further in your slick. “Oh… that’s so good, fuck…” Your moans stayed loud and unashamed. You closed your eyes and focused on the way he kept rubbing the head against your entrance, pushing in to stretch you before pulling out again to drag back up over your clit.

“You like that, baby?” he asked. Your pussy clenched at the pet name, so you nodded shyly, making him grin. He lifted his fingers, licked them clean, then brought them back down to your clit and started rubbing it in fast circles while the head of his cock stayed pressed against your entrance.

You pressed your lips into a straight line, trying to keep the moans in. Neteyam noticed right away and didn’t like it. So he pushed the head of his cock inside you in one thrust, forcing a sound out of your lips as your eyes rolled back. You propped yourself up on one elbow, trying to watch the way his cock disappeared into your pussy. He took your other arm and guided it around his neck so you had to hold onto him. Your walls clenched hard around the stretch.

Neteyam threw his head back at the tight heat. A shameless whimper left him before he hid his face against your neck, embarassed by the sound. “Fuck… baby. Don’t squeeze me like that.”

“I-I’m not… you’re just big,” you gasped when he bottomed out and the head of his cock pressed against your cervix. You squeezed your eyes shut, struggling not to let them roll back again.

You wrapped both arms around him and locked your legs around his waist, pulling him deeper for a deeper penetration. The movement forced him up onto his hands and knees over you. One arm braced against the ground while the other stayed under your back, holding you close as he started thrusting.

“That’s it… take it like a good girl,” he muttered against your ear, voice deep. “You feel how well you’re stretching around me?”

You answered with a needy sound and nodded, legs tightening around him. Your hand pressed against the ground too to help keep balance as your arms started to shake. Neteyam noticed and whispered for you to lie back fully. You dropped down onto the cool stone without argument, and the new angle let him drive deeper while one hand reached between your bodies to rub circles over your wet pussy.

“Wish you could see your face,” he said, still thrusting. “So beautiful, and breathtaking… you like when I talk to you like this, don’t you?”

You nodded fast. “Y-Yes… keep going. Please.”

“Please what?” He slowed eown his thrusts to make you feel every inch. His fingers kept working on your clit while his cock stayed buried deep. “Use your words, baby. Tell me what you need.”

“Make me cum,” you begged, voice cracking. “Please Neteyam… I need it.”

He groaned and pushed harder, the wet sound of your skins slapping filled the cave. “Begging so pretty while your cunt is dripping all over me, stay awake for me,” His hand stroked your side even as the words stayed filthy. “You’re taking it well. Like this pussy was made to get ruined by me.”

Your nails dug into his shoulders. “Don’t stop… please don’t stop—”

“Not stopping at all, angel,” he whispered, licking your earlobe. He kept the pace deep and just as you loved it, fingers rubbing your clit faster. “Gonna keep fucking this tight little hole until you cum all over my cock. You’re already throbbing around me. Feel that? You’re wrapping around it so tight like you want it for yourself. You’re close, aren’t you?”

You could only nod and nod, then moan, legs shaking around his body. Neteyam kissed the side of your neck while his hips kept snapping forward. “Alright. Let go for me. Cum on this cock like the messy girl you are. I want to feel every throb your body makes while I’m inside you.”

His words and the flicks of his fingers pushed you over. You came hard with a stuttering cry, walls clamping down around him as the pleasure tore through you. Neteyam held you through every wave, thrusting while one hand stroked your side before moving up to cup your breast.

He leaned in and bit down on your neck to muffle the sounds he couldn’t hold back as he came as well. Thickness of warm liquid filled you, painting your walls white as he groaned against your skin. When the last tremor faded he pulled back to look at the mark he left, then pressed a kiss over it, leaning up to meet your eyes.

You were still breathing hard as you looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. Your hand reached out and traced over his abdomen, fingers wandering. He caught your wrist, guided your palm to the side of his neck, and leaned down to kiss you deep. The tension from the orgasm melted away under the gentle press of his mouth and the way he kept you close.

The two of you didn’t stop after that round, Neteyam stayed inside you for more, kissing you through the aftershocks, then he eventually pulled out and guided you into a new position. Every time one of you recovered enough to move, the other was already reaching, already wanting more.

He was careful even when the pace turned harder, his hands would pat you on your body, checking your expression between thrusts, adjusting the angle the second your breath hitched the wrong way. You matched him just as eagerly, pulling him closer, whispering his name in fhe air, letting every dirty word he gave you pull another needy sound from your throat.

By the third round both of you were slick with sweat and thoroughly marked. Neteyam’s voice had gone raspy from talking, and your legs trembled every time he moved you. Still neither of you seemed ready to stop, the intimacy stayed still between the moments, visible in the way he kept kissing your shoulders and the way you kept reaching for his face.

You were now on all fours, looking back at him as you shook your hips to invite him further. He grinned at the sight of you offering yourself and gave the cheeks a squeeze. One hand stroked his cock, tightening his grip to mimic the way your walls had felt around him like frome arlier, while his eyes stayed locked on the way you moved.

“So greedy… you sure you don’t wanna rest, yawne?”

“We’ve rested enough for the past few years…” you pouted, biting your lip as he nudged the tip of his cock against your clit and slid the length of himself up and down your folds. Neteyam grinned and held your hip, guiding himself to your entrance. You were still so slick from everything earlier that he sank in without resistance, filling you in one smooth push.

“If you were still waiting around for Lo’ak, he wouldn’t have been able to keep up with you like this,” he teased. The full thrust that followed pulled a moan out of you, but you didn’t answer, too focused on the stretch and the way his name already filled every corner of your mind.

He gave your ass a smack that made your tail coil tight and drew another whimper from your throat as he started thrusting. “Not gonna say anything, baby? You just gonna stay quiet and take it?”

You only moaned in answer, pushing your hips back to meet his next thrust. Neteyam chuckled under his breath and gave your ass another squeeze, fingers digging in to make you feel it. “That’s what I thought… So eager for me. I love how this pussy gets when she’s actually being taken care of.”

The words made your walls clench around him, he groaned at the sudden tightness and leaned over your back, one hand sliding up to rest between your shoulder blades while the other stayed on your hip.

“Easy, princess. i got you,” he whispered. “You’re allowed to want this, okay? You’re allowed to take everything I’m giving you. No one’s gonna make you feel bad for it… especially not me, y/n.”

You whimpered his name and nodded against the stone when he started sending reassurance in your way. Neteyam kissed the back of your shoulder, still moving inside you, but the dirty words faded for praise began replacing them, making sure you only felt wanted.

He leaned down and pressed another kiss to your shoulder, then gathered your hair and swept it to the right side. The action revealed the visual of your tattoo. His fingers traced the ink that ran from beneath your ear, along your spine, usually hidden by your queue.

His mouth parted slightly as he got a closer look, he kept thrusting, but the strokes turned shallow, more of a tease than anything deep, while he studied the markings. He was punishing himself for bringing his brother up earlier. The last thing he wanted was to make you uncomfortable. All he wanted was for you to feel loved and seen.

Neteyam leaned back to follow the two trailing ends of your tolu where they met the ink on your spine. It looked like a braid that started near your left ear, traveled to the base of your queue, mirrored on the right, and faded down toward your lower back. The sight of it, combined with the sounds you made, made him throb harder inside you.

You felt the change in him and pushed yourself up onto your knees. The position forced him to sit back as well, makimg you plant both hands on his thighs and start bouncing on his cock, taking control of the pace while he thrust up to meet you.

He wrapped both arms around your waist and hid his face against your neck, whispering apologies between breaths. He hated the idea that anything he said might have hurt you.

“’teyam… oh, baby,” you moaned, one hand sliding up to the back of his neck while the other caught his wrist and guided it to your throat. “D-Do it…”

Neteyam licked his lips and wrapped his palm around your neck, the other hand rising to cradle your breast, thumb brushing over your nipple.

You felt the tension in his body and slowed your movements just enough to speak. “Are you okay?” you asked as you slowed your thrusts down onto him. He let out a shaky breath against your skin, fingers flexing around your throat. “I shouldn’t have brought him up, I’m sorry. I don’t ever want you to feel like this is… less. Or like you’re just settling…”

You shook your head and squeezed around him on purpose, pulling a groan from his chest. “I’m not settling. I’m exactly where I want to be,” you bit your lip as you guided his other hand against your breast and kept riding him.

Neteyam’s forehead pressed harder into the side of your neck. His grip on your throat stayed gentle, not even trying to choke you at all like you wanted, thumb stroking the side of your neck even while he held you. “You mean that?”

“Of course I mean it,” you answered, bouncing a little deeper. “I don’t want you to think I’m picking you just because that skxawng didn’t— Let’s not talk about him, keep touching me… keep talking to me, I wanna hear your voice.”

He nodded against your skin and started meeting your movements again, one hand still loosely around your throat, the other squeezing your breast with more confidence. “Oh, yawne… I’m so… so in love with you.”

You felt him start sniffling against your neck, breathing you in like he couldn’t get enough of your scent. Then he suddenly quickened his pace, angling his hips so every thrust hit that deep spot your own fingers could never reach.

Neteyam’s control started slipping fast, his grip on your throat tightened just a little, and the added pressure made your walls flutter hard around him. A needy sound left his throat.

“Please… don’t stop bouncing on me,” he begged against your skin, voice cracking. “Your pussy is—fuck—it’s sucking me in so tight. I can’t think. I can’t—” Another desperate thrust cut him off. “I need you. I need this. Please keep taking me like that, baby.”

The way he was falling apart only made you wetter, you rolled your hips harder, chasing the feeling of his cock dragging against that perfect spot while his hand stayed around your neck. Every squeeze of his fingers sent another rush of heat straight between your legs.

“You’re gonna make me cum,” he whimpered, almost like he was warning you. “Your walls won’t let me go. They’re milking me… babyy, I’m so close, I need to fill you up. Pleasee, let me fill you—”

You clenched around him on purpose and that was all it took. Neteyam came with a pathetic moan, cock pulsing deep as he spilled inside you in hot ropes. The feeling of him throbbing and the pressure on your throat pushed you right over with him. Your orgasm hit hard, walls gripping and fluttering around his cock while you both shook through it together, still locked tight in each other’s embrace.

For a long minute you stayed still, holding him inside you and letting both of your bodies calm down. The feel of his cock kept everything full while you rested against him.

Then you slowly lifted yourself and let him slip free. You settled onto all fours and looked back over your shoulder. You felt the mixed cum of both of you that were already starting to leak out while your pussy still pulsed from the last orgasm. Neteyam watched this, tongue wetting his lips before he bit down on the lower one.

He reached out and used two fingers to catch the escaping fluid, gently pushing it back inside you. The pressure against your oversensitive walls made your whole body jolt. You dropped down onto the stone almost immediately, thighs pressing together tight.

It felt like you had squirted without either of you fully registering it in the middle of how desperate the two of you had been for one another. The feeling of him forcing the cum back in was too much on top of that. An overwhelmed sound left your throat as you moved away from his hand, needing a second to catch your breath.

“Eywa… that was intense.”

You held his head against your shoulder, patting his back as your heartbeat began to match his own. “Hey…”

“Yes, my baby?” he hummed, leaning back just enough to cupping your jaw in his palm, his thumb tenderly caressing your cheek. You rested your hands on his shoulders, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips.

Neteyam pouted at the brevity of it, his hand moving to the back of your neck to drag you back into a deeper kiss, one that devolved into the two of you giggling against each other’s mouths.

Pulling back a little, Neteyam rested his forehead against yours, matching your breaths with his eyes closed.

“I see you, Neteyam.”

His eyes fluttered open, leaning back slightly to analyze your face in the glowing dimness. A smile broke across his face as he licked his lips again, unable to stop himself from pulling you in for another kiss.

And another.

Then another…

He just couldn’t get enough of the way you felt against him. “I… I see you, Y/n. I want to keep seeing you, I want to keep doing this with you… I see into your true self, your soul, your heart, and I accept all of it. And I love you.”

“I love you more,” you smiled, pulling your hands from his shoulders, clearing your throat, and lifting your hands to begin signing wirh your hands:

You…

complete…

me.

Neteyam let out a scoff, caught off guard at your cuteness, making you pout at him. “Hey, why are you laughing? I had Tsireya teach me that just so I could show you…”

He bit his lip, trying to control the wild thump in his chest, his golden eyes shining. “I’m not laughing at you, baby… you’re just so adorable,” he stated before he brought your hands up to press a kiss to your knuckles.

“You complete me, too.”

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You also knew, as of yesterday afternoon, that it had been his birthday.

That part had been an accident.

You’d been coming upstairs with two grocery bags when Peter appeared behind you, jogging up the last flight because, naturally, the elevator was broken again. He’d reached around you to grab the heavier bag before you could protest, then carried it down the hall while insisting it was no big deal. “You know, normal people complain when they have to take six flights of stairs,” you’d told him.

Peter had glanced at you while shifting the bag against his hip. “I complained on four.”

“You said, ‘wow, again.’”

“That was loaded with emotion.”

“It really wasn’t.”

“It was for me.”

You’d laughed, and while Peter was smiling back at you, his wallet had slipped out of his jacket pocket and hit the floor. You picked it up before he could bend down, mostly because his hands were full, and his driver’s license had slid halfway out of the plastic slot.

You hadn’t meant to read it, his birthday had simply been right there.

August 10.

You’d looked at the date, then at him and Peter had immediately noticed. “What?”

You held the wallet toward him. “Is today your birthday?”

His expression had changed so quickly that you almost wished you hadn’t asked. It wasn’t sadness exactly, and he didn’t look upset, but there had been a brief hesitation before he shrugged. “Oh. Yeah.”

“You forgot?”

“No, I knew.”

“You said that like I reminded you.”

Peter took the wallet, shoved it back into his pocket, then reached for your groceries again. “I’ve been busy.”

“That’s a terrible birthday answer.”

“It’s not really a big thing.”

You had stared at him for another moment. “What did you do?”

“For my birthday?”

“Yes, Peter. What did you do for the other thing we were talking about?”

He’d smiled a little at that. “Went to… work.”

“And?”

“Came home.”

“And?”

Peter had opened his mouth, apparently searching for an acceptable third activity, then eventually said, “I had cereal.” You’d stopped walking, he made it another step before realizing you weren’t beside him anymore. “What?”

“You had cereal for your birthday dinner?”

“I also had a sandwich earlier.”

“That doesn’t help.”

“It was a good sandwich.”

You’d taken your groceries back from him at your door and told him happy birthday before going inside. Peter thanked you, smiled, and disappeared into his apartment like the conversation hadn’t been particularly important.

Then you spent the rest of the evening thinking about it. Now it was the following night, and you were holding a cake outside his apartment, and beginning to wonder whether this was sweet or completely insane.

You knocked anyway.

There was movement inside almost immediately, followed by a strange metallic clatter, then several seconds of silence.

You knocked again. “Peter?”

Another sound came from inside before the lock finally turned. Peter opened the door wearing gray sweatpants and a faded T-shirt, his hair damp like he’d recently taken a shower. There was a bruise beginning to darken along his jaw that definitely hadn’t been there yesterday, although he’d angled his face slightly away from the hallway light as soon as he saw you. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Peter looked at you, then at the cake, then back to you. You lifted it a little higher. “Before you ask, yes, this is because I judged your birthday dinner.”

For several seconds, Peter said absolutely nothing. Then he looked at the cake again. “You made that?”

“I did.”

“For me?”

You frowned. “No, Peter, I regularly carry personalized cakes around the building hoping someone with the right name opens their door.”

A startled laugh escaped him, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Right. Sorry.”

“Happy late birthday.”

Peter stared down at the icing. You had expected awkwardness because Peter was awkward about almost everything, particularly when attention was directed at him, but you hadn’t expected him to look completely confused by the fact that someone had baked him a cake.

That made you tighten your grip on the plate. “If you hate chocolate, this is going to be embarrassing.”

“No, I love chocolate.”

“Okay, good.”

“I just—” Peter stopped, glanced into his apartment, then back at you. “You really baked me a cake?”

“You keep asking that like you think I stole it.”

“No, I know you didn’t steal it.”

“You don't know what I do in my free time.”

That got another laugh out of him, quieter than the last one, and some of the stiffness left his shoulders. Peter opened the door farther. “Do you want to come in?”

You looked past him. You’d never been inside Peter’s apartment before. It was about as small as you expected, with a kitchenette shoved against one wall and a little table near the window. There were books stacked beside a battered laptop, a sewing kit open on the counter, and what looked like several pieces of electronic equipment scattered across the desk.

Peter followed your gaze and immediately stepped sideways to block some of it. “Sorry, it’s kind of a mess.”

“It’s cleaner than mine.”

“That cannot possibly be true.”

“You haven’t seen mine.”

“I've seen you open your door.”

“That is not legally admissible evidence.”

Peter smiled and moved aside. You stepped inside and he shut the door behind you, and you carried the cake toward the table while Peter hurried ahead to clear several notebooks and loose pieces of paper out of the way.

“You don't have to clean because I’m here.”

“I’m not cleaning.”

“You just threw a sock behind the couch.”

Peter froze with one hand still extended. “That could’ve already been there.”

“I watched you throw it.”

“Okay.”

You set the cake down and turned toward him. “Do you have candles?”

Peter blinked. “Candles?”

“Birthday candles.”

“Oh. No…?”

“Of course you don’t.”

“I didn't know I was supposed to keep emergency birthday candles.”

“You’re supposed to have a junk drawer.”

“I have one.”

“Then there should be candles in it.”

Peter opened the drawer beside the sink and both of you stared into it. There were batteries, three screwdrivers, loose wire, duct tape, a roll of quarters, two takeout menus, a flashlight, several small metal components you didn’t recognize, and one packet of soy sauce.

You slowly looked at Peter. “That is the weirdest junk drawer I have ever seen.”

“It has junk in it.”

“It has electrical components and soy sauce.”

“Both useful.”

You reached inside, picked up the packet, and held it toward him. “What emergency requires one packet of soy sauce?”

“I don't know yet.”

“You’re preparing.”

“Exactly.” You laughed and put it back. Peter opened another cabinet. “I might have matches.”

“That doesn’t help unless you want me to set the cake on fire.”

“Probably not.”

“Probably?”

“I’m keeping an open mind.” He found two plates instead, and after a little searching, one fork. You stared at the single fork in his hand and Peter looked at it too. “Okay, I can explain this.”

“I’m listening.”

“I haven't bought more forks.”

“That isn't an explanation.”

“I had more.”

“Peter.”

“They disappeared.”

“How do forks disappear?”

He leaned against the counter. “I think I accidentally threw them away with takeout containers.”

“All of them?”

“Apparently.”

You pointed toward the drawer. “Yet the soy sauce survived.”

“It’s resilient.”

You laughed again, and Peter smiled as he looked down at the fork and there was something unexpectedly nice about seeing him like this. Usually, Peter seemed halfway out the door even when he was standing still. You’d pass him in the hallway and get a quick smile before he hurried downstairs, or you’d find him coming home long after midnight with his hood pulled up and his shoulders tight with exhaustion. Even when you talked, there always seemed to be another place he needed to be. Tonight he was barefoot in his apartment, arguing with you about missing silverware while a crooked birthday cake sat on his table.

You pulled two plastic forks from your pocket. Peter stared at them. “I came prepared.”

“You brought forks?”

“I had a feeling.”

“That’s actually kind of insulting.”

“You own one fork.”

“I didn't know you knew that before five seconds ago.”

“I know you, Peter.”

The words came out casually, but something about them made him quiet.

You hadn't meant anything serious by it; you knew Peter in the ordinary way neighbors knew each other, through little conversations and familiar routines, but his expression softened anyway. You cleared your throat and turned toward the cake. “Sit down.”

Peter obeyed, although he still looked a little overwhelmed when you put the cake in front of him. “You’re not singing, are you?”

“I wasn't planning to.”

“Good.”

“I could.”

“Please don't.”

“You seem scared.”

“I've heard you singing through the wall.”

Your mouth fell open. “Excuse me?” Peter grinned. “You can hear me?”

“The walls are thin.”

“Oh my God.”

“You really like that one Olivia Rodrigo song.”

You covered your face. “I hate you.”

“No, it’s good.”

You uncovered your face and pointed toward the cake. “Okay, then. Make a wish.”

“There aren't candles.”

“Well… pretend.”

“That feels like cheating.”

“Peter, you celebrated your birthday with cereal, so I think the birthday authorities will make an exception.”

He looked at you for a moment before turning his attention toward the cake.

You expected him to joke again, but he didn't, Peter closed his eyes, then he leaned forward and blew gently across the top of the cake, sending several blue sprinkles sliding over the frosting.

“There.”

“Good?”

“Yeah.”

“What'd you wish for?”

Peter gave you an incredulous look. “I can't tell you.”

“Why?”

“Then it won't come true.”

“So you believe in birthday wishes but didn't celebrate your birthday?”

“I contain multitudes.”

“You contain nonsense.”

“You made me a cake.”

“Don't change the subject.” Peter picked up the plastic knife you’d brought and hesitated over the frosting. “You can cut it.”

“I know.”

“You look nervous.”

“It has my name on it.”

“That's generally how birthday cakes work.”

He finally cut into it, although his slice was so narrow that you immediately reached over and made it wider.

Peter glanced at you. “I was going to eat that.”

“You were going to eat half an inch of cake.”

“I can get more later.”

“No, you're having a birthday-sized piece.”

“That isn't a measurement.”

“It is tonight.”

You transferred the slice onto his plate and handed him one of the forks.

Peter took a bite, then another while you waited. He noticed. “What?”

“Well?”

His eyebrows lifted. “It’s really good.”

“You don't have to lie.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You're very polite.”

Peter took another bite, much larger this time. “Would I be doing this if it was bad?”

“Yes. You're exactly the kind of person who would eat terrible cake because you were afraid of hurting someone’s feelings.”

“That is a very specific accusation.”

“And an accurate one.”

Peter pointed his fork at you. “It’s good.”

You smiled and cut yourself a piece.

For a while, the two of you sat at his little table and ate cake while talking about nothing particularly important. You complained about the landlord, Peter told you the washing machine downstairs had started making a noise that sounded expensive, and you informed him that apartment 3F had apparently gotten a cat despite the building’s pet policy.

Peter looked genuinely interested in that. “The orange one?”

“You've seen it?”

“It sits in the window.”

“His name is Dennis.”

“Dennis?”

“I didn't name him.”

“No, Dennis is good. I like Dennis.”

“You've never met Dennis.”

“I've seen enough.”

Eventually, your eyes drifted back toward the bruise on Peter’s jaw and he noticed immediately, but you didn't ask where it came from. Peter seemed prepared for the question anyway, his shoulders shifting slightly, but when you only took another bite of cake, he relaxed. “You work tomorrow?” you asked.

“Yeah.”

“What time?”

“Early.”

“Then I’m leaving you the cake.”

Peter looked at what remained. “You don't want any?”

“I've had some.”

“There’s almost a whole cake.”

“You’ll manage.”

“I live alone.”

“That was sort of the point.” His expression changed again, although this time you understood it a little better. You set your fork down. “I didn't mean that in a sad way.”

“No, I know.”

“I just figured birthdays probably suck when you're by yourself.”

Peter looked at the cake between you. “They're fine.”

You tilted your head. “Peter.”

He sighed. “Okay. They suck a little.”

“A little?”

“A medium amount.”

“Better.”

He smiled faintly and ran his thumb along the edge of the plastic fork.

You didn't know anything about Peter’s family. You'd heard him mention an aunt once, months ago, but never again, and you had never seen parents, siblings, cousins, or friends coming through the building. There were no photographs sitting around his apartment either, at least none you could see. You didn't ask about that. Instead, you reached across the table and tapped the cake plate. “Well, next year you're not having cereal.”

Peter looked up. “Next year?”

“Yes.”

“You're planning my birthday a year in advance?”

“Someone has to.”

His smile grew. “What if I move?”

“I'll find you.”

“That sounded threatening.”

“It was meant to.”

Peter laughed under his breath, then looked down at the cake again. “You didn't have to do this.”

“I know.”

“I mean it.”

“I know, Peter.”

“No, I just…” He paused, and for once there wasn't an immediate joke waiting behind the hesitation. “Nobody's done something like this for me in a while.”

Your chest tightened, but you refused to make the moment heavier than he wanted it to be, so you nudged his plate toward him. “Then eat another piece.”

Peter looked at you. “You're very bossy.”

“You have one fork and no birthday candles so clearly you need supervision.”

“That feels unrelated.”

“It isn't.”

He smiled, picked up the knife, and cut himself another slice.

You stayed longer than you planned. By the time you finally stood, there were only a few pieces of cake left, Peter had somehow convinced you to help him investigate the mysterious missing-fork situation, and you had learned that his kitchen cabinets contained an alarming amount of instant coffee.

Peter walked you to the door even though your apartment was directly across the hall. You stepped outside, then turned around. “Happy birthday, Peter.”

His hand remained on the edge of the door. “Late birthday.”

“I'm extending it.”

“Can you do that?”

“I just did.”

Peter smiled, and this time it didn't look like the quick, automatic one he usually gave you in the hallway. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome.” You started toward your door before remembering something. “Oh, and Peter?”

“Yeah?”

“If I hear you eating cereal for dinner tonight, I’m coming back.”

He leaned against the doorway. “How are you going to hear that?”

“The walls are thin.”

Peter laughed.

You went inside before he could answer, closing your door behind you. Across the hall, Peter stayed where he was for another moment before returning to the table. The apartment looked the same as it had earlier. His backpack was still beside the couch, his suit was hidden where nobody would find it, and the police scanner on his desk would probably start pulling him back toward the city before the night was over.

But there was a mostly-eaten-cake sitting in the middle of his table with his name—previously—written across the top, a pair of plastic forks beside it, and blue sprinkles scattered over the cheap wood.

Peter cut one more piece.

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