After meeting you in secret near the reefβalone, injured, and carrying the name you were born underβNeteyam keeps coming back until βjust checkingβ turns into real love. When he finally brings you to his family, the Sullys donβt trust you because youβre Varangβs daughter, no matter how hard you try to prove youβre on their side. Neteyam x Fem!Reader
Chapter Contains: β high tension β§ light fluff and β intimate moments previous chapter: read. next chapter: read
The first thing you learned about healing in the reef was that the ocean had opinions.
It didnβt let you forget your body. It didnβt let you disappear into sleep the way the ashlands did, where exhaustion could swallow you whole and spit you out when it felt like it.
Here, even resting felt alive.
You woke to soft noises: the distant hush of waves folding over themselves, woven mats shifting, the quiet clack of beads when someone moved. Your side throbbed with a steady, dull acheβless like fire now, more like a bruise that kept remembering it was a wound.
For a moment, you didnβt move. You just breathed and counted.
The air smelled like salt and wood and something clean you werenβt used to.
Varangβs hand in your braid.
Her voice in your earβmy daughter.
Neteyamβs hiss cutting through everything like a promise.
Your fingers twitched against the mat, and your breath caught.
At the entrance, a shadow shifted.
Heβd changed positions at some pointβone knee bent, back against the post, bow laid across his lap like a part of him. His head was tipped slightly forward, eyes half-lidded the way hunters looked when they were pretending to rest but werenβt.
You stared at him for a long second, the weight of it pressing behind your ribs.
The realization was warm and terrifying all at once, like holding something precious while you still expected it to be taken from you.
Neteyamβs eyes opened fully, locking onto yours immediately, like heβd felt your gaze.
βYouβre awake,β he said quietly.
Your throat felt dry. βYeah.β
He stood with careful, controlled movement, crossing to you in two steps. His hand hovered over your bandage like he was afraid of touching wrong.
You let out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh. βA little.β
Neteyamβs jaw tightened like he didnβt like the word little because it still meant yes. He looked down at your side, then back up to your face.
βYou should not have run out,β he said, voice low.
But he didnβt sound angry.
He sounded⦠shaken. Like the memory of seeing you on the sand was still sitting under his skin.
You swallowed. βI know.β
Neteyamβs eyes flicked over your face like he was checking if you were real. βWhy did you?β
Your fingers curled against the mat. The honest answer tasted like ash.
βBecause if she wanted something,β you whispered, βit was me.β
Neteyamβs nostrils flared. βAnd you think offering yourself would stop her?β
You looked away. βI thinkβ¦ if she didnβt get me, she would take someone else just to punish me.β
You expected him to argue.
Instead, Neteyam sat beside you, slower than usual, like he was trying to keep his movements gentle on purpose.
βYou donβt get to carry all of that alone,β he said.
Your throat tightened. βIβve been carrying it alone my whole life.β
Neteyamβs gaze didnβt waver. βNot anymore.β
Something in you wanted to believe him so badly it almost hurt.
You forced a small, careful breath. βYou say that like you can decide it.β
Neteyamβs mouth twitched, but his eyes stayed serious. βI can decide what I do.β
Then, quieter: βAnd I decide to stay.β
He said it like it wasnβt romantic.
Your chest squeezed. βYou already did.β
Neteyamβs eyes dropped to your bandage again, and his hand finally movedβtwo fingers brushing the edge of the woven cloth with a touch so careful it made your stomach twist.
His voice came rougher. βWhen she cut youβ¦ Iββ
Like the sentence wasnβt safe to finish.
You watched his jaw work, watched him swallow the emotion down the way warriors did.
You reached out before you could overthink it and touched his wrist.
The contact was simple. Barely anything.
But you felt him react like youβd wrapped your whole body around him.
βItβs not your fault,β you whispered.
His eyes were dark and bright at the same time.
βI know itβs hers,β he said tightly. βBut she did it because she wanted to show me something.β
Your fingers tightened. βShe wanted to break you.β
Neteyamβs breath left him slow. βShe wonβt.β
You held his gaze. βSheβll try again.β
Neteyam didnβt deny it.
He just leaned closer until his forehead touched yours, steady and quiet.
βThen she meets me again,β he murmured. βEvery time.β
Not because you werenβt close.
Because crying felt like giving her something.
Instead, you pressed your forehead back to his and let yourself be held thereβsmall, still, alive.
Outside, the village moved like it was trying not to look at you.
Even after the attack, even after the blood, the distrust didnβt vanish like smoke.
Some of it sharpenedβfear that you were a beacon, a crack in their defenses.
Some of it softenedβuneasy respect, the kind people gave when someone bled and didnβt run.
You felt it every time you stepped out into the light.
Eyes that lingered too long.
Whispers that stopped when you turned your head.
Hands that hovered near weapons out of habit.
That didnβt make it easier.
On the second day after you woke, Ronal came to see you.
You heard her before you saw herβher voice carrying outside the hut, sharp and clear like she was used to being obeyed.
Neteyam straightened instantly.
You tried to sit up and immediately hissed when your side protested.
Neteyamβs hand landed on your shoulder. βDonβt.β
βI canβt look weak,β you muttered.
Neteyamβs eyes flashed. βYou are injured. That is not weakness.β
Ronal stepped inside like the hut belonged to her, her presence filling the space the way storms filled the horizon. Tonowari followed behind her, calmer but no less powerful, and Tsireya trailed them with wide eyes that kept darting to you like she wasnβt sure what she was allowed to feel.
Ronalβs gaze landed on your bandage first.
Then Neteyam sitting too close.
βSo,β Ronal said, voice clipped. βThis is the ash-blood girl.β
Your stomach dropped at the words, even though youβd heard worse.
You forced your chin up. βMy name is (Y/N).β
Ronalβs eyes narrowed. βI did not ask your name. I asked what you are.β
Neteyamβs body went rigid beside you.
Tonowari lifted a hand slightlyβnot a command, but a reminder. βRonal.β
She didnβt look at him. βOur children were attacked,β she snapped, eyes still on you. βOur home was tested. And now we have Varangβs blood sleeping under our roof.β
You swallowed. βI didnβt bring her here.β
Ronalβs lip curled. βAnd yet she came.β
Tsireyaβs eyes flicked to Neteyam, then back to you. Something soft moved across her faceβpity, maybe. Or recognition.
Tonowari stepped forward, voice steady. βWe know you warned them.β
You nodded once. βBecause I knew the smell.β
Ronalβs gaze sharpened. βYou know her patterns.β
βAnd you know what she wants.β
Your throat tightened. βShe wants me.β
Ronalβs smile was humorless. βThen you are a danger.β
Neteyam shifted like he wanted to stand between you and her, but Tonowariβs voice cut in gently.
βOr,β Tonowari said, βshe is a key.β
Ronal snapped her eyes to him. βTonowariββ
He didnβt waver. βVarang does not come for nothing. If she is willing to reveal herself at our waters, it means she believes she can take something.β
Ronalβs jaw clenched. βAnd you think we should keep the bait?β
Neteyamβs voice came out low and dangerous. βShe is not bait.β
Ronalβs eyes flicked to him. βYou speak as if you own her safety.β
Neteyamβs jaw tightened. βI speak as if she is a person.β
Tsireyaβs gaze widened slightly.
Tonowariβs expression shiftedβsomething like approval flickering beneath his calm.
Ronalβs eyes were bright with anger. βPerson or not, she is a risk.β
You forced the words out before your fear could stop you. βThen let me prove Iβm worth it.β
You swallowed through the ache in your side. βLet me work. Let me learn. Let meβ¦ earn whatever you call this.β
You gestured weakly at the hut, at the village beyond.
βProtection,β Tonowari said quietly.
Your throat tightened. βThen let me earn that.β
Ronalβs gaze held yours for a long, cutting moment.
Then she said, βIf you betray us, the sea will not hide you.β
βI know,β you whispered. βIt never did.β
Ronal studied you like she was trying to find Varang in your face and failing.
Finally, she turned slightly toward Neteyam.
βAnd you,β she said, voice sharp. βIf your heart blinds you, it will drown you.β
Neteyamβs eyes didnβt move. βIt wonβt.β
Ronal scoffed like she didnβt believe him.
Tonowari paused at the entrance, glancing back. βHeal,β he said to you, and it wasnβt kindness exactlyβbut it wasnβt cruelty either.
Tsireya lingered for half a breath longer than her parents.
Her gaze met yours, and she said softly, βIf you needβ¦ help learning, I can.β
You blinked, caught off guard.
Before you could answer, she ducked out after them.
When the hut was quiet again, you let out a breath you didnβt realize youβd been holding.
Neteyam was still staring at the entrance, jaw tight.
βYou didnβt have to argue with her,β you whispered.
Neteyam turned, eyes sharp. βYes, I did.β
You swallowed. βYouβre going to make them hate me more.β
Neteyamβs voice dropped, fierce in a quiet way. βLet them hate me too.β
Your chest squeezed. βNeteyamββ
He leaned closer, foreheads almost touching again, and his voice softened just enough to hurt.
βI am not letting them turn you into a thing,β he murmured. βNot in this home.β
Something in you cracked anyway.
They didnβt let you train with weapons yet.
Jakeβs rules held, even after the attack.
But Jake did let you work.
He gave you tasks that were simple on the surfaceβhelp mend nets, carry woven baskets, learn the reef routes. But you recognized the truth under it: Show us what you do when no one is watching.
You woke early even when your side ached.
You helped the older Metkayina women twist fibers and weave. Your fingers were clumsy at first, but you didnβt complain when they corrected you, and you didnβt snap when they muttered under their breath about ash-blood hands touching sea-thread.
You carried water until your arms shook.
You didnβt brag about what you knew.
You offered it when it mattered.
And slowlyβso slowly you almost didnβt noticeβthe village stopped pulling away as fast.
One child didnβt flinch when you passed.
One elder didnβt spit in the sand when your shadow crossed hers.
One woman handed you a strip of dried fish without meeting your eyes, like she didnβt want to admit she was feeding you.
Neteyam watched it like it was oxygen.
He didnβt hover as much after the first few days. Not because he stopped caringβif anything, you felt him everywhere in the way his gaze tracked you from a distance, the way he appeared the second someoneβs voice got too sharp.
He let you prove yourself.
And when the ache in your side eased enough that you could swim again without seeing stars, he took you out beyond the shallows.
Not far. Not where the open ocean turned dark and deep.
Just far enough that you werenβt under the village eyes.
The water held you differently than the ashlands ever had.
It didnβt care who your mother was.
It only cared that you breathed.
Neteyam swam beside you like heβd been born in the reef, movements smooth and sure. Every so often he glanced over, checking you, not with doubtβjust with care.
When you surfaced near a mangrove patch, panting slightly, Neteyam reached out and steadied you by the forearm.
βYouβre getting stronger,β he said.
You let out a breathy laugh. βIβm getting less injured.β
Neteyamβs mouth twitched. βThat too.β
You floated there, salt water clinging to your skin, sunlight breaking into shards across the surface.
For a moment, it felt almost normal.
Almost like you werenβt carrying a war in your blood.
You looked at Neteyam. βDo you ever regret it?β
His brow furrowed. βRegret what?β
βBringing me here,β you said softly. βChoosing this.β
Neteyam stared like the question didnβt make sense.
Then his gaze sharpened, like he realized you were serious.
He moved closer until your tails brushed under the water, a quiet, intimate contact that made your pulse jump.
βNo,β he said immediately. No hesitation. No pause to think of consequences.
Your throat tightened. βYou donβt evenββ
βI do,β he cut in, voice low. βI know what it means.β
You swallowed. βWhat if Varang comes again and they blame you for it?β
Neteyamβs jaw clenched. βThey can blame me.β
You shook your head. βThatβs not a plan.β
Neteyamβs eyes held yours, steady and stubborn. βIt is if it keeps you alive.β
Your chest ached. βI donβt want you to get hurt because of me.β
Neteyamβs voice softened. βYouβre not a curse.β
You flinched like the word had teeth.
His eyes darkened, and his hand slid from your forearm to your wrist, thumb pressing against your pulse like he needed proof you were here.
βYou hear me?β he said quietly.
You nodded, even though part of you didnβt believe it.
Neteyamβs gaze dropped to your mouth, flicked away again like it still embarrassed him that he wanted you.
Then he said, βCome.β
He guided you deeper into the mangrove shade, where the water was cooler and the world felt quieter.
There, he pulled you closeβcareful of your side, one arm bracing you by the back while the other held your hand between you.
It wasnβt like the first kiss that had been frustration and fire.
He pressed his forehead to yours, nose brushing your cheek, breath warm even in the water.
βYouβre here,β he murmured. βAnd that matters more than where you came from.β
Your throat tightened. βNeteyamβ¦β
A soft kiss. Salt and warmth and restraintβlike he was holding himself back because he was scared of hurting you, not because he didnβt want more.
Your hand tightened around his.
For a few seconds, the world was just water and breath and the steady promise of his body close to yours.
Then he pulled back, just enough to look at you.
His eyes were open and honest.
βIβm going to teach you something,β he said.
You blinked. βMetkayina hand signs again?β
Neteyamβs mouth twitched. βThat too.β
He brushed his thumb over your knuckles. βBut firstβ¦ you need to learn how to be seen here without flinching.β
Your stomach twisted. βThatβs not something you can teach.β
Neteyamβs gaze didnβt waver. βWatch me.β
You werenβt prepared for how quickly Varangβs shadow could reach without her body.
It happened three nights later.
The village was quieter than usualβwatch shifts doubled, torches kept burning at the edges like stubborn little suns. You were helping fold woven line near one of the huts when a Metkayina scout came in fast, wet hair plastered to his face, eyes wide.
He went straight to Jake and Tonowari.
Voices roseβsharp, urgent.
You didnβt catch the words, but you caught the feeling.
Neteyam appeared beside you like heβd been pulled by a string.
βWhat is it?β you asked, already knowing the answer lived somewhere in your chest.
Neteyamβs jaw clenched. βThey found a marker.β
Your stomach dropped. βWhere?β
Neteyam didnβt answer right away. His eyes searched your face like he was bracing himself.
βOn the outer reef,β he said finally. βTied high.β
Because you knew that sign.
It meant: I can reach you from above. I can watch without being seen.
You swallowed. βSheβs telling me sheβs still here.β
Neteyamβs voice went low. βSheβs telling you she can touch our borders whenever she wants.β
Your fingers shook as you tried to keep folding the line like your hands werenβt betraying you.
A laugh bubbled in your throatβthin and ugly.
βSheβs bored,β you whispered. βThis is her version of knocking.β
Neteyamβs gaze sharpened. βAnd what comes after knocking?β
You didnβt want to say it.
βEntering,β you whispered.
Jakeβs voice carried overβhard, controlled. βEveryone stays close. No one swims alone. No one goes beyond the third marker.β
Tonowariβs voice followed, calmer but equally firm. βWe do not chase shadows into deep water.β
Ronalβs voice cut in sharp. βWe should send her back.β
You turned your head fast.
Ronal was staring at you across the open space like she wanted you to hear her.
βShe is the reason Varang comes,β Ronal snapped. βEvery day she stays, we paint a target on our children.β
Neteyam stepped forward instantly, but Jake lifted a hand.
βNot now,β Jake warned, eyes cutting.
Neteyam froze, breathing hard.
You forced your voice out even though it shook. βYou think I donβt know that?β
You swallowed. βI know what she does. I know what she takes. If you send me back, she doesnβt stop coming. She comes anywayβbecause sheβll know she can make you throw people away.β
Ronalβs lip curled. βYou speak like her.β
The words landed like a slap.
Your voice went quiet. βAnd you speak like someone whoβs never been owned.β
Ronalβs eyes flashed like she might strike.
Neteyamβs body tensed, stepping between without thinkingβ
But Tonowari spoke first, voice like a tide pulling the moment back.
βEnough,β he said sharply.
Jakeβs gaze flicked to you, then to Neteyam. He looked tired. Like this war had too many fronts.
βYouβre staying,β Jake said finally, voice firm. βNot because itβs easy. Because we donβt sacrifice people to fear.β
Ronal looked like she wanted to argue.
Tonowari didnβt let her.
βPrepare the village,β he ordered. βAnd double the watch.β
As they moved away, Tsireya appeared near the edge of the gathering, slipping close to you like sheβd decided something.
She lowered her voice. βYou were right before,β she said softly.
You blinked. βAbout what?β
βAbout earning it,β she said. βRonal will not say itβ¦ but she saw you bleed and stay.β
Tsireya hesitated, then added, βIf Varang wants to make you chooseβ¦ donβt do it alone.β
You stared at her, surprised by the softness.
Then you nodded once. βOkay.β
She glanced at Neteyam, then back at you, almost shy. βCome. I will show you where we keep the extra medicines.β
Neteyamβs eyes narrowed slightlyβnot jealous, not really. Just protective, always.
Tsireya saw it and actually smiled a little.
βRelax, Neteyam Sully,β she teased quietly. βI will not steal your ash-blood girl.β
Your face heated instantly.
Neteyamβs ears twitched, and his jaw tightened like he didnβt know whether to be annoyed or embarrassed.
Tsireya laughed and tugged you gently by the wrist, careful of your healing side.
As you walked with her, you felt eyes on you again.
But something had shifted.
But a new truth settling into the bones of the village:
Varang had come, and you had stayed.
Which meant you werenβt a rumor anymore.
And real things were harder to throw away.
That night, you couldnβt sleep.
The torches outside painted moving shadows on the woven walls. The ocean sounded louder than usual, like it was trying to warn you.
Neteyam sat at the entrance again.
Always like he didnβt believe the dark would behave if he stopped watching it.
You finally whispered, βIf she comes againβ¦ sheβs going to do something worse.β
Neteyam didnβt look away from the night. βI know.β
You swallowed. βSheβs not done proving her point.β
Neteyamβs voice dropped. βShe thinks you belong to her.β
Your throat tightened. βShe thinks Iβm a story she wrote.β
Neteyam finally turned his head, eyes fixing on you like an anchor. βThen we write a different one.β
Because youβd spent your whole life surviving her story.
You didnβt know how to write anything.
You sat up slowly, wincing, and Neteyam moved instantlyβhand bracing you, steadying you like your body mattered.
You looked at him in the dim light. βWhat if she offers them a deal?β
Neteyamβs jaw clenched. βWhat deal?β
You forced it out. βMeβ¦ for peace. Or meβ¦ for someone she took.β
Neteyamβs eyes went sharp, dangerous. βShe wonβt get that choice.β
You whispered, βShe might.β
Neteyam stood then, crossing to you in two steps, crouching like he needed to be closer to make you believe him.
He cupped your face with both handsβwarm palms, gentle thumbsβlike he was holding something sacred.
βListen to me,β he said, voice low and intense. βYou do not trade yourself to her.β
Your breath shook. βNeteyamββ
βNo,β he cut in, softer but fiercer. βYou do not go back. Not for peace. Not for guilt. Not for anything.β
Your eyes burned. βAnd if they try to send me?β
Neteyamβs gaze didnβt waver.
βThen they send me too,β he said.
Your throat tightened. βThatβs insane.β
Neteyamβs mouth twitched once, humorless. βYeah.β
Then, quieter: βBut itβs true.β
You stared at him, the sheer stubbornness of his love pressing into you like gravity.
You whispered, βWhy?β
Neteyamβs breath hitched slightly like the question hurt.
βBecause when you walked into our village,β he said slowly, βyou were shaking. You were bleeding. And you still held your chin up like you refused to disappear.β
His thumbs brushed your cheekbones, careful.
βYou looked like someone who has never been protected,β he murmured.
Neteyamβs eyes softened, just barely. βAnd I couldnβtββ He swallowed. βI couldnβt leave you like that.β
You stared at him, heart hammering.
And for the first time, you didnβt see him as a shield.
A boy who carried duty like it was carved into his bones.
A warrior who still chose gentleness with you, even when the world told him you were danger.
You leaned forward and kissed him first this time.
A kiss that felt like choosing him back.
Neteyam made a quiet sound in his throatβsoft, relievedβand kissed you like heβd been holding his breath for days.
When you pulled back, your forehead stayed against his.
Outside, the torches hissed.
And somewhere out beyond the reef, Varangβs shadow waited.
You whispered, βSheβs going to come for me again.β
Neteyamβs answer was immediate, steady, absolute.
You swallowed. βThatβs notββ
Neteyamβs mouth brushed your cheek, then your templeβan almost-kiss, grounding you.
βIt is,β he murmured. βBecause this timeβ¦β
He pulled back just enough to look you in the eye.
βThis time she doesnβt meet you alone.β
In the early hours before dawn, when the village was quiet enough that even fear seemed to sleep, a single shell horn sounded from the outer watch.
Neteyam was on his feet instantly.
So were you, despite your side protesting.
Neteyam turned, eyes flashing. βStay.β
You shook your head, voice tight. βIf itβs herββ
Neteyamβs jaw clenched. βIf itβs her, you stay.β
You stared at him. βNeteyam, sheβs not here for nets and fish.β
His eyes darkened. βThatβs why you stay.β
Outside, voices murmuredβguards calling out, feet moving fast.
Neteyam grabbed his bow and moved, but he hesitated at the entrance, eyes flicking back to you like he didnβt want to leave you even for a heartbeat.
Neteyamβs jaw tightened.
He stepped close, pressed his forehead to yours for the briefest secondβlike a promise he didnβt need words for.
You sat there, heart hammering, listening to the village gather like a living thing waking up.
Minutes stretched like hours.
When Neteyam finally returned, his face was hard.
The kind of hard people wore when they were trying not to break.
He stepped inside, and you saw it in his hand.
A strip of dark fiber, scorched at the end.
Tied into it was a small objectβsomething that didnβt belong to the reef at all.
A bead you recognized from your own hair onceβbefore you cut it short to avoid giving Varang something to grab.
Your stomach dropped so hard you felt nauseous.
Neteyamβs voice came out low.
βShe knows where you sleep.β
Your throat tightened to nothing.
Then Neteyam lifted his eyes to yours.
βAnd,β he added, the word dragging like it hurt, βshe wants you to come.β
You swallowed, forcing air into your lungs. βWhat did she say?β
Neteyamβs fingers tightened around the scorched fiber.
He didnβt answer right away.
Like he didnβt want to speak it into existence.
Finally, he said, voice rough, βShe says if you donβt goβ¦ sheβll burn the sea.β
Your blood went ice-cold.
Because you knew Varang didnβt mean it like a metaphor.
She meant the breeding grounds. The kelp beds. The nets. The homes.
You stared at Neteyam, chest shaking.
βSheβs making it my fault,β you whispered.
Neteyam crossed the hut in two steps and grabbed your hands, holding them tight like he could keep you from unraveling.
βNo,β he said fiercely. βShe is making it hers.β
Your voice cracked. βNeteyamβif she does thatββ
βShe wonβt,β he snapped, then softened instantly like he heard the fear in you. βShe wonβt. Not without a fight.β
You swallowed hard. βAnd what if they decide Iβm the safer loss?β
Neteyamβs gaze went flint-hard.
βThen theyβre wrong,β he said.
Outside, you could hear the village shifting, the beginning of another meeting, another circle of suspicion and strategy.
Neteyam looked at you like you were the only thing that mattered.
And you realized with a sick twist of dreadβ
Varang hadnβt just sent a threat.
Because sheβd seen what love did to Neteyam.
And now she was going to pull it.
Neteyam pressed your hands to his chest, right over his heartbeat.
βI told you,β he whispered. βYouβre not facing her alone.β
Your breath shook. βHow do we stop her?β
Neteyamβs eyes narrowed, fierce and focused.
βWe donβt run,β he said. βWe donβt trade you.β
Then, quieterβlike a vow:
βWe trap the fire before it touches the sea.β
And when you stepped out of the hut beside him, the village already gathering, you felt every eye turn.
Like the reef itself was holding its breath.
And somewhere beyond the outer waterlineβ
You could almost swear you smelled ash on the wind again.