#tsakarem reader

request!

pairings: sick!neteyam x tsakarem!reader

wc: 1.3K

desc: he's not used to letting people see this side of himself, but he can't let go of you now.

cw: mentions of near-death scenarios, sickness, hot flashes.

a/n: okayy perioodd this is my 1st request fic so idk if this is ahh or not. tried to make it a littleee long hopefully this satisfies you guys.

There’s sweat dripping down his body, but he refuses to let go of the furs wrapped around him because he claims he’s freezing. 

Neteyam was very independent, even since he was young. He was the eldest child, meaning he held the highest standards, had the most responsibilities, and carried the most weight. But with you, he let some of that pressure fall. You knew he was sick, as much as he tried to hide it, and you wouldn’t let him suffer through it any longer. 

“There’s no reason to do this, I’m fine.” 

He repeated as you forced him to lay down on layered mats and rubbed ointment all over his chest and throat for him to breathe. His head was hurting, he had a stuffy nose, his forehead was hot– yeah, he was clearly sick. 

Neteyam got to the reef not long ago, and the environment was different here. Hotter, because of the sun reflecting on the water surrounding them. They spent most of their time in the water, hunting was done with spears and boats instead of bows and arrows. Every Na’vi struggles with adapting to an environment that their bodies weren’t made for. He had been pushing himself extra hard lately. Specifically, he was hunting with his brother while there was a storm. Once he got back to the island, he was sneezing and coughing all over the place. 

You knew what was wrong. You were tsakarem, tsahik in training, after all. It was your job to heal, and it was his job to listen to you. 

He watched you as you massaged his legs, just to get him to get sleepy and catch up on rest. 

“Yawne, please stop. You’re making me feel bad.” He muttered, his tone sincere. He really did feel bad. He wasn’t used to leaning on other people for support this much, and he knew you cared, but it was his job to care for you. 

“Don’t. I need the practice anyway, and you need to get better, don’t you? Just let me take care of you,” you responded, your hand sliding up his muscled calves to his thighs. You really did enjoy taking care of him like this, mainly because you knew he would never let anyone else do this. You were one of the few who got to see him so vulnerable. 

Plus, you did need the practice anyways. Even if this was the easiest thing ever, it was good to have some experience. 

“Yes, but you shouldn’t have to do this for me. I’m the one that’s supposed to care for you.”

He always said that, even if you just made him a simple meal or gave him a back massage. He made it his mission to return the favor somehow. 

“Dont be an idiot, Ma’Teyam. I want to do this.” 

You scoot up just a little further, so you could actually take a look at him. The poor thing was sweating bullets, sneezing into his arm every few minutes. There was something in you that needed you to fix him. As sweet and cute as he looked, you hated knowing he was in pain or uncomfortable. 

You pressed your hand to his forehead, gently wiping away some of the sweat as he jerked up to sneeze again, his eyes half-lidded as he lay down flat again. 

“You shouldn’t have pushed yourself so hard, you know how dangerous the waters can get when it begins to storm,” you scolded, but it was purely out of love. Your tone didn’t carry anything threatening either. It just sounded more like you were scared to lose him, which was completely true. 

He blinked up at you, a small frown playing at his lips. You could practically sense the guilt blooming through his chest. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, pressing his hand over yours when you cupped his cheek. 

It was silent for a few seconds. You didn’t want him to feel bad for this; you just wanted him to be careful. You couldn’t imagine losing him. Not now, not ever. 

When the ocean winds blew through the marui, snapping you out of your little daze, you glanced back towards the opening of the shelter, watching as little children ran around with fruit and plates of fish to hand out. You hadn’t given him anything to eat yet, and you couldn't let him go to sleep on an empty stomach. 

“I’ll get you some food.” Just as you stood up, you could feel his hand pulling you to sit back down. 

“Wait.” The words seemed to leave his mouth without warning, leaving him just as shocked as you. 

Nevertheless, you sat back down, gently pushing a braid back. “What’s wrong?” Your tone was sweet, almost motherly. You clearly cared for this boy a lot, and that was something you probably weren’t prepared to come to terms with. 

“Don’t leave.” 

Your heart might’ve stopped for a second. The blend of his pleading expression and the pressure of his hand squeezing your arm, it made you never want to leave him alone again. 

“It’s okay, I’m right here.” You smoothed your thumb over his cheek, trying to offer him as much comfort as you could. So you weren’t leaving, but you needed someone to get him some food. 

You glanced back over at the marui opening, snapping your fingers at a kid who seemed to be running past with a plate of fish. The kid stopped in his tracks and slowly made his way inside, peeking over to look at Neteyam, a warrior who was still new but very well known throughout the island, all sick and clutching onto her. 

“Hey, if you give me the plate, I’ll give you a nice toy to play with, okay?” You offered, smiling sweetly. The kid nodded his head eagerly, immediately propping the plate down next to her and picking up a toy he found on the ground, probably belonging to one of the kids you babysat. You just sighed and nodded, signaling for him to leave. The kid did exactly that, running out of the room giggling with a new toy instead of a plate of fish. 

You looked back down at Neteyam before chuckling a little. You weren’t laughing at him exactly. Just the situation. Poor boy didn’t even want to be separated from you. 

“Don't laugh,” he grumbled, propping himself up to sit properly, picking up the plate to eat the fish. 

“I wasn’t.”

“Yes, you were,” he said, chewing on the glider fin in his mouth.

“Children shouldn’t speak with their mouths full.” 

That earned a side glare from him, but you were holding back chuckles. 

“Really funny. Ha,” he grumbled, but he still swallowed his food before speaking this time. You only laughed harder.

“I’m just messing with you,” you muttered, just before pressing a little kiss to his cheek. 

His eyes widened a little, and he even cracked a little smile. It was worth the teasing if you would kiss him. 

“Don’t you think I have earned one more?” he said, placing his plate down in his lap this time. 

“If I do kiss you again, will you finally get some rest after you finish your plate?” 

He leaned in a little closer, smirking a tiny bit. At least you could pull a smile out of him. 

“Yes, I promise. As long as you don’t leave.” 

Your smirk matched his, and you pressed a soft kiss to his lips. This one wasn’t as short. 

“I wasn’t planning on leaving,” you whispered against his lips, kissing him once more. 

The winds blew through the marui once more, chiming the little bells and whistles tied to the mangrove branches. Through this, Neteyam had learned to be more trusting. Learned to let go. With you, he was learning to love instead of just protect.

thanks for reading!