summary: a mission with Neteyam leaves you wounded and he blames himself for why.
The bright, vivid sun is a reminder of life - a reminder that no matter what another day will come. This day in particular is warmer, the animals hum a little louder and colors on full display but that just might be because Neteyam woke up with every intention of spending the entire day with you.
However, much like the sun, there is an ending to every good day. Neteyam finds the smile distracting, the light blue skin stretching into the most breath taking smile, a small giggle makes way past your lips. He watches them for too long then he'd admit, wondering what they would feel like, the proximity of your presence is enough to make him dazed.
he small blue arm that extends, slowly reaches the baby direhorse.
Peering up at him from the tree, making sure he's watching the little creature interaction. He takes a squatting position on the thick branch, bow perched behind him despite his hours and hours of training, ignoring the echoing of his father's voice to never let his guard down. "Look, Neteyam. He's so cute!"
But, how could he not? His mate, his sweet girl, the shy little avatar that is still trying to understand all this, accept the fact that she will be mated with the first born son of Toruk Makto. In fact, this was the first time you have accepted his invitation. It's nothing close to a mission, it was supposed to be a simple gathering of supplies and herbs requested by his grandmother, it was supposed to be safe. But that's until he finally allows himself to hear the branches crunch under weight only meters away.
The sound comes first, the shift of wind follows, head turning just enough that the red feather arrow misses his face but his heart drops watching the trajectory of the arrow. His arms react before anything, pull how bow and shooting at the Na'vi man who thought he was hidden behind the tree.
He leaps into action, landing on his feet, his heels digging into the dirt covered floor of Pandora as he begins his race against the arrow, it follows behind but he's faster, only inches away from his beloved until another one pierces his arm. He's too light on his feet, thrown off balance and falls onto the floor, two large sounding thuds one after another as he feels the hot ripping pain of his skin.
The blood seeps from his arm, tears at his armour but it is nothing but a flesh wound, they missed. Arrows continue to fly past, landing into the ground and the trees around but he doesn't seem to care. His breath hults - his mates body on the floor, arrow sticking from your shoulder. His first thought is to protect, protect his family, protect his people much like his parents that bestowed those very values into him.
He's not willing to breath, even when he sees your chest rising and falling. His own arrows begin to loosen, he doesn't dare miss. One by one the bodies that have the intentions of ambushing behind to fall until there is one left.
The grayish Na'vi wears red across his chest and chin - his eyes are ruthless and murderous, filled with rage but Neteyam's are just as similar except his heart swells with protectiveness, adrenaline pumping as he reaches for his last arrow but only to realize it's none existent.
The bow is discarded as he lowers to a protective stance over your body, knife sliding from its sheth behind his back as he hisses low and slow, a warning of death to the avatar. The avatar doesn't seem to care, only challenging him further as he pulls out his own.
Neteyam gives the avatar no time as his knife descends through the air and into the heart of the gray man.
"Yawnetu," [my love] Neteyam's little nickname he's given you since the beginning, the one that used to fill you with anger but now watching the words fall from his lips with such urgency and trembling, his eyes filled with what can only be described as fear. His hands tremble as the gravity of the situation begins to set in, tears beginning to swell as blood pours from the wound lodged in your shoulder.
"Teyam.." the soft whisper is a breath, it sounds as if it's the last one you will take as you reach for the arrow, trying to pull but he stops it. "No, don't, don't. It's keeping you from bleeding out. It's going to be okay, just look at me."
And you try, you really do try but the weakness makes it impossible, eyes heavy with what can only be described as sleepiness. Neteyam's large hand cups at your cheek, thumb rubbing the soft skin, "No, no, baby. Stay awake look at me!"
The last sound to be heard is the call to his ikran before feeling his warm arms slip under the underbelly of your body and lifted from the ground.
Neteyam listens to every word that comes from tsahik, his grandmother says his mate will survive, and that you need to heal. His grandmother offered to stay, offered to care for her eldest grandson's fated mate, however, he refused.
He was already on edge, sanity holding on by a string. It took him everything not to pry her from the arms of men and women that carried his mate to treatment. Despite what he thought the arrow was more than a flesh wound, he lost too much blood and was starting to feel the effects mid air but nothing was going to stop him from getting his love help.
He looked down at the bandage, fingers running along his own skin as his eyes then returned back to you. Beautiful, peaceful and frail, he had nothing on the amount of blood you lost. His grandmother had shown him how to make the remedy paste that is currently on your wound and that it must be changed every three hours to prevent infection and enhance healing properties.
His grandmother offers a soothing rub to his shoulders, a mutual understanding as he bows his head. The hut is lit with insect wax, all though dark, it allows some illumination of your side profile. He kneels next to the cot, numble tips of his fingers meet your cheeks. Letting out a breath of relief that not only has color began to return but the warmth.
His own cheeks began to burn at the close proximity, never having touched your skin like this. It almost feels wrong, not having your consent but most of all, because it feels so right being this close to you, being so close that your scent fills his nose and clouds his head with thoughts of being with you.
Neteyam is a mother's boy, he can hear is mother's voice now. It calls him an idiot, telling him that he must respect your space and that you will learn to love him. These things take time and will happen because Eywa had made it so. He also sees her scowling, an unmated pair that has not completed in front of Eywa should not be in the same hut.
Neteyam now is crossed legged, sitting on the ground at the head of the cot. Waiting, it's been hours and he's still waiting. He'll wait here for eternity if he needs to. Despite the reinsurance from his grandmother and parents, his body nor mind will rest until those pretty eyes twinkling or those lips saying his name again.
The bounding of his chest never stops - heart stuttering with heaviness, to this moment hands still shaking with fear of what if. He let his guard down, he wasn't strong enough to protect his mate. Now, she lays here with barely any life. His sweet, sweet girl, the one that would do anything to make someone happy, who loved all animals and beings. It's his job to protect.
He has never felt possessiveness like this before, the urge to keep you in this very hut and not allow you to leave but he shakes away the thoughts, it's his nature thinking, not him.
He's been forward with eyes closed, forehead resting against the side of the cot. So caught up in his own mind that he's not noticing the way your eyelashes flutter but that's until you let out soft sigh. The first sight that welcomes you is Neteyam's braids.
The scent of him fills you entirely, while the pain throbs in your shoulder, his presence is grounding. Though they thought you were unconscious but more so in and out during treatment, you heard everything. From his questions, his cries and worries and even prayers for Eywa to allow his beautiful, innocent mate to live. There was a second they all thought you would return back to Eywa but now your eyes have never been more open; you had returned for Neteyam.
Neteyam can't help the gasp that falls from his chest, elongated and relieved. "Baby.. Thank Eywa." He praises, he would always use these silly baby names before.. despite your unsureness for this relationship or lack for better words, not ready at such a young age. But now, as you look at him always think of the random meals that would appear in your hut, the hand weaved and made tops that he would spend hours with his mother learning the different techniques and knots, every little slip from vines or branches his hands would wrap around your waist, steady you against his muscular chest.
The look on your face must have surprised him as he shook his head, "I'm sorry, I know you don't like the names. I'm sorry."
"No," You reply, "It's okay." Trying to reach out but the pain in your shoulder runs down your whole body, makes you hiss which Natayem takes your hands in his own.
The two large hands swallow your own, he begins to bring them towards his lips but thinks and stops but now, you wish he never did. Neteyam the oldest of Jake Sully, the warrior, the protector but there are so many more layers, the provider, the heavier but most importantly, the lover.
"Neteyam," the words come out horse, throat dry and nose twitching from the awful smell of the paste on your shoulder. He hurries to stand, helping you sit up by pressing a soft hand against your back. He sits behind you, allowing his own body to become your own personal rest.
The skin sack is pressed against your lips, the other hand softly touches your chin to prop for drinking. "Shh, you are okay. Just drink, my flower."
He shakes his head, calls himself stupid before starting, "I have to stop that - I'm -.."
You don't allow him to go further, instead the good arm extends, fingers touching the softness of his chin and cups just enough to bring his lips to your own.
His heart is pounding, skin tingling and warmth blooms inside his chest. When your lips met it was gravity - two parts of one half forming together to create what was always meant to be - their love, their bond. Neteyam blinks slowly, almost as if he couldn't believe this moment was happening, heart pounding as your lips leave his own.
"Thank you for saving me."
"I didn't, I wasn't fast enough to make you safe."
"No," You argue, a distaste for his words. Your hand finds his own and extends it across your body to your shoulder to rest over the wound, "This may remind me every day how Eywa blessed me with a mate who would sacrifice all for me, for that, I am rich."
Finally, after all this time, neteyam breaks. Tears began to gather in the corner of his eyes, "I thought you were gone, I was so scared. And I'm confused because now you kissed me after all this time and speak these words when I wasn't careful enough."
With a slow, cautious reach, you wipe the tears from his eyes. "I see you Neteyam."