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smolskxawng · 11 months

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New life - Chapter 7

<- chapter 6

Pairing: Aged up!Neteyam x Fem!Reader

Summary: After your unfortunate encounter with Ao’nung, you and Neteyam open up to each other, strengthening the bond between the two of you even more. The feelings you nurture for him only get harder to hide, and after a second incident with Ao’nung, the way Neteyam truly feels about you comes to light

Note: Neteyam is aged up on this one☝️as well as the reader☝️

——————————————————

Neteyam places himself in front of me, hands on my forearms

His hold is firm but gentle

Looking deep into my eyes, he urgently asks

“(Y/n), what’s wrong?”

——————————————————

I look at him, he seems so worried

I want to tell him, I really do. But it feels like if I try to talk right now, the tears I’m trying hard to hold in will start spilling out

My throat feels tight

Neteyam seems to notice, he always does. It’s one of the things I like most about him

He’s a really observant person

He purses his lips, worried. Squeezing my forearms, he lowers himself so he can be at my eye level

“Let’s get out of here” He says

——————————————————

As we distance ourselves from the bonfire, he asks if I want to go somewhere quiet, if I’d be more comfortable with that

I nod, thanking him while wiping some stubborn tears that insist on falling from my eyes

He furrows his eyebrows, getting more and more worried

Leading me towards the beach, he softly squeezes my shoulders from time to time, as if trying to remind me he’s there for me

We walk for a while, finally nearing some big rocks by the sea

Neteyam says we’re close to our destination, offering a hand to help me up the rocks as he climbs onto them himself, waiting for me to do the same

Where is he taking me?

I slowly reach for his hand, using it to push myself up towards him

He pulls me up at the same time, making us abruptly bump into each other. I loose my balance, almost slipping off the rocks

But I never hit the ground

In one swift move, Neteyam quickly grabs me by the waist, pulling me into him, securing me in place

I hold on to his arms, startled

That was close

I look up at him. We’re really close now, so close that I can feel his breath blowing softly on my face

“Careful” He mutters, looking deep into my eyes

My heart feels like is going to burst out of my chest. Being close to him always seem to have that effect on me

My cheeks redden

Gulping, I whisper back to him, giving him a nervous but playful smile “You saved me, mighty warrior”

“Thank you” I mutter

He tries to, but he can’t hide the smile forming on his lips

He slowly lets go of me, offering a hand for me to hold

“Come on, we’re almost there”

——————————————————

After walking for a bit, we see an opening amongst the rocks

Looks like a little cave

Neteyam leads me inside, and as soon as we enter, my eyes widen

The place isn’t big, but it’s almost completely full of fluorescent plants, varying from tiny roots to big leafs. They cover the cave’s walls almost completely, taking up a bit of the ground as well

Bioluminescence was one of the things I loved most about Pandora. It’s the way it’s living organisms emit light, a reaction that occurs within the metabolism of symbiotic organisms, making them shine in a colorful manner

Nearly all of Pandora’s plants and animals did it. Even the Na’vi had patterns of small glowing freckles scattered along their bodies, the pattern unique to each individual

Now I had them too

And of course, so did Neteyam

The bioluminescent plant’s colorful glow together with the soft glimmer of his freckles made him look absolutely breathtaking in the cave’s dim light

He sits down, gesturing for me to do the same

I slowly sit next to him, looking around in complete wonder

He watches me as I do so, a small smile playing on his lips

“So? What do you think?” He asks

“I…” I blink slowly, coming out of a daze “How did you find this place? Neteyam it’s… absolutely incredible”

He laughs softly “I found it while taking turns with the other warriors, keeping watch around the beach. It’s one of my chores” He starts

“As soon as I saw all the plants, I knew you’d love it. You are a huge nerd after all” He continues in a playful tone, watching me from the corner of his eye

I can’t help but laugh, it’s true

But I know he likes it

“It Immediately reminded me of you. I remember thinking- I need to bring (y/n) here” He finishes

My cheeks redden. I hope the lack of light inside the cave hides it at least a little bit

“Well, I’m really glad you did” I start, turning to him while smiling widely

“Thank you” I continue in a softer, lower tone

Neteyam looks at me for a bit, scanning my face

His gaze stops on my eyes, quickly dropping to my lips before returning up

A small smile forms on his lips “You’re welcome” He says

He shifts his position, turning himself fully to me

“Are you…” he starts, hesitantly

“What happened? Do you want to talk about it?” He asks carefully

“It’s okay if you don’t. But if you do, I’ll listen” He continues

I look at him for a while, biting my lower lip

I had almost forgotten about the incident with Ao’nung

Being with Neteyam seems to have that effect on me. My anxiety eases and my problems seem distant, forgotten

I wonder if it’s the same for him

I had no notion of what troubled him, he never seemed to talk about what worried him

I think about one of our past conversations. More specifically, the one we had the night before we left the Omatikayan woods, where I told him he didn’t have to be so strong all the time

Neteyam always checks up on everybody, but never shares his own concerns

I take a deep breath in, finally saying

“…I’ll tell you what happened. But only If you tell me what’s been bothering you too”

He raises his eyebrows

“That’s right, mighty warrior” I smile at him “You said you’d tell me about yourself if I opened up first, remember?”

“A deal is a deal” I finish

The tip of Neteyam’s ears turn a bit red. He huffs out a laugh before saying “So you remember that huh”

I nod

He laughs a bit, shaking his head

“Alright” He starts, smiling softly at me

“A deal is a deal” He finishes

Straightening himself, he looks at me attentively, waiting for me to start

I let a long sigh out, hugging my legs against my body

Hesitantly, I start telling him what happened with Ao’nung. I share what he had said to make me have such a bad reaction

Neteyam’s demeanor seems to shift as I progress with the story

“Ao’nung said what?” He suddenly asks

His tone is assertive, body now fully turned to me

His brows are deeply furrowed, pupils dilated. He locks his jaw, tongue brushing against the inside of his cheek like he was trying to contain himself

“I know, it was bad” I mutter

“I-I should’ve said something, but… I didn’t want to bring you guys any more problems. Jake said to stay out of trouble” I continue, my gaze distant

“What? (Y/n)” Neteyam urges

“You- (y/n) you can’t do that. You can’t hold back from defending yourself for any reason” He continues

“But Jake sai-“ I start

“I know what he said” He interrupts me, his tone getting more urgent “Rules are meant to be followed, of course. But only when they’re valid.” He continues, looking into my eyes

“You can’t put them over your well-being. Ever” He finishes

He gently reaches for my hand, squeezing my fingers

“Promise me that you won’t hesitate to stand up for yourself when you have to. Or just call for me, I’ll be there” He says

In that moment, his gaze was so intense that it almost completely takes my breath away

“Just-“ He starts, squeezing my hand once more “Please, don’t ever do that again” He pleads

My eyes are watering now. I bite my lip, trying not to cry in front of him

His words touch me deeply. He’s always so considerate

It fully warms my heart

“Alright” I say, squeezing his hand back “I promise” I mutter

“Thank you Neteyam” I finish softly, giving him a small smile

He has a smile of his own as he slowly reaches his hand out, gently wiping my tears away with his thumb

“You thank me too much (y/n), there’s no need” He says

I shake my head, smiling softly. Of course there is

“Either way” he says “Don’t worry. I’ll have a word with Ao’nung”

My eyes widen

“Wait- No! There’s no need!!” I urge

“Look-“ I start, touching his arm “Let’s just leave this one behind us yeah? I promise if anything else happens, I won’t hesitate to beat his ass” I say playfully, grinning at him

“Or I’ll call for you, I promise” I finish, recalling what he said

He looks at me for a while, silent, brows furrowed

Looking at my hand on his arm, he huffs out a small laugh, shaking his head

“….Alright, okay. I guess I can let it slide” He says

“Just this once” He finishes

I raise an eyebrow at him, unable to hide the smile forming on my lips

“Sheesh, the mighty warrior is oh so merciful” I say, smiling playfully at him

“I try” He says, smiling back

He looks at me for a while before pursing his lips, looking like he wanted to ask me something

“(Y/n)…” he starts “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me right now… but why did Ao’nung say those things to you? What did he mean?” He asks hesitantly

I gulp

Shit

Talking about this hasn’t been easy for me. Only a few people knew about my past, about my whole story

Even then. I’ve only told people when extremely necessary. Even avoiding mentioning it to the Sully siblings when we first met

But…

It’s different now

Neteyam is someone I’ve come to trust. Even more than that

We’ve been through so much together, I feel so comfortable around him

I’ve come to care for him so much

Besides, a deal is a deal. I can’t expect him to open up if I’m not able to do it myself.

I have to tell him

I take a deep breath in, straightening myself before nervously starting to tell him everything. Not leaving any details out this time

I tell him about how I first came to Pandora on his father’s expedition

About how I died

About how they brought me back to life just like they did with Quaritch, with no choice given

How I found out the truth about what happened to everyone, to Doctor Grace, to my whole team. Everyone I once knew and cared for gone

I tell him about how I found out the humans were the whole reason why the great war even happened in the first place

Finally, I tell him about how I escaped the human base after finding out Quaritch’s true plans, meaning to warn the natives about what was to come

Which brought me to the day I met Neteyam and his family

After finishing, I stay silent, avoiding his eyes

I couldn’t look at him

Silence stretches between us, making me get more and more anxious by the second

Telling him everything was already hard enough, I didnt think I could stand him having any kind of bad reaction to it at all

I close my eyes, starting to regret ever telling him

Suddenly, I feel Neteyam’s arms slowly embracing me

My eyes immediately widen

“(Y/n) I’m… I’m sorry” He mutters

“I didn’t know you had to go through all of that” He continues

“I’m… really sorry” He finishes, hugging me tighter

Tears swell up on the corners of my eyes. I can’t believe him right now

Is he even real?

My worries slowly start to fade away as I begin to assimilate what he had just said

He didn’t care if I was a full Na’vi or not. His first reaction only was to care about how I felt, about what had happened to me

Shit

I like him so much

I slowly wrap my arms around him, hugging him back tightly

My chest feels warm, the hands I have around him tingling

Being this close to him always feels almost too overwhelming

And so comforting

He squeezes me tight, his hold firm but gentle

My cheeks redden a little

We slowly pull back. Neteyam’s eyes on mine

“Thank you for telling me…. I honestly had no idea” He says, looking at the ground

“It doesn’t change anything though” He continues, his gaze quickly meeting mine again

“Where you came from, who you were before… it doesn’t matter to us, to me, at all”

He turns to me

“You kind of remind me of… father, in a sense” He starts

I raise my eyebrows at him, my face dripping with confusion

“You’re comparing me to Jake?”

He laughs “No I- let me explain” He says, looking into my eyes while smiling

“You both came from the same place, arriving on Pandora with good intentions. You both didn’t really know what your crew’s true plans were” He starts

“When you found out, you did what you could to stand by us, to help and protect Pandora”

“You both ended up becoming one of us. Not in the same way, I know“ He looks at me

“But it doesn’t matter. (Y/n), you’re one of us now” He continues

“You were thrown in a situation were you had no choice whatsoever. And yet, you still chose to help us.”

He stops for a minute, looking at me

He then huffs out a incredulous laugh

“Also you-“ He starts, shaking his head

“(Y/n), you literally saved my life, you didn’t even know me”

“All because you thought it was the right thing to do” He stops, looking into my eyes

“There’s something really admirable about that” He continues

“You’re truly incredible (y/n)” He finishes

I stare at him for a while, the weight of his words still sinking in

What the hell

I take a shaky breath in, covering my face with my hands

“Do you enjoy making me cry? Is that it?” I ask him, my voice cracking while I cover my now tear streaked face

Neteyam let’s a soft laugh out, starting to fuss over me

“I’m sorry!!” He says, nervous. But his tone is light and affectionate “(Y/n) I’m sorry! Please don’t cry”

He gently removes my hands from my face, scanning it while smiling

I look back at him, sniffling a bit. I must look terrible right now but I can’t help it. His words pulled at my heartstrings, making me get emotional

I didn’t know he thought all of those things about me

“Thank you Neteyam” I say, wiping my face slowly “Truly. That… that meant a lot to me”

He shakes his head, smiling “There you go again thanking me. I didn’t even do anything” He says

I roll my eyes, finishing wiping my face up “Just accept it dammit”

He laughs “Okay, okay” He starts

“You’re welcome (y/n)” He says, looking at me fondly

Making my cheeks warm once again

I let a shaky breath out, finally calming myself a bit

I turn to him, smiling

“So” I start “My truth is out” I smile at him “Now it’s your turn”

He laughs, nervously pursing his lips

“What… What do you want to know?” He asks

“Well” I start “How are you doing? How’s life with the Metkayina been treating ya?” I ask playfully

“Anything you want to tell me really” I say, smiling at him

He huffs out a laugh, bending a knee to rest his arm on

“There’s nothing to complain about, honestly” He says “My family is safe, you’re safe. We’re all together. That’s all that matters”

I make a face at him

He looks at me from the corner of his eye, laughing after seeing my expression

“What?” He asks

I raise an eyebrow at him “Come on, I just poured my heart out in front of you and that’s the best you got?”

He laughs again “I’m serious (y/n). There’s nothing to complain about” He says

I look into his eyes

“Neteyam” I start “Talking about what worries you is not complaining” I say

“Remember what I told you before? Back home? You’re allowed to feel sad, frustrated, anything. Your feelings are valid too”

“You’ve listened to my concerns and helped me through them, why won’t you let me do the same for you?” I ask him. Reaching for his hand, squeezing it softly

Just like he did to me

He looks me in the eyes. His brows are slightly furrowed, lips pursed, hesitant

He looks down at my hand holding his

“I’m-“ He starts, letting out a sigh right after

I stare at him encouragingly

“I guess…” He starts again “I just… I miss home” He says, eyeing me out the corner of his eye

“I know the Metkayina have all been nothing but receptive-

“I mean- some of them have” he rolls his eyes before continuing “And I know that we’ve been slowly adapting to the place, but…. it’s just not the same”

He stops for a while, pursing his lips

“In a way…. I don’t think I really want to adapt. Seems like the more we learn about how to live here, the more we forget about our home”

“It’s taken a toll on everybody, being away from the place we’ve grown up in. Especially Tuk, It’s… hard to watch” He winces

I touch his shoulder gently

“Also…” he starts again, biting his lip “Don’t get me wrong, I know that everything father has done until now was only with our well being in mind, but sometimes he can be… a bit…” He stops himself

“He’s harsh sometimes” He breathes out “Especially with Lo’ak. I know he can be difficult, but it’s not like dad makes it any easier for him either”

I listen to him attentively, frowning as he shares his worries. I can’t help but notice that even his own concerns end up relating to those around to him. I can’t help but smile softly at that

“Ever since I was young, father trained me to protect our people, to become the future olo’eyktan” He says

“I’m grateful to him of course. I want nothing more than to become a great warrior like him”

“But… now that we left home, I can’t help but wonder-“

He pauses, fidgeting his hand

“What was it all for?”

His breath hitches a little

“All of the training, the sweat, the bruises. The times I couldn’t play with my siblings because I had to practice or exercise” he tenses his jaw

“What was all of that for?” He asks

He looks at me, his eyebrows furrowed, jaw tense

I can now see that his eyes are watering

Mine widen a bit

Seeing that feels like stones in my heart

I immediately move myself, making it easier for me to embrace him

Just like he did for me

I hug him tightly by the shoulders, feeling for him

I imagined he had it hard, but I didn’t know he held all of those things inside

After a while, I feel his arms slowly wrap around me as well

He lets a shaky breath out, holding me tighter

We stay like that for a while, basking in each other’s presence

I only pull back when I feel his breathing calm a little

I look into his eyes, my face close to his

“Thank you for telling me Neteyam” I say “I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you”

“If you ever need to talk, about anything, you can come to me. You don’t have to carry all of those things by yourself”

“You’re always helping everybody out. Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it too” I continue

His gaze avoids mine. He purses his lips, the tip of his ears getting red

“You left your home. But the memories you have, all of the good moments, your family, your people. They’ll always be with you” I start again

“Not everything is lost. Not at all. You can be whoever you want to be, do whatever you want to do inspite of what your father or anyone expects of you”

“Someday you could even return home, if it’s what you wish” I continue, reaching for his hand

“It’s your choice Neteyam. It’s your life” I emphasize

“You’ve done so much for your family, I know they only want to see you happy, nothing more” I finish

He stares at me for a long while, silent

His gaze is intense, making me gulp. A million thoughts seem to pass through his head at the same time

He looks like he really wants to say something, even making a motion of speaking, only to close his mouth right after

He lets a long sigh out

“(Y/n)” He starts, looking at me deep in the eyes

“Thank you” He continues “I’m- You-“ He stops himself again

He closes his eyes as if trying to regain composure

Trying to contain himself

What does he want to tell me?

He looks at me again, slowly reaching for my hand before saying

“I know you went through a lot, and I know it doesn’t change or solve anything, but-“

He stops, getting even closer to me

“I’m so glad everything that happened brought you to us”

“To me” He finishes, in a softer, lower tone. He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear

We’re so close to each other now that our noses are almost touching

My heartbeat immediately fastens

I like him so much I can’t even stand it

His hand slowly moves from my hair to my face, resting on my cheek

His eyes are now on my lips, making my breathing hitch in anticipation

Before anything can happen, he suddenly shuts his eyes, breathing in slowly like he’s trying to regain composure, to control himself

“It’s getting late” He breathes out softly, backing away a bit, letting go of my cheek

“We should… get going. You have to rest and I got a lot of training to do first thing in the morning” He smiles. It doesn’t reach his eyes though

He slowly starts to get up, holding out a hand to help me up as well

My heart sinks

I’m obviously disappointed, but I try to hide it as much as possible

I knew it

I have to keep the feelings I’m nurturing for him well hidden. He probably doesn’t feel the same

It’s best to stay as we are. Friends. Nothing more

I can’t loose him over what’s not even real

“Yeah…let’s go” I answer, giving him a small smile before accepting his hand up

——————————————————

The next day, I finish my morning chores fast, having a lot on my mind

While working, I can’t help but to think back to last night’s events

The place Neteyam showed me, how he comforted me, sharing some of his own troubles too

It seemed to bring us even closer, strengthening our bond

But at the same time, his sudden withdrawal at the end of our encounter made him feel distant, making me doubt everything

It hurt, but I couldn’t bring it up with him

I couldn’t tell him how I really felt

What if it ended with us not even being friends anymore?

——————————————————

After finishing up my morning chores, Kiri asks me if I’d like to take a walk with her around the beach, telling me we had to enjoy the sun while it was still out

I happily agree, which brings us to the current moment

We’re both sitting on the sand inside the sea, on shallow waters, close to the shore

We’re watching a little hole on the sand curiously

Kiri lays down, most of her body and face now submerged into the water, trying to get a better look at the hole

I smile as I watch her. She seems to have a deep interest in Pandora’s fauna and flora, it’s one thing we have in common

But… she seemed to have more than an interest. She also had strange connection to it

More than once, I’ve caught her swimming around with all sorts of not so social animals, who wouldn’t mind her presence at all. One time, I even saw her making a whole shoal of fishes swim in the direction she wanted them to

She seemed her happiest while in nature. It was actually beautiful to watch

She emerges her head from the water, turning to me while smiling

“Isn’t it amazing (y/n)? What kind of animal do you think lives in there?” She asks

I smile at her, finding her excitement amusing

“It really is! And I think… maybe some kind of crustacean? They usually make holes in sand just like that to eat”

She smiles, turning back to the water, watching the hole

“That’s incredible” She says

She hovers a hand above it, watching how the sun goes through the water and hits her hand, forming different shapes that reflect the water

She lets out a soft laugh, suddenly turning to me, a knowing smile on her face

“What?” I ask her while smiling, an eyebrow raised in her direction

“Neteyam’s right” She starts, making me stare at her with curiosity

“You are a bit of a nerd” she continues, the knowing smile on her face widening

I scoff, trying to hide the smile forming on my lips at the very mention of Neteyam’s name

Before I can say anything else, we get interrupted by someone

“Hey look, it’s a freak hangout” the person says

Before even looking up to the person, I sigh

Great. Ao’nung

——————————————————

“He called you a freak” One of Ao’nung’s friends say after the lack of response from me and Kiri

“Is that so? Oh thank you so much, I couldn’t hear it the first time” I say, smiling cynically at him while standing up, pulling Kiri by the arm in the direction of the beach’s shore

As we walk towards the sand, we try our best to ignore Ao’nung and his so called friends. But hey start following us, surrounding us while Ao’nung says “You’re not even real Na’vi”

He makes a move, trying to grab Kiri’s arm, but she retracts it just in time

Oh hell no

It’s one thing to mess with me, but it’s another completely different to bother someone I care about

I stop walking, staring at him

“Quit. it.” I tell him, looking into his eyes, my tone low and firm “Don’t touch her”

He smirks, now looking at me

In one swift move, he grabs one of my wrists, making me eye him, startled and annoyed

“Look at these hands” He says

“Hey!” Kiri yells “Stop it!”

“I mean- look at them” He holds me tightly by my wrist, showing my five fingered hand to his so called friends

They all laugh together

“So weird” He continues, tightening his hold on my wrist

In that moment, I’m furious. But my mind tells me to hold back

Don’t bring the Sullys any problems

I tense my jaw

Then, I think about Neteyam

I remember what he said to me before, making me promise that I’d defend myself when I needed to

I purse my lips, cursing internally

I did make a promise

I look at Ao’nung, pulling my wrist back with force, making him let go of it

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” I ask him defiantly

“Do you need attention? Is that it? Does your father not give you enough?” I ask, getting closer to him

“Is forcing it out of us the only way you can get some?” I finish, now whispering close to his face, my tone assertive

His face morphs into annoyance, the smirk he displayed before disappearing from his lips

He grabs me by the arms with a bit of force

“What did you just say?” He asks, his tone abrasive

“Let her go!” Kiri yells from behind me

“Why don’t you try saying that again, alien?” Ao’nung says in a lower, threatening tone. The grip he has on my arms starts to hurt

What happens next goes down way too fast for me to process

One moment I’m being threatened and held tightly by Ao’nung. The other, he’s on the ground, looking up with an incredulous look on his face, a hand covering his eye

Neteyam now stands between us, a furious look in his eyes as he shakes his hand, relieving the tension in it

Neteyam just punched Ao’nung

——————————————————

I stood completely still, too stunned to do or say anything

Where did Neteyam even come from?

Ao’nung’s face slowly turns from complete shock to anger

He gets up quickly, throwing himself into Neteyam, dropping them both on the sand

He punches Neteyam while laying on top of him

“Neteyam” I scream

This is can’t be happening

As Neteyam forcefully pushes Ao’nung away from him, kicking him in the process, a full on fight breaks out in front of us

Neteyam and Ao’nung hit each other while Ao’nung’s friends help him, pulling on Neteyam, slowing him down while trying to hit him as well

I screamed and begged for them to stop while Kiri held me tightly by my arm, stopping me from getting involved

I felt completely helpless

Suddenly, Lo’ak shows up. He urgently asks us what was going on, not waiting for an answer after seeing his brother throwing punches with the others

He joins them, punching one of Ao’nung’s friends hard in the face

“Get away from my brother, bitch” He exclaims

This cannot be happening right now

——————————————————

I’m currently sitting on the ground, head on my knees as I anxiously wait outside the Sully hut

Neteyam and Lo’ak are being harshly scolded by their father inside, just how I imagined it would probably happen after the fight

Shit

This wasn’t supposed to happen

No one was supposed to get in trouble, or even worse

Hurt

My heart sank, eyes starting to water

Suddenly, the fabric that covers the entrance of the hut gets pushed to the side, revealing a bit of a roughed up Lo’ak

Neteyam started the fight, but Lo’ak came in right after to help him, no questions asked

He could be a bit rebellious and difficult at times, but no one could say he wasn’t loyal

“(Y/n)?” He asks

I rise my head, finally seeing him

“Lo’ak!” I urge, getting up to my feet as quickly as I could to check on him

“Are you alright?” I ask, fussing over him, scanning him for injuries

He had a few minor bruises here and there, as well as a small cut on his eyebrow

“Hey, calm down. It’s alright, I’m fine” He says, putting a hand on my shoulder to keep me in place

“Are you okay? Could you… maybe tell me what happened?” He asks

“What made Neteyam beat Ao’nung up?” He asks again

“It must’ve been bad. I’ve never seen Neteyam jump into a physical fight like that” He continues

He furrows his eyebrows, and before I can say anything, he asks “Did something happen to you and Kiri? What was going on?”

Suddenly, Kiri herself shows up

She walks towards us, decisive in her steps, carrying two small pots in her hands

“(Y/n)!” She exclaims “Are you alright? How are you feeling?” She asks, scanning my arms where Ao’nung grabbed me before

Lo’ak scoffs, putting his hands on his waist

“Well hello to you too Kiri. Yes, me, your younger brother who just got out of a fist fight is doing well, thank you for asking” He says

She rolls her eyes, giving him a small smile “Stop being dramatic Lo’ak, I’m here to fix you up” she says, showing us the pots she was carrying

They seemed to contain some sort of paste inside them. By the smell of it and from what I’ve studied, it appeared to be a medicinal herb paste

“But (y/n) was just about to tell me what happene-“ Lo’ak starts, getting interrupted by Kiri

“I’ll tell you everything, just pipe down and come with me” She says

She turns to me, looking into my eyes

“Will you take care of Neteyam for me (y/n)?” She asks. her tone is soft but full of intention

I look at her, she seemed to mean a lot things with her phrase

She also looked at me like she knew my secret

My feelings for Neteyam

She seemed to know I wanted nothing more than to see him right now, find out if he was okay

She’s really intuitive

Reaching a hand out, she offers me one of the pots with the healing paste, looking at me attentively

I couldn’t thank her enough

“Yes, I-“ I start, reaching for the pot she was offering me

“Thank you Kiri” I continue in a lower tone, staring fondly at her

She nods, smiling in a caring manner

“Can somebody please explain to me what is going on?” Lo’ak asks, impatient. He looks at us with concern in his eyes

Me and Kiri laugh a bit “Come on brother, let’s get those bruises checked up” Kiri says, starting to pull him away with her

Before leaving, she smiles softly at me, saying “Good luck (y/n)”

I smile back, mouthing her another thank you

They leave me alone with my thoughts

I look down at the medicine Kiri gave me, thinking about how much Neteyam would need of it

My throat tightens

I hope he’s alright

Suddenly, the fabric the covers the hut’s entrance is pushed to the side once again, revealing a roughed up Neteyam

He looks at me, his gaze softening just a bit when it meets mine

My hold on the pot tightens as I take in his bruised form

——————————————————

I enter my hut once again, carrying a small piece of cloth in one hand and a small pot filled with water in the other

As I enter, I can see Neteyam, sitting down on my hammock while staring at the ground, lost in thought

He straightens himself as he notices my presence, watching me as I place the small pot with water next to the one filled with the medicinal paste Kiri gave me

He doesn’t say a word as I dip a tip of the cloth into the water, wetting it a bit

I then place myself in front of him to clean his cuts

I look into his eyes, breathing in as I feel the intensity of his gaze on me

“Can I touch you?” I ask him in a lower, softer tone

He nods, giving me permission to start

I scan him. He looks a bit worst than Lo’ak, but nothing too grave. He only had a few bruises on his torso, as well as a cut on his cheekbone and lip

I wince as I take in the consequences of the fight he started

“Don’t worry, the other guys look way worse” He says with a small, playful smile, trying to lighten up the mood

I purse my lips, slowly starting to clean the cut on his cheek. His face turns to the side to give me better access to it

Silence stretches between us as I work, Neteyam staring attentively at me from the corner of his eyes

“You shouldn’t have done that” I mutter

“What, intervened?” He inquires, furrowing his brows

“So I was supposed to watch Ao’nung and his friends mess with Kiri? Hurt you?” He asks, turning to me, making me stop tending to his cut

“I had it under control” I say, my tone now louder as I look into his eyes

“I’m sorry (y/n), but it didn’t look like it” He says, his tone getting louder as well

“Ao’nung had you by your arms for Eywa’s sake” He urges

“Was I just supposed to let him hurt you?” He asks

“I understand why you stopped him, but you shouldn’t have started a fight over it” I start, distressed

“You shouldn’t have gotten yourself hurt over it” I finish, my eyes starting to water

He huffs out an incredulous laugh, standing up from the hammock

Running a hand through his braids, he turns to the side, putting both hands on his waist before turning back to me

“That’s what you’re mad about? Me getting hurt?” He asks, his tone getting more and more urgent

“Yes” I exclaim “Of course that’s why I’m mad Neteyam. You even got scolded by your father, how could I possibly be okay with that?” I ask, getting worked up

“My Eywa” He breathes out

“You’re unbelievable (y/n)” He says, shaking his head slowly while getting closer to me

“Why? Because I don’t wan’t you to make it harder for yourself over a stupid fight?” I ask him, incredulous

“Why would you do that Neteyam? Why would you put yourself at risk over me?” I urge, eyes watering again

“Why wouldn’t I? (Y/n) you-“ He says, running a hand over his face, stressed

“You really don’t get it, do you?” He urges, getting even closer to me

“Get what? What are you talking about?” I exclaim, getting closer to him as well

We’re close now, really close. Staring into each other’s eyes intensely

Neteyam’s brows are deeply furrowed, his nose scrunched angrily

Silence stretches between us, the tension in the room getting heavier by the second

He lets out a loud groan before doing something that completely shocks me

He suddenly grabs my face in his hands, closing the distance between us

Kissing me

——————————————————

At first, I’m completely stunned

My eyes are widened, I’m completely frozen in place

My heart feels like it’s about to explode

Am I dreaming? is this even real?

Slowly, I start to melt into him, into his kiss. Breathing out softly through my nose, I close my eyes, starting to kiss him back

Dropping one of his hands to my waist, he holds me tight, kissing me urgently, passionately

Like he wanted to do it for a long time

I could even taste the blood from the cut on his lip

I put my hands around his neck, feeling completely lightheaded, overwhelmed

Is this really happening?

After quite some time, we pull away for a bit, needing air

He holds me tightly by the waist, breathing heavily, his eyes half lidded

I scan his face, completely out of breath as well

Slowly bringing a hand to his cheek, I gently run a thumb over his lower lip

“Your cut” I mutter, wiping it softly

“(Y/n)” he breathes out, his voice low and raspy

He puts a hand over the one I have on his cheek

“I don’t care” He mutters before pulling me into another kiss

——————————————————

HELLO EVERYONEEEE!! How are y’all doing? Sooooo sorry for the wait, this was a special chapter so I had to make it a bit longer. Took me a while to get it to a point where I liked it 😭 Hope y’all enjoy finally kissing bae 😌

Tag list: @holysaladapricothero @mahalkomarvel @a-blog-name-2003 @crazy4books1 @camilo-uwu @isazelhelmann @mynameisjuno @milktealvrr @myheartfollower @bakugouswaif @kitally @justcallmesams @simp4ff @naynay2808

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smolskxawng · 11 months

Text

New life - Chapter 6

<- chapter 5, chapter 7 ->

Pairing: Aged up!Neteyam x Fem!Reader

Summary: As you and the Sullys move to the Metkayina’s region, you learn from their olo’eyktan’s children how to adapt to the new environment, how to be useful, to survive. In the meantime, your feelings for Jake’s oldest only seem get stronger, does he feel the same?

Note: Neteyam is aged up on this one☝️as well as the reader☝️

——————————————————

The next day, I wake up at sunrise. My stomach immediately turning, anxious. Today was the day we were heading south, to the Metkayina’s region, leaving the Omatikayan woods for good

It didn’t feel real

I was never a real Omatikayan, but the past few days I spent here were very meaningful. It felt… bittersweet to leave the tribe, the woods, so soon

The reality of it all only sunk when I went over to the lab to say goodbye to Norm

——————————————————

Hugging me tight, he reluctantly supported my decision to leave with the Sullys, telling me that Grace would be proud

I shed some tears, hugging him back tightly. Norm was a important part of my story, one of the only people I had left from my past

Before I leave the lab, we share our special high five one last time

——————————————————

All of the Omatikaya tribe was now gathered around the Tree of Souls, where the Tsahik was going to officialize the new olo’eyktan

It was a sad day for the people. Their Toruk Makto was leaving, protecting them with the cost of losing his own home

Jake had choosen Tarsem as his successor, a renown warrior of the tribe. He was a bit young, but wise for his years, making a good suitor for Jake’s place

I watched the ceremony amongst the people, pursing my lips as the Tsahik took the traditional olo’eyktan feathery attire from Jake’s shoulders, putting it on Tarsem’s

Even if I wasn’t officially a part of the tribe, watching the scene felt very emotional. It was heartbreaking

I look around, seeing the melancholic and teary eyed expressions on the Omatikayan’s faces

On my right side stood Kiri, crossed armed, one hand over her mouth. Tears silently fell from her eyes. I could hear the subtle prayer she was making to Eywa

Lo’ak was sitting on a rock close to us, elbows on his knees, his head low, not really watching the ceremony. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he wasn’t doing well

Neytiri’s tears poured down from her face as she watched Tarsem take her husband’s place. She had Tuk on her arms, who had her head buried on her mother’s neck

I take a deep breath in, shifting my attention to Neteyam, who stood next to me

I looked up to his face right as Tarsem symbolically marked Jake’s chest with a knife

The previous leader had to die for a new one to be born. It was tradition, so they had to simulate Jake’s death for it to be official

Neteyam’s face didn’t seem to show too much emotion, only his brows were furrowed. But his jaw was clenched and his back was tense, like he was trying to keep himself composed

I slowly reach for him, hesitantly holding his wrist in a attempt to bring him some kind of comfort

He doesn’t move an inch, but his eyes shift in my direction

My eyes widen as I can now see what he was truly feeling through his gaze

Sadness, anger, sorrow

He looks back at the ceremony, closing his hand in a fist. Suddenly, he moves the wrist I’m holding, freeing himself from my touch just to grab my hand slowly right after, squeezing it

My eyes widen a bit. I slowly squeeze his hand back, trying to show him I’m there for him

He was right about what he had said the night before:

“Today was hard, but tomorrow will be even harder”

——————————————————

With my backpack secured behind me, I held on to Neteyam’s back as we flew on his Ikran, the Omatikayan woods getting smaller behind us

Jake led the group, while Neytiri held Tuk protectively on her Ikran and Lo’ak and Kiri flew beside us on Ikrans of their own

From where I was, I could see Kiri look back at the woods, eyeing them one last time. Her eyes started to water

——————————————————

Rain poured down hard on us, a storm having caught up with our group after a few hours of flying

I could barely see a thing, shivering behind Neteyam. With one arm still holding onto his waist, I raised the other above my eyes, uselessly trying to clear my vision

“(Y/n)” Neteyam screams “Put this on!” he continues, removing the cloth he wore around his shoulders, offering it to me above his head

“What? No! You’ll freeze to death!” I yell back

“I’ll let go of it now! If you don’t hold it’ll fall! Your call!” He screams, his fingers starting to loosen around the fabric

I grab the cloth as fast as I can from his hand, afraid he was really going to let go

“When we get down from here you’re done, mighty warrior!” I scream at him mid-storm

I can feel his back rumble softly from his laughter. Blushing a bit, I try to cover both of us with the cloak that was meant only for him

——————————————————

We now fly above calm waters, gliding for what feels like hours. I honestly lost count how many had been since we first left

I promised Neteyam to stay awake with him through the whole journey, keeping him company. But as he was telling me some story about how Lo’ak shot his father’s foot as he was learning how to use a bow for the first time, I was fighting for my life, trying my hardest not to doze off

“…..Everyone was just screaming. Then, Kiri looked at dad’s foot and just fainted- (Y/n)?”

I lift my head from his shoulder, pretending I wasn’t just about to fall sleep “Yes! I’m here… so Lo’ak fainted huh, what a looser…” I say, my tone low and groggy

Neteyam tries to look at me from the corner of his eye, laughing softly “(Y/n), I told you. You can rest if you need to, I dont mind” he says

“But” I start “What if I slip off the Ikran?” I ask softly, almost dozing off

“Hey, have I ever let you fall?” He asks, grinning, one eyebrow raised in my direction “Didn’t you say you trusted me last time? Here-“ He suddenly lifts one hand, letting go of the Ikran and holding my thigh softly, securing me in place

“Is this alright?” He asks

That woke me right up

“Y-yeah it’s okay” I say, blushing furiously

Again, thank god he can’t see me, I think

The tips of Neteyam’s ears are bright red, but he has a smug look on his face

“Rest now (y/n), I’ve got you”

——————————————————

When I wake up again, we’re nearing a barrier of reefs. I could see some Na’vi hunting for fish

Their skin was a lighter blue compared to ours, their shoulders broaden. Where we had a tail, they had some kind of extra fin

The Metkayina people

We arrived

——————————————————

As we land on their beach, several natives start to approach us, curious and skeptical of their visitors

Jake leads us to them, his arms open in a approachable, inoffensive stance

I smile softly, noticing Neteyam trying to do the same

Like father like son

The natives surround us, eyeing us from head to toe

Then, two young men, probably me and Neteyam’s age, come forward, circling us

One had his hair in a bun, while the other had it loose, curly and short

The latter’s eyes linger on me a bit more than on the rest of us

“Is that supposed to be a tail?” The one in a bun asks, laughing

???????????????

What did he just say?

As Neteyam tries to cover me up from the guy’s stare with his body, a younger girl, probably Lo’ak’s age, suddenly emerges from the water

She slowly walks over to us, eyeing us in the process

Me and Neteyam share a look watching Lo’ak practically drool over her

“Hey” Lo’ak says to the girl

She giggles, avoiding his eyes

I wiggle my eyebrows up and down at Neteyam, who rubs a hand over his mouth to stop his laughter from coming out

Suddenly, a tattooed, older Metkayina man arrives at the beach on a animal I recognize as a skimwing. He’s wearing feathers around his shoulders

I knew from my studies that only the most skilled Metkayina hunters could ride a skimwing… so that, plus the feathers… that had to be the tribe’s olo’eyktan

The man confirms my suspicions, greeting Jake, who called him Tonowari. Then, a woman suddenly appears from amongst the people, standing beside him, eyeing us skeptically

Ronal, the tribe’s Tsahik

A discussion breaks in front of us. On one side, Jake asks for uturu, sanctuary for his family. On the other, Ronal seems to want to us out, pointing out the differences between us and her people

Especially our demon blood, as they called natives who had any relation to the humans

If the Metkayina thought the Sullys weren’t true Na’vi, what did that make me?

My ears flatten, eyebrows furrowing, eyes wide and scared as my heartbeat starts to fasten

I hope I don’t cause the Sullys any more problems

Someone suddenly grabs my wrist, squeezing it softly. I follow the person’s arm up with my eye until they meet Neteyam’s, who’s looking at me inquisitively, worried

My anxiety eases a bit. Looking into his eyes, I slowly hold his hand back, but before I can say anything, Neytiri suddenly says

“My husband was the Toruk Makto” She starts circling Ronal

I raise both my eyebrows high

OoOoOooooOoo this won’t be good

After Neytiri’s words, everything goes downhill

She tries to defend Jake’s honor, while Ronal argues incessantly with her

Jake and Tonowari are practically extras in the situation, looking at each other as if asking the other for help

In the end, Tonowari and Ronal share a long eye conversation. Finally deciding to let us stay

They were a bit harsh on their words, but we can finally rest. Collectively letting out the breath we all seemed to be holding in

We can stay

——————————————————

It was decided that Tonowari’s kids were supposed to teach us the Metkayina way, help us adapt and survive on their land

Tsireya was kind enough to introduce herself and lead us through some kind of a bouncy path, where I had to concentrate all of my strength into not laughing at Neteyam, seeing him bounce up and down while walking

He eyed me with a look that seemed to say “if my parents weren’t here, you’d be screwed”

————————————————-

After settling in, me and the Sully kids meet up with Tsireya, Ao’nung and Rotxo. The latter two being the hair in a bun guy and the curly, short haired one from before

They jump straight from the bouncy path to the sea, waiting for us to do the same

Lo’ak goes in cannonball, while I stop at the edge, looking into the water

It’s… beautiful to say the least, I could see all sorts of creatures inside the crystalline water. Some of which I’ve studied and some of which I’ve never even heard about

Grace would love it here

“Going in soon (y/n)? Any day now” Neteyam says as he appears by side, grinning playfully at me

"Look! Neteyam, that’s an ilu!" I exclaim, beaming at him while pointing to the water, "They’re commonly used for-“

I’m unable to finish my sentence, being abruptly interrupted mid-lesson by Neteyam, who suddenly grabs me by the waist, pushing himself onto me and dropping us both in the water

After falling in, I swim up to rise my head above the surface and catch my breath, Immediately splashing Neteyam’s face with the water while scoffing in fake offense

“You’re such a nerd!” He exclaims, laughing

“Yeah, and what about it? Does it bother you?” I ask, grinning playfully at him

He slowly smiles, suddenly swimming closer to me. We are now so close that our noses are almost touching

“Not at all” he says in a lower, softer tone as he looks into my eyes “I like it very much, actually”

My eyes immediately widen, cheeks flushing from our proximity “Y-you do?” I ask him, my heart beating fast

Shit, this time there’s nowhere to hide

I’m blushing hard and he’s a witness

His smile widens, slowly turning into a smirk. He starts alternating his gaze between my eyes and my lips, the tips of his ears red

“Yes, I do” he whispers

Before anything else can happen, we both feel a tug on our feet

Submerging our faces into the water, we see Lo’ak gesturing over to Tonowari’s kids, reminding us that we have to follow them

He has a wide, knowing smile on his face

I pretend I don’t see it though, cheeks bright red

——————————————————

We try as much as we can to keep up with them, but we obviously fall behind

We don’t have their breath control, affinity to water, or adapted body type. We weren’t made for the sea like they were

After a few minutes, we have no choice but to rise to the surface to catch some air

After breathing heavily for a while, we submerge our heads again, looking for our mentors

Tsireya was still at the bottom of the sea, using the Metkayina’s traditional sign language to communicate with us from where she stood

“Come swim with us” she signs

Lo’ak shrugs in her direction, him and Neteyam eyeing her with confused expressions. They couldn’t understand her, but thanks to my extensive Metkayina studies, I could

My fascination with the people led me to study their dialect, training as much as I could with Doctor Grace back then

“We can’t hold our breath that well” I sign back to Tsireya

She raises both her eyebrows in my direction, smiling. I can see her brother, Rotxo, doing the same

She then signs over to both her brothers to meet us at the surface

——————————————————

“Are you alright?” She asks as she rises from under the water

“You’re too fast! Wait for us” Tuk says, seeming a bit tired

Tsireya smiles sympathetically at her

“(Y/n) told me about your breathing problem, we can help you with that”

As she says that, Neteyam turns to me, looking like he wanted to ask me something

But Rotxo beats him to it

“You know sign language?” He asks, smiling

“A little bit” I sign to him, smiling as well

“Nice! Where’d you learn it?” He signs back to me enthusiastically, swimming closer

Before I can answer Rotxo, I feel a hand on my arm

Neteyam’s arm circles my back, hand resting on my arm

“The rest of us don’t know this “finger talk” you guys, we don’t know what you’re saying” he says

I raise an eyebrow at him, cheeks a bit warm from his embrace

I smile at him, rolling my eyes playfully “I can help you with that”

He smiles in my direction. We look at each other for a while before Tuk suddenly asks

“Where’s Kiri?”

I look around, noticing her absence

Where is Kiri?

We submerge our heads again, finding a very excited Kiri, swimming along with the animals

How can she stay underwater for that long?

——————————————————

The more time we spent with the Metkayina, the more I fell in love with their home, culture and mesmerizing fauna and flora

The following days were a mix of breath training, ilu riding, environment adapting, chore making and…

Neteyam

He seemed to be occupying my days, and thoughts, more and more. He was making the feelings I knew I was developing for him really hard to hide

All I could do was hope it wasn’t too obvious. I couldn’t risk loosing our close friendship over unreciprocated feelings

Plus, I wasn’t even a real Na’vi, what If that was an issue for him?

I was definitely screwed

——————————————————

During our time spent with the Metkayina, we quickly bonded with some of Tonowari’s kids

Rotxo was always really nice and considerate towards me, going out of his way to help me adapt to his home

Be it helping me with breathing techniques, improving on my sign language or riding my ilu, he was always the first to volunteer to help

We were never alone though, Neteyam always seemed to find a way to participate in our lessons

Like the time when Rotxo offered to help me with my breath control. He had his hand on my stomach as we sat down next to each other on top some rocks by the sea

Right when he was about to place another hand on my chest, right above my heart, to tell me to slow it’s pace, Neteyam appeared right beside us, sitting down, asking if we could help him with his breathing as well

Another time, was when we were all swimming together at night next to a big reef containing various types of oysters, which were being collected by Ronal and some other natives

Rotxo was helping me put a Gill Mantle on my back, an animal supposed to help you stay longer under the water when connected to your lungs

They shined beautifully in the night, illuminating our faces with a soft, pinkish glow

After connecting the animal to me, Rotxo signals over to a reef, wanting to show me something

As I’m about to follow him, Neteyam appears beside us. Using the little he had already learned in sign language, he apologetically tells Rotxo that he urgently needs to show me something

He then softly touches my arm, signaling for me to swim with him to the surface

I look over at Rotxo, signing a quick “Be right back” to him, following Neteyam

“Are you alright?” I ask as soon as we rise to the surface

“Of course! Why do you ask?” He says “I need to show you something”

I huff out a laugh, raising a brow in his direction, unable to stop a smile from growing on my face “You said it was urgent. Rotxo was helping me with something, you know”

“He can wait” Neteyam says, grinning “This is urgent”

“Uh huh” I tell him, laughing “Go on then, show me, mighty warrior”

Neteyam smirks, proceeding to bring a closed hand to the surface. He opens it slowly, revealing a small oyster inside of it

I raise an inquisitive eyebrow at him, smiling playfully

He opens the oyster softly, being careful not to harm it. It reveals a beautiful, iridescent pearl inside

My gasp is immediate, eyes widening “Neteyam… that’s… it’s beautiful” I softly say, touching the pearl lightly with my fingers

“Isn’t it? I knew you’d like it” He says, a small smile on his lips as he watched me gently hold the pearl in my hands

“How’d you get it?” I ask, smiling at him

“I helped Ronal collect a bunch of oysters, so she let me keep this one” He says

He looks into my eyes for a moment before saying “It’s yours”

“What?” I ask, eyebrows widening at him “I can’t accept this Neteyam, you earned it”

He laughs softly “Yeah, I earned it for you”

My eyes widen, cheeks warming a bit

“Really?” I smile widely at him “I… I don’t even know what to say, you didn’t have to do this. Thank you Neteyam” I softly say, brushing the gift he just gave me with my finger

“I don’t even have anything to give you for it” I continue, now eyeing him

He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head “You need to stop acting like you owe me anything when I do something for you” he says “I did this because I wanted to, because it reminded me of you, just accept it already” he finishes, using a hand to close mine around the pearl

Shit, I think, I really like him

——————————————————

Aside from Rotxo, Tsireya was another one of Tonowari’s kids who didn’t take long to bond with us

We became quite close. She always helped me around the village, teaching me how to properly do chores and help around, also teaching how to hunt for fish like her people did

She also discovered my little secret pretty fast

One afternoon, we were sitting inside my hut as she taught me how to properly woven a basket

“So, what do you think about Lo’ak?” I ask her out of the blue

Her eyes snap in my direction, the tip of her ears red

“Lo’ak? Oh! uh, he’s- he’s great! I really enjoy spending time with him” She answers, avoiding my eyes

“Why do you ask?” She inquires

“Oh, nothing special. It just seemed like you were interested in him, you guys do spend a lot of time together” I say nonchalantly, working on my basket

As I say this, she almost drops her own basket, cheeks now fully red

“Interested? No I- we’re just friends” She says, securing her basket on her lap nervously

“Really? That’s too bad, Lo’ak really enjoys spending time with you too” I tell her

She abruptly stops her work again, snapping her eyes in my direction “Really? He told you that?” She asks, her tone dripping with hope

I eye her, a wide, knowing smile on my face as I squint my eyes in her direction

She laughs, cheeks still bright red “Alright, okay. You got me” she smiles, looking back at her basket

“But I’m not the only one interested in a Sully here” She continues, getting back to her work

It’s my turn to almost drop my basket, my own cheeks reddening

“What? No I- I’m not- it’s nothing like that-“

Tsireya laughs “Come on (y/n), I’ve seen the way you look at him”

I fidget with my basket for a while before finally asking “Is it that obvious?”

She laughs “Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you won’t”

I smile at her

“Deal”

——————————————————

Later that same day, Tsireya told us all to meet up with her at the beach at nightfall, where there’d be a traditional Metkayina gathering

I knew it consisted of a reunion around a big bonfire. With food, telling of tales, singing of songs and performances of their traditional dances

I was thrilled to say the least, the Metkayina culture was, and had always been, absolutely fascinating to me

When we arrived, the atmosphere was light, happy

A few natives where singing along to others playing traditional Metkayina instruments, while a few others were eating some sort of fried fish wrapped inside a leaf. Jake and Neytiri were amongst the them, joined by Tonowari and Ronal. The four of them conversated amongst themselves and with some of the warriors from the tribe

Others were sitting around some of the elderly, who told tales of their tribe’s past and about Eywa. Kiri sat amongst them, listening attentively to the stories

Metkayina kids were running around, laughing and playing. Tuk sprinted happily amongst them

Me, Neteyam and Lo’ak are immediately greeted by a smiling Tsireya upon arrival, who calls us over to where she and her brothers were sitting. They were close to where traditional songs were being performed by the singers and instrumentalists of the tribe

Rotxo Immediately greets us as we sit next to him, while Ao’nung scoffs lightly in our direction

Out of the three Tonowari kids, Ao’nung was the only one we just couldn’t get along with

Not because of lack of effort, but because he was a complete douche

He barely ever helped us like his father asked of him. When he did, he couldn’t seem to go more than a few minutes without insulting at least one of us

In short, he was the worst

We couldn’t really do anything about it though. Jake told us to avoid trouble at all costs, so for the most part, we tried to ignore Ao’nung’s little stunts

Tsireya suddenly stands up from where she sat, telling us it was time for a dance I recognized as a traditional performance of the Metkayina women. All of them learned the choreography at some point in their lives, dancing it together at big gatherings like this one

The Metkayina culture is wonderful

I turn to Neteyam, who’s sitting next to me, and whisper “I know that dance! I learned the steps with Doctor Grace. It’s very culturally significant for the Metkayina women becau-“

“Tsireya! (Y/n) here wants to dance too!” Neteyam suddenly calls out to Tsireya, interrupting my Metkayina lesson

She stops in her tracks, directing her gaze to me, smiling “Really? You know the steps (y/n)?”

“Yes- I mean- No! I mean- I do know the steps, but it’s okay, I don’t want to intrude” I say, sending a warning look towards Neteyam, who was trying to hold his laughter in, eyeing me playfully

Dance in front of the whole tribe? No thank you

“It’s alright! You’re not intruding at all! I’d love to dance with you” Tsireya exclaims in my direction “Come!” She says, offering a hand to help me up

“N-no really, it’s okay, maybe next time-“ I start

“Come on! It’ll be fun!!” Tsireya, interrupts, pulling me up to my feet anyway

Oh god, I think, what did I just get myself into

Actually, what did Neteyam just got me into

As Tsireya pulls me towards the bonfire, I look back at Neteyam, giving him the dirtiest look ever. My eyes seemed to say “I’ll kill you” and “Please help me” at the same time

He made no effort to hold his laughter in now, shouting “Good luck! It’ll be fun!” As he watched me get dragged by Tsireya

——————————————————

Me and Tsireya approach a group of young Metkayina women, who get into position as the instrumentalists get ready to start the song

I gulp, closing my eyes, nervous

Tsireya touches my arm softly. I open my eyes to see her smiling next to me, she mouths “Relax, have fun” in my direction, before the music starts

As it begins, we all simultaneously start moving in the exact same way, moving our arms, hands and hips to the beat

At first, I must’ve come off as really stiff. But as the song progressed, the music slowly filled my senses, and I started getting lost to it, actually beginning to enjoy myself

Laughing loudly, I followed the beat along with the other women, spinning and switching places with each one of them when the choreography asked for it

It was just… so fun, so liberating. Everyone seemed to feel the same way. I could see Tsireya smiling widely, enjoying every minute of the performance

I should actually thank Neteyam for this

As my eyes quickly search for him in the crowd, I see a wide eyed Lo’ak, eyebrows raised high as his gaze followed Tsireya’s every move

I giggle, seems like Tsireya’s crush is very much mutual

Finally, my eyes find Neteyam

He was sitting down, in the same position as before we left

But his eyes were glued on me

He had a serious expression. His gaze so intense that it almost made me miss a few steps as I danced

The performance was being watched by practically everyone, but Neteyam was watching me, and only me, this whole time

——————————————————

As the song comes to an end, the crowd screams, applauding us loudly

My heart is beating fast, cheeks red from the sudden exercise. I’m exhausted, but the smile on my face shows it was all worth it

I hug Tsireya tightly, thanking her for letting me experience a small but really significant part of her culture with her

She hugs me back tightly, thanking me for joining her

As she goes around hugging her other friends, my eyes search for Neteyam once again

I walk around, dodging the crowd of natives, who walked around the bonfire freely after the end of the performance

As my eyes try to find Neteyam’s, I suddenly bump into someone. The impact makes me stumble back a bit

I Immediately apologize, lifting my gaze to meet none other then Ao’nung’s

“Watch where you’re going, Freak” He says, irritated. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed

I eye him, an eyebrow raised. It’s almost impossible to resist the urge to insult him right now

Deep breath in and out, I think, You can’t bring the Sully’s any trouble

“What, the alien can’t speak?” He asks after my lack of response, laughing

He starts walking towards me, making me involuntarily take some steps back

“Go back to where you came from, demon” He says, in a lower, offensive tone “Oh that’s right. You can’t” he smirks

How does he even know that? He knows I came from the sky people? He knows I can’t ever return? He knows I died?

Maybe Jake told Tonowari? Who explained the situation to his children?

Either way, Ao’nung’s words hit hard

He finally walks away, leaving me alone

My eyes water, anger boiling inside me

What am I even doing here?

Suddenly, a hand touches my arm

“(Y/n)! Finally” Neteyam exclaims

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! After the dance ended the crowd got a bit messy, I even lost sight of Lo’ak- (Y/n)?” He interrupts himself, his gaze turning into pure concern as he finally looks me in the face

He places himself in front of me, both his hands on my forearms. His hold firm but gentle

He looks deep into my eyes, urgently asking

“(Y/n), what’s wrong?”

——————————————————

<- chapter 7 is out :)

HEY EVERYONE!!!! Stay tuned for chapter 7!! The tension only grows from here 👹

Tag list: @holysaladapricothero @mahalkomarvel @a-blog-name-2003 @crazy4books1 @camilo-uwu @isazelhmann @mynameisjuno @milktealvrr @myheartfollower @bakugouswaif @kitally

158 notes · View notes

smolskxawng · 11 months

Text

New life - Chapter 5

<- chapter 4, chapter 6 ->

Pairing: Aged up!Neteyam x Fem!Reader

Summary: After being faced with another life or death situation, you end up deciding to follow the Sullys on their journey to the Metkayina’s region. As you and Neteyam get progressively closer, you wonder if you’re starting to see him in a different way.

Note: Neteyam is aged up on this one☝️as well as the reader☝️

——————————————————

Extra note: (y/n)’s addiction to M&M’s makes a comeback on this chapter 😶‍🌫️ lmao I’m sorry I just had to

——————————————————

I quietly follow Neteyam through the woods while he tracks his parent’s footsteps

He looks back quickly from time to time, checking if I’m still behind him

It starts raining, slowing us down, the atmosphere is dense. If I didn’t have Neteyam with me, finding my way around the forest would be almost impossible

After walking for a while, we start to hear voices

“….Demon! I will kill you as many times as I have to” A woman yells

Neytiri

We found them

I can see her now, she’s a bit far from us, hiding behind a tree

There’s a few human and avatar soldiers around, circling the perimeter

Neteyam stops in front of me, raising his hand as if telling me to stop as well, he looks into my eyes and points, first to where his mothers stands, then to the side, like he wants me to cover her side view while he stays directly across from her

I nod at him. Before I can go, he suddenly grabs my arm, making me turn back to look at him inquisitively

“Be. Careful.” He mouths, his eyes staring intensely into mine

I swallow hard. Looking back into his eyes, I nod, mouthing a “You too” back at him

He lets go of me slowly, and I swiftly walk to where he told me to

When I finally stop, I have a clear view of Neytiri’s side

And….

Shit

An avatar soldier, a human with a Na’vi replica, pointing his gun directly at her

She doesn’t seem to see him

My eyes widen, I try to pick an arrow as fast as I can

Right as I’m about to aim and shoot, another arrow beats me to it, getting the soldier from the back

Neteyam shot him!

Another soldier suddenly appears, loading his gun and pointing it in Neteyam’s direction

My eyes widen, my heartbeat fastening, I have to do something and I have to do it now

Having only a day of training, I know there’s a possibility I’ll miss. So I breath in deeply, trying to remember everything Neteyam taught me, quickly aiming my arrow at the man, screaming as loud as I can “Neteyam! Duck!”

The man screams “Na’vi”

I shoot at him, the arrow zooming in his direction, I was aiming at his the head, but it ends up hitting his arm instead

He still fires the gun, missing Neteyam because of my arrow’s impact, making the gun he was holding shoot a row of bullets to the side before falling from his hold

Still, Jake pushes Neteyam to the ground as the gun goes off

“Go Go Go” Jake urges, dragging Neteyam with him behind a tree

“You okay? You okay boy?” Jake inquires urgently

Neteyam agrees, making a motion of moving from his hiding spot to look in my direction

Jake holds him in place by his arm “Okay. With me. Ready? Ready?” He asks Neteyam

“Yes sir” he answers firmly

Jake then presses his fingers to his neck, quickly speaking into our communication mechanism “(Y/n), still with us?!”

“Y-yes!! I’m here!!” I say into the earpiece. I’m currently laying on the ground, having thrown myself down as soon as the shooting started

Neteyam let’s out a breath of relief as his father quickly yells “Good. Be ready to run on my sign”

He suddenly gets out of his hiding spot, shooting at two soldiers who stood close to us

After bringing them down, he screams “Move!”

I quickly get up, running as fast as I can into the woods

——————————————————

I’m alone now, separated from the rest of the group, running through the thick forest. Trusting my hearing to somehow guide me away from danger

I run for what feels like hours, legs burning, heart almost bursting out of my chest

I hope everyone’s alright

As I approach some massive tree roots, I start to hear voices

I slow down, scared, breathing heavily, trying to focus on the noise

“…ou hurt? Are you hurt?!!” Someone urges from behind the giant tree roots

It’s Jake!!

——————————————————

“(Y/n)” Neteyam breathes out, his eyes frantically scanning the perimeter, “Where’s (y/n)?” he anxiously presses his fingers to his neck, about to call me on our earpiece, starting to move to run back into the forest

But I beat him to it

“(Y/n)!!” Tuk screams as I jump over a big fallen tree branch to finally meet up with them

Everyone’s eyes snap on my direction, Jake immediately asking if I’m hurt

“I-I’m alright, I’m okay” I manage to breath out, my lungs burning from the run

Suddenly, two hands grab me by the arms “(Y/n)”

Neteyam says as he starts to scan my body for any possible injuries “Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?” He stops his eyes on mine, looking intensely at me, his tone urgent, gaze full of concern

“Oh my god” I breath out

“They tried to shoot you!! Oh my god Neteyam” I say, starting to fuss over him, circling him while touching his arms and back, looking for any serious wounds

Or any bullet wounds

“Hey, I’m okay, it’s alright, they didn’t get me” he holds me in place by my arms

“You saved me, again” he says softly, looking into my eyes

Before we can say anything else, strong white lights emerge from the sky, illuminating the forest

It’s a huge airship, getting progressively close to the ground, probably coming to fetch the soldiers

We all look up, Neteyam puts a protective arm in front of me as we see a bunch of avatar soldiers getting dragged up towards the sky by ropes with hooks on them, tied to the airship

As it distances itself from the land, I hear Jake saying

“…..Okay. We’re clear, everyone okay?” He breathes out, his tone urgent

“Mom!” Tuk screams, running into Neytiri’s arms, starting to cry

It’s finally over

Jake slowly pulls Neteyam and Lo’ak into a tight hug

Hands on my knees, I let out a huge breath of relief, tears swelling on the corners of my eyes after all of the adrenaline and fear

Jake looks over at where I stand for a while. Slowly, he stretches one arm in my direction, as if inviting me into the hug

My breath hitches, a few tears dropping from my eyes as I enter his embrace

Neteyam puts an arm around me as soon as I appear beside him, pulling me in tightly

“Oh thank you great mother! Thank you” Neytiri screams as she hugs Kiri and Tuk, breathing heavily

As we slowly pull back from Jake’s embrace, Neteyam’s hand lingers on my lower back for a bit

Lo’ak looks around, confused, before suddenly asking about Spider

“They took him” Kiri cries out, tears already spilling from her eyes “They took him”

Jake hugs her tight, telling her that Spider will be alright

“He’s as tough kid” he tells her

We look around amongst ourselves in shock, worried for him

This can’t be good

——————————————————

Back in the village, Jake and Neytiri are currently inside of their hut, arguing about what’s the right decision to make after the recent events

Me and the Sully kids lay quietly next to their place, trying to hear whatever we can about the conversation, hoping to figure out what’s going to happen next

“….he’s targeting our family” we hear Jake say

I clench my jaw

Quaritch

So he’s the one responsible for what happened back at the forest

“You cannot ask this!” Neytiri pleads “The children. Everything they’ve ever known, the forest. This is our home” she yells

Ask what? What’s Jake thinking about doing?

“He had our children, he had them under his knife” Jake whispers firmly

I look at where Tuk is now currently laying on the ground, spying on her parent��s conversation

She could’ve had died today, I think, they could’ve taken her

This is can’t happen again

I focus back on the conversation

“….You’re Toruk Makto” Neytiri yells

“This will protect the people” Jake yells back

“Quaritch has Spider, that kid knows everything” He urges

“He knows our whole operation, he can lead them right in here” he finishes

We look around amongst ourselves, my eyes resting on Kiri

On the past few days, I’ve noticed Kiri and Spider’s strong bond, their friendship and care for each other is always really evident

Too evident… maybe there’s something more going on between them

I slowly put a hand on her arm, she seems out of it, like her mind is anywhere else but here

Jake still pleads with Neytiri, telling her that if the people harbor us, they’ll die

He proceeds to admit to having no plan, affirming that what he can do is protect this family, his family

I have to put my ear on their tent’s side to catch his next phrase

“But I know one thing” He whispers softly “Wherever we go, this family is our fortress”

I back away from the tent slowly, a million thoughts running through my head, are they… are they leaving?

Jake pushes the fabric that covers the entrance of his hut abruptly, making us jump and try to act as natural as possible, hoping he doesn’t notice we were spying

Of course he does

His gazes focuses on me

“(Y/n)” he starts with a serious expression, “I need to have a word with you”

——————————————————

I follow Jake into my hut, where he sits down, gesturing for me to do the same

I sit across from him, anxious

“(Y/n)…. we’re leaving” he says, his eyes sorrowful

My suspicions were right

He goes on to explain the whole situation, telling me that they were doing this for the sake of their people, that it’s the only way to make sure no one gets hurt, or worse

“Quaritch isn’t giving up until he finds us, so we’ll be disappearing”He says “Moving south to the Metkayina’s region”

The sea people, I think, one of my favorite tribes, I used to spend hours on end reading every bit of information available about them

“But” I start hesitantly “You’re the olo’eyktan-“

“I’ve already chosen a successor” he interrupts me, his voice firm and his gaze stern

He sighs

“It’s the best decision for our people and for ourselves” he finishes

I nod slowly, understanding. It’s the only way to protect both his family and his tribe at the same time

“You can stay” he continues “It’s our family he’s after. You could stay with the omaticaya if you wish, with Norm” he finishes, mentioning the only person I have left from my past

I look down, thinking. I could stay, help Norm around the lab, have a good, tranquil life

But… it’s not that simple anymore, i think, I promised to help against the humans, against Quaritch. Even if he’s only after the Sullys, I can’t abandon them

I… care for them, I realize. They already occupy a special place in my heart. They were the first people to approach me with kindness and care since I escaped the human base

Especially their oldest son

I can’t leave them

Besides, I think, who’s going to save Neteyam when he needs it? I smile to myself recalling the last two times I ended up saving his life

I look at Jake, who’s staring back at me, waiting for an answer

“If you’ll have me…I wish to go as well” I tell him

“You do?” He raises both of his eyebrows “You…. do understand there’s a possibility we aren’t coming back”

I smile “I know. I promised to help didn’t I? If anything happens, you’ll need someone who has intel on the humans, on Quaritch. I promise I’ll be useful”

He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head “You know” he starts “You really do remind me of Grace” he stares at me for a while, a soft look in his eyes

I look at him, surprised, a smile forming on my lips “Thank you”

“Well then” he continues “Get ready, we leave tomorrow”

——————————————————

Jake then goes after Neytiri, both of them calling their kids in to tell them the news

I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like for them. My home is in the past, it doesn’t really exist anymore, I’m still struggling to find somewhere else, some other people to cling on to

But the Sullys, they’ve lived their whole lives here, their future lies here too

I can’t help but to feel sad for them

——————————————————

No one could really sleep after Jake’s news, so that brings us to the current moment, where me and the Sully children sit around a small bonfire next to my hut

Their faces are melancholic, some tear streaked, still absorbing the news

They’re leaving home

“This fucking sucks” Lo’ak says, his eyes locked onto the fire

“Language” kiri sighs out, proceeding to lay down on the ground, staring at the stars

“I don’t want to go….” Tuk cries out softly, hand rubbing her eyes, seems like she’s holding her tears in

“C’mere” Neteyam tells her, he picks her up, sitting her on his lap, softly rubbing her back

“It won’t be that bad” he tells her softly “We’re going near the sea, there’s all sorts of beautiful creatures in it, right (y/n)?” His gaze shifts to me

I’ve told Neteyam about my interest on the Metkayina before, having studied their culture to its core

“That’s right!!” I try to smile reassuringly at Tuk “There’s huuuge whales too, they’re called Tulkuns!!”

As my gaze shifts to Neteyam, I notice he’s trying his hardest to cheer Tuk up. But his eyes are sorrowful, distant

“Grandma Mo’at would love them…” Tuk says, her eyes watering again

Me and Neteyam share a look, his jaw locked. Their grandmother is staying, she’s the tsahik, the people can’t do without her

It’s inevitable, there’s no way around it, they’re really leaving

I look at them, their sad expressions making my heart ache

“Okay” I suddenly say, standing up “Come with me everyone, I’ve got something to show you”

——————————————————

After some hard convincing and a whole lot of it’ll be good I promises, I currently have the Sully kids inside my hut, sitting down in a circle. Their faces confused and skeptical

I reach inside a woven basket in the corner of my room, taking out the only thing I brought with me when I escaped the human base: a backpack with some essentials

When I first escaped, it contained a few provisions, a flask of water and two personal items

Now, it only had the latter, which were my mini cassette player and a bag of M&M’s

Time to blow some minds

——————————————————

“Alright, now on the count of three, we all eat it. Don’t just swallow it, chew it slowly and feel the flavor” I say

I’m now sitting amongst them on the ground, cross legged between Neteyam and Kiri

We all have at least two M&M’s in hand, everyone waiting for my sign to eat them

Tuk looks excited, wanting to try “the little colorful balls”, as she calls the M&M’s, already.

Lo’ak looks at me skeptically, while Kiri points out there’s a tiny “m” written on each one of them

“What did you say these were again?” Neteyam asks, amused, raising an eyebrow in my direction

“Happiness in a little sphere” I grin at him, “Chocolate” I finish

“Oh so that’s what this is?” Lo’ak asks, “The lab crew talks about craving this stuff all the time. This better be good (y/n)” he smirks in my direction

I smile at him, looking at the candy in my hand. It’s weird to think that this is probably the last piece of chocolate I’ll ever have

I’m not human anymore, I think. Now that I’m with the na’vi, shipments from Earth don’t reach us like they used to, since the humans that were allowed to stay on Pandora are considered part of the tribe, the ties between us and planet Earth were cut short

My gaze becomes a little distant, eyes on the candy on my hand, memories from a life that doesn’t exist anymore flashing through my mind

“It’ll be good” Neteyam says, snapping me out of my thoughts

I look at him, he’s staring at me encouragingly, a bit of concern on his eyes

“She promised it’ll be good” he continues “So if it isn’t, she’ll have to come up with something better” he finishes, a playful look in his eyes

I laugh softly “Trust me, you won’t need anything else after trying these”

“Can I eat mine now?” Tuk says, excited, patience running low

I grin at her “Okay. On the count of three” I say “One, two… three”

We all simultaneously put the candy into our mouths

My smile is immediate, the familiar flavor bringing me good memories, I really love these

The chain of reactions in front of me is hilarious to say the least

First, Lo’ak squints his eyes, slowly chewing the candy. Then, his eyebrows raise and his pupils dilate, a small smile playing on his lips, “Oh wow” he mutters

Kiri only eats one of the two M&M’s I initially gave her, eyeing the other skeptically while she chews. A slow smile spreads through her face, getting progressively bigger. She looks at me beaming, showing me the M&M she didn’t eat “Does each one taste different since they have different colors?”

Tuk finishes her’s in a matter of seconds, instantly opening both her hands in front of me “Can I please have some more??” She pleads, eyes sparkling

Neteyam’s the only one who I can’t really figure out if approved the candy or not. He has his brows furrowed, chewing his candy slowly

I laugh “No kiri, and of course Tuk!!” I answer the girl’s questions, turning the bag of M&M’s on Tuk’s hand. Her eyes widen at how much more I just gave her

While Lo’ak tries to steal some from Tuk’s hand, getting harshly scolded from her, I turn my attention to Neteyam

“So?… what do you think?” I ask him hesitantly

He finally finishes chewing, looking into my eyes “honestly….I kind of hate it”

“W-what? Really?” I ask him, my tone urgent and disappointed

He nods, pursing his lips, staring at me

My face falls

Then, his face slowly morphs into a grin, finally breaking into a loud laugh

“Of course not” his laughter dies down a bit “I love it actually” his eyes have a playful glint on them “And I need more, immediately” He finishes, smirking, opening his hand for me to pour more

I’m trying hard to make an angry face at him, but the smile on my lips betrays me

I scoff “Sorry, but you just lost your candy privileges” I turn to Lo’ak and Kiri “Want some more you guys?”

Neteyam laughs again, “Come on (y/n), I’m sorry!” He pokes my sides with his hand softly

I suddenly shriek, letting out a quick laugh, eyes widening, I’m really ticklish there

Shit

Neteyam’s smirk slowly widens

“Please don’t, please” I plead

He doesn’t even hesitate, poking both of my sides fast and hard

I laugh loudly, small tears swelling on the corners of my eyes, dropping the bag of M&M’s I was holding to try and get away from his torture

“Can I get some M&M’s now (y/n)?” he asks, laughing while continuing to tickle me

“Y-yes just please- stop!” I manage to blurt out mid laugh

“What? Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that” he grins, continuing his torture on my sides

This little bitch

“I’ll give you the whole bag if you want to, just please stop!!” I breath out, still laughing

He slowly stops, his smile wide “Well thank you (y/n), since you offered it, I’ll be having the whole thing” he says, his laughter finally dying down as well

I turn to look for the M&M’s bag, having dropped it earlier when he attacked me

The bag is now on Lo’ak’s hands, who’s staring at both me and Neteyam, wide eyed, eyebrows raised

He’s sharing the candy with Kiri, who chews slowly while also watching us, a wide smile on her lips

My cheeks redden immediately, I try to look anywhere but back at them

Neteyam’s ears are bright red, redder than I’ve ever seen them. He clears his throat

“Why’d you stop? Do it again!!” Tuk exclaims to Neteyam. Her hands are still full of the M&M’s I gave her before, her tongue multicolored from the candy

——————————————————

It’s late now, I can hear the soft rustle of the trees from outside of the hut as I lay on my hammock, trying to get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s voyage to the Metkayina’s region

I smile softly, remembering the Sully’s goodbyes before leaving my hut for the night

—————FLASHBACK——————

“Sleep well (y/n)!! I’ll be coming back for more of that stuff” Lo’ak says, pointing at the now empty bag of M&M’s, hand on my shoulder as he wishes me goodnight

“Thank you for the delicious little colored thingies (y/n)!! Sleep well” Kiri says, giving me a side hug as she leaves

“(Y/n)!!!!” Tuk exclaims, hugging me tight by my legs “I loved the chocolate!!!! thank you so so so so so much!!!!!” She excitedly says, jumping in place while still holding me

My eyes widen, I hug her back tightly, laughing

Oops, I think, looks like I ended up giving someone a sugar rush

She suddenly dashes after Lo’ak and Kiri

“That’ll be hard to explain” Neteyam says, laughing. He’s the last one to leave my hut

We see Tuk jump on Lo’ak’s back, almost tackling him to the ground

I laugh “Don’t worry, it’ll pass soon, I think” I say

We laugh, Neteyam now stands in front of me at the entrance of my hut

“(Y/n)” He starts, smiling softly at me “Thank you… truly. They really needed that. Today wasn’t easy, and tomorrow will probably be even harder, but you gave them a little something to smile about, and for that I am very grateful”

I look back into his eyes, there’s a lot of emotion in them, I find myself getting a bit lost inside his gaze

I slowly smile at him “That was nothing! It was the least I could do after everything you all have done for me” I tell him

“But…How about you? Did it cheer you up too?” I ask him

His smile falters just a little, his eyes widening a bit “Me?” he asks, “I don’t- I’m not-“

“It’s okay” I interrupt him, “We don’t have to talk about it right now if you don’t want to. But I’ve noticed you always try to be strong for both your parents and your siblings, especially Tuk” I smile at him

“It’s really admirable, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be sad as well” I continue “It’s your home too, you’re allowed to feel bad about leaving it” I finish

I stare at him, he seems at a loss for words. We stay in silence for a bit

He swallows hard, jaw tense, staring intensely into my eyes

Suddenly breathing out, he says “You’re a really observant person (y/n)” his voice falters a bit, a small smile growing on his lips

My cheeks heat up a bit. I smile awkwardly at him “You’re one to talk!! You always seem to get me out of uncomfortable situations”

“And you seem to always save me from life or death ones” he smiles wider at me, a playful glint on his eyes

I laugh loudly at that, my eyes crinkling “Just accept the compliment Neteyam!!”

He laughs as well, his eyes never leaving mine, he slowly uses two of his fingers to grab mine, softly saying “Thank you (y/n)”

My cheeks redden again, I swallow hard, squeezing his fingers back softly “Y-you’re welcome”

He smiles “If you ever need to talk, or anything at all, I’m always here yeah? Just call for me and I’ll be there” he says

“Right back at you, mighty warrior” I say the last part in a lower, softer tone, unlike the teasing one i’ve used on him until now

——END OF THE FLASHBACK——

My stomach churns as I recall the interaction with Neteyam, a smile involuntarily coming to my lips. I rest my forearm above my eyes

Why am I feeling like this??

——————————————————

<- chapter 6 is out now :)

SooooOooOoO, (y/n) is going with the Sullys to the Metkayina’s. Anything could happen over there Ig 🤷��♀️

Chapter 6 coming soon!! Ty SO much for the support everyone 🥹💞

Tag list: @holysaladapricothero @mahalkomarvel @a-blog-name-2003 @crazy4books1 @camilo-uwu @isazelhmann @mynameisjuno @milktealvrr @myheartfollower @bakugouswaif

#avatar #avatar fanfiction #avatar: the way of water #avatar imagine #avatar james cameron #neteyam #neteyam imagine #neteyam x reader #neteyam x you #fanfiction #neteyam x y/n #neteyam suli x reader #neteyam fanfiction #neteyam angst #neteyam fluff #neteyam sully #fanfic #fluff #imagine

112 notes · View notes

smolskxawng · 11 months

Text

New life - Chapter 4

<- chapter 3, chapter 5 ->

Pairing: Aged up!Neteyam x Fem!Reader

Summary: Neteyam starts your archery training, teaching you the basics. Both of you didn’t expect you would had to put what you learned to the test so soon.

Note: Neteyam is aged up on this one☝️as well as the reader☝️

——————————————————

I wake up to someone calling my name from outside of my hut

I groan, it was the first night since I literally came back to life that I managed to fall asleep as soon as I laid to rest

I get up from my hammock, dragging my feet to the door. With disheveld hair and barely managing to keep my eyes open, I harshly push the fabric covering the entrance of my hut to the side, revealing a smiling Neteyam

“Rise and shine (y/n)” he says, his voice faltering a little, like was he trying hard not to laugh at my current state

“Ready to start?”

——————————————————

After properly waking up, getting ready and eating some breakfast, Neteyam leads me through the village into a clear area in the woods, where I can see a few targets scattered here and there

Archery training

The thing is, I know a lot about the na’vi in general, it was part of my previous job on the first expedition, I knew almost everything about their culture and various tribes, including their fighting and archery techniques

I knew all of that, in theory

“Okay” Neteyam starts, “we’re going to start easy” he says while handing me a wooden bow and a few arrows

“First, pick an arrow and aim at that first target over there, I want to see your form”

I gulp, a bit nervous, how hard can it be right? I studied na’vi archery techniques for so long, I even knew all about the efficient way they hold all their arrows together with the bow, not using a quiver as a strategy to be able reload faster in battle

But what good was all of that knowledge if I’ve never even held a bow before?

I pick an arrow, nervously placing it on the bow, pulling it along with the string the way I thought was right

“Okay… not bad!!” Neteyam says, smiling as he rests both of his hands on his waist “I was expecting way worse”

I squint my eyes at him, making him laugh a bit while I try to hold a smile in

“How can I make it better then?” I ask, “Mighty warrior” I say the last part in a lower tone, teasing him with the nickname Lo’ak taught me at breakfast

“You-!!” He squints his eyes at me, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue, trying to hide a smile

“You’ve been around Lo’ak too much” he says

He shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips

“Here, let me help you” he starts

He gets closer to me, “First, your hands, you need to hold your bow off center, in the meaty part of your palm” he raises his own for me to see

He then points to the hand im using to hold the bow “Can I touch you?” He averts his gaze from my hand to my eyes

I look into his, responding with a “Yes”

“Alright. Your fingers should remain loose and limp during the shot, let the bow do it’s thing” he says, putting a hand over mine, loosening my fingers around the bow a little

“Then” he continues, “your posture, you need to straighten your back”

As soon as he says this, I try to straighten my posture as much as possible, tensing my shoulders on the process

He laughs, “Not that much”

He proceeds to go around me, now facing my back

Placing both hands on my shoulders, he says “Take a deep breath in and out, relax your shoulders, turn your head on the direction of the target”

I do as he says, the tension leaving my shoulders, I turn my head slowly in the direction of the target, I can now see Neteyam from the corner of my eye

“Good, that’s it” he squeezes my shoulders encouragingly

“Now” he starts, taking a step closer to me

We’re really close now, so much so that I can feel his breath on my cheek

He puts an arm around me, hand hovering over my stomach, not touching it yet

He looks into my eyes as if asking for permission

I swallow, my heart beating a bit faster from our proximity

I nod my head, allowing him to continue

He slowly puts a warm hand on my stomach “You need to strengthen your core, watch your breathing” he says on a lower tone, close to my ear

As soon as he touches me, I contract my abdomen, partially because of what he said, but mostly because of the sudden contact

My cheeks redden a little

Shit, I think, hope he doesn’t notice

“Perfect” He breathes out “Now, aim at the target, and increase the tension on your back just a little, pulling the string a bit harder” As he says this, he uses his other hand to softly touch the arm im using to hold the bow’s string, lifting it up a bit higher, correcting my stance

“That’s it, you’re doing great” his tone is but above a whisper “Now slowly loosen your hold on the string and…. Shoot”

I let the string go, along with the arrow, it zooms in the direction of the target, hitting it at its farthest point from the center

“Damn” I frown, my cheeks still a bit warm from being so close to Neteyam

“What are you talking about? That was amazing” Neteyam smiles at me, I notice the tip of his ears are a bit red “Most of the beginners can’t even hit the target itself, you did great” he continues

“Really?” I beam at him “Well then, thank you!! I had a great teacher” I say as I lower myself, starting to pick another arrow

Neteyam bites his lower lip, as if stopping himself from smiling

“Now” I start “Let’s try that again, I want to hit the middle!!”

——————————————————

After a whole lot of tries, a very frustrated and stubborn me and a very amused Neteyam, I manage to get one arrow right in the middle of the target

Neteyam, who by now was sitting on the ground, trying to help me as much as possible giving me all sorts of tips to try and get me close to reaching my goal, immediately stands up, shocked

I lower the bow slowly, in disbelief

“I…… I did it?”

Neteyam huffs out an incredulous laugh, his eyes wide

“(Y/n) you did it”

“Oh what the hell…” I whisper, covering my mouth with a hand, “I really did it…”

Neteyam laughs “You really did. On your first day of training too, am I the best teacher ever or what?”

I laugh loudly, turning to him, beaming, offering a hand for him to high five

“I gotta give it to you, you really are!!” I say, when he hits my hand, I linger mine on his for just a minute, saying “Thank you Neteyam”

He gives me a small, warm smile, his eyes staring right into mine, the tip of his ears red again

“You’re welcome (y/n)”

“So” I start “Guess I’m the mighty warrior now huh?”

“Is that so?” Someone calls out from afar

Me and Neteyam both look at where the voice came from, seeing a smiling Jake Sully looking right back at us, one of his eyebrows raised

—————————————��————

“Made any progress?” Jake asks Neteyam, he now stands in front of us, arms crossed

“Yes sir” Neteyam responds “She’s been showing good results with the bow and arrows, she’ll be able to fight alongside us in no time”

As Neteyam says this, I notice he changed his demeanor, his voice is firmer and he seems to be keeping his posture in check

He looks up to his father a lot

“Good” Jake answers, nodding his head at Neteyam, he then turns his gaze to me “Unfortunately that’ll be all for today, you’re both coming with me now”

Jake turns around, me and Neteyam look at each other, I raise an inquisitive brow at him

“(Y/n), you think you can show us where the secondary human base is located?” Jake asks as we follow him back to the village

“Yes” I respond immediately “Not by foot though” I remember how much of a long shot my plan of trying to find the natives after escaping the human base was “If I could get a larger view of the woods, I could get you to it’s location easily ”

“Perfect” Jake continues “We’re flying then”

My stomach turns

Oh no

Not again

——————————————————

Since there’s a whole ritual I have to go through to get an ikran of my own, for now it’s decided I’ll ride with Neteyam, while Jake and Neytiri accompany us on their own

There’s a quick preparation for the mission, they give me an earpiece mechanism, which apparently connects Jake, Neteyam, Lo’ak and Neytiri, allowing them to communicate amongst themselves in emergencies

They give me one, making it easier for me to give them directions of the human base while we’re on air

I decide to test it out, trying to reach Lo’ak, who seems to be out with the kids somewhere

I press the buttons on my neck, allowing me to speak into the device

“Hey Lo’ak, you’re grounded” I make my voice as low as it can be, trying to mimic his father’s

“(Y/n)?? Is that you?” Lo’ak’s response comes through “Why do you have an earpiece?”

I giggle, leaving him without a response

As I turn around to finish getting ready, I find a very pissed off Jake Sully staring at me

Fuck, I think, gulping and making a mental note to never forget Jake’s also connected to the earpiece ever again

Neteyam is sitting down, back turned to us, putting on his leg protectors for the flight

When I look in his direction, his back is shaking from the laughter he’s trying to hold in

Son of a bitch could’ve warned me

——————————————————

They give me leg protectors too, so I won’t be cold while flying or have any possibility of slipping and falling from the ikran

Okay, safer than the first time, I think

As Neteyam offers me a hand to help me get up onto his ikran, I try to control my nerves

It’s okay, it’s alright, it’ll be nicer this time

Hope I don’t puke for real on this one

I sit behind Neteyam, and as the Ikran makes a motion of standing up to take flight, I get scared by its sudden movements, hugging Neteyam’s back as a reflex

He turn his head sideways, trying to look at me “wow, you alright in there?” He laughs a bit

“Yeah” I breath out “Just- just a bit nervous that’s all, my first flying experience was a bit intense”

He smiles, his expression softening, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall, you can trust me” he says, putting his arm above mine on his waist, trying to reassure me

My cheeks heat up, thank god he can’t see me right now

“Okay, I trust you might warrior” I respond in a lower, softer but still teasing tone

He grins “Hold on!” He screams as he signals his ikran to take flight

He purposefully goes up faster into the air, making me hug his back tighter

He smiles, holding my arm tighter as well

——————————————————

We’re flying for quite some time now. With proper vestment and Neteyam’s support, I relax into the flight, enjoying it much more than the first time, feeling safer

I start giving Jake and Neytiri directions to the secondary human base through the earpiece, when out of a sudden, I get interrupted by Lo’ak’s voice coming through

“…evil dog. Devil dog, this is Eagle Eye. Over.” He says

Jake places his fingers on his neck, pressing the mechanism to respond “Eagle Eye, Send your traffic”

“I got eyes on some guys” Lo’ak continues “They look like avatars…But they’re in full camo and carrying ARs”

My eyes immediately widen, that sounds very much like a human soldier party, me and Neteyam share a look, my eyes urgent and worried

He has his eyebrows furrowed, concern and distress in his gaze as he looks back at me

“There’s six of them. Over.” Lo’ak continues

“What’s your pos? Over.” Jake asks

“…We’re at the old shack” Lo’ak says, his voice hesitant

Neteyam’s gaze turns even more stern, he looks at his father

“Who’s we?” Jake inquires

“Uh, me, Spider, Kiri… and Tuk” He finishes

Oh no, my breath hitches

Jake and Neytiri share a long look, Jake purses his lips “Son, you listen to me very carefully” he starts, his tone low and urgent

“Pull back right now, do not make a sound. You get the hell out of there.”

“Yes sir” Lo’ak responds

“Dad!” Neteyam yells, “I know a quick way” he gestures with his head

“Hold on, (y/n)” he says as we suddenly dive down with his ikran, followed by his parents

——————————————————

We land on a huge tree branch deep in the woods, Neteyam helping me off his Ikran

We immediately move, following Jake and Neytiri, I grab the bow and a few arrows Neteyam gave me after our training earlier

“No, no” Jake stops us “You both will stay with the ikrans”

“But Dad” Neteyam says, his voice firm “I’m a warrior like you, I’m supposed to fight”

“Neteyam” Neytiri says, sternly

“I’m not gonna say it again” Jake finishes

Neteyam looks at him for a while, before turning to his ikran reluctantly “… yes sir” he says in a lower tone

Jake and Neytiri quickly leave, leaving us alone with the animals

Neteyam breaths in deeply, his back tense, eyes furious

“You alright?” I ask softly

He lets a deep sigh out, closing his eyes as if trying to compose himself

He turns to me “No” he says, tensing his jaw

“It’s always the same thing, I train and train but when the time comes when there’s a real reason to fight, they never let me” He says, furiously tending to his ikran

“They’re just worried for you” I say, “I understand what you’re saying, but you’re their son, if they loose you out there it’s over”

He looks at me, angry, pupils dilated “What about my siblings? they’re out there too” he says harshly

I look down, I get Jake and Neytiri’s decision, but I can’t argue with that, he’s got a point

He sighs, “I’m sorry (y/n), I didn’t mean to lash out, it’s just so frustrating” he says, crouching down and driving an arrow forcefully into the branch we’re standing in

“I feel powerless” he says

“Then let’s go after them” I say, serious, staring at him

“What? But you just said-“

“I know” I interrupt him “I also know that if there’s anyone that can help, it’s you”

He stares at me for a while, a small smile forming on his lips

He stands up, taking the arrow out of the ground “I was going after them either way, so I’m glad you agree”

My eyebrows raise, not that much of a rule follower anymore huh?

“But you’re staying” he says sternly, while grabbing his bow and arrows

“What? But I can help!” I plead, “I wont let you go alone” I say, my voice firm

“And I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do this, it’s too dangerous” he says

“You trained me earlier, I can handle this” I argue

“(Y/n)” he says sternly, “your training barely even started”

He turns to me, walking in my direction

“I’m not putting you in any risk whatsoever”, he finishes, staring intensely into my eyes

“Alright. But if you leave me here I’ll just follow you eventually, so it’s your call” I say, getting my bow and arrows, staring back at him defiantly

He stares at me for a while, lips pursed, jaw clenched, his eyes burning into mine

He let’s out a loud, frustrated groan

“You can be even worse than Lo’ak, you know that?”

I grin at him “Let’s go, mighty warrior”

——————————————————

<- chapter 5 is out now :)

Stay tuned to find out if y’all will survive this one 🤠

Tag list: @holysaladapricothero @mahalkomarvel @a-blog-name-2003 @crazy4books1 @camilo-uwu @isazelhmann @mynameisjuno @milktealvrr

#avatar #avatar fanfiction #avatar imagine #neteyam #neteyam imagine #avatar: the way of water #avatar james cameron #neteyam x reader #neteyam x you #neteyam sully #neteyam x y/n #fanfiction #neteyam fluff #neteyam angst #neteyam fanfiction #x reader #imagine #neteyam suli x reader

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smolskxawng · 11 months

Text

New life - Chapter 3

<- chapter 2, chapter 4 ->

Pairing: Aged up!Neteyam x Fem!Reader

Summary: You’re allowed to stay with the Omatikaya for the time being. A certain olo’eyktan’s son offers to give you the training you need to help them on their mission.

Note: Neteyam is aged up on this one☝️as well as the reader☝️

——————————————————

I must look really confused right now

“Uhhhh, hello?” I answer her

“Can we come in?” she asks

“Sure?” I smile, “Who’s we?”

She enters my hut followed by Jake’s youngest boy, the girl I remember as Kiri, (who mutters a soft “excuse me” as she walks in), and a human boy????, with blue paint all over his body, imitating a native’s skin

“This is we!!” The little girl says excitedly, “I’m Tuk!! and this is Kiri, Lo’ak and Spider!!” She points to all of them one by one, who smile kind of awkwardly at me

“What’s your name?” She asks me, not giving anyone else a chance to speak, Lo’ak seems to be growing a bit impatient

I can’t help but laugh, what a cute kid, “I’m (y/n), nice to meet you Tuk”

Then Lo’ak just bursts out

“What are you?”

Kiri hits him on the back of his head almost instantly

“Ow!!” He says, putting a hand where Kiri hit him, “What?? Don’t you want to know too?”

“Don’t be rude, skxwang” she gives him the dirtiest look ever, before smiling softly at me

That duality was kind of scary

“Sorry about him (y/n), we were just curious….you know, about you and where you came from and all of that”

“It’s not everyday someone who looks just like us, but is not… from us???? just shows up saving our brother’s life” she continues

My cheeks heat up a bit, “Yeah no I get it!! I’d be curious too” I tell her

They all stare intently at me, I realize they’re waiting for some answers

As I get ready speak, someone softly calls my name from outside of the hut

“(Y/n)? Sorry- Can I come in?”

All of my visitors’ faces morph into horror almost immediately

“Shit, it’s Neteyam!!” Spider whispers, “He’ll definitely tell on us!!”

“Language!” Kiri says, covering Tuk’s ears up

“Oh no he won’t” Lo’ak says, “If he does, he’ll also have to explain what he was doing out of his hut so late”

I watch everything that’s happening in front of me with a mix of deep confusion and amusement

“Didn’t you just get grounded?” I ask Lo’ak

“That’s besides the point” he answers

“(Y/n)? Uh, you alright in there?”Neteyam asks again from the outside of the hut

“So? Should I let him in?” I whisper to them

Kiri, Lo’ak and Tuk nod their heads yes while Spider nods his head no

Majority wins I guess

“Sure!! Come in” I say to Neteyam

“Sorry to intrude” he says while entering the hut, “My name is Neteyam, I just wanted to…..”

His voice dies down as soon as he sees four sheepishly smiling faces staring at him

“Wha- why are you guys in here?”

His gaze lowers a bit “Tuk?? What are you doing up so late?”

“Hello big brother” she smiles wide at Neteyam

“The real question is, what are you doing here?” Lo’ak asks

Neteyam gives him a look, crossing his arms “That’s not working on me brother”

“Just-“ lo’ak says, “I won’t tell if you won’t”

Neteyam raises his eyebrows at him

Lo’ak sighs, “I’ll tend to your ikran for a week?”

Neteyam uncrosses his arms, sighing “Fine, but be more careful from now on, dad’s already on edge with you”

He says the last part in a lower, softer tone, as if out of concern for Lo’ak

But Lo’ak doesn’t seem to take it that way, furrowing his eyebrows, he stares intensely at his brother

They look at each other for a while, the tension in the room growing heavier

I watch it all unfold attentively from my hammock

Sully drama is very real

Neteyam clears his throat, his gaze now settling on me

“Anyway, I wanted to thank you (y/n)”

My eyes widen a bit

“You saved my life earlier, I’m very grateful” he continues

I raise both my eyebrows, that caught me off guard

“Oh!! right, yeah!! That’s uh, that’s alright, don’t worry about it” I tell him

“It was the right thing to do” I finish

He looks at me for a bit, as if trying to figure me out

“But you don’t even know me” he says, eyeing me a bit skeptically, as if afraid this is all a trap

“Who… who are you? What were you doing back there?” He asks

His ears get just a tiny bit red as he quickly adds, “If you don’t mind me asking of course”

“See” Lo’ak says, “We were all curious”

Neteyam laughs a bit, “Yeah” he crosses his arms, a playful look on his eyes, “That’s true”

I smile a bit, “Well… it’s kind of a long story…”

My first four visitors were already sitting down, staring at me intently, waiting, while neteyam lowered himself to join them

There’s really no way out of this huh

I sigh, laughing nervously before starting to tell them that I wasn’t actually from this place and time, that my first time in Pandora was on their father’s expedition, where I worked as an intern

“Shouldn’t you be like… way older now?” Lo’ak asks

I bite my lip, my face falling, that’s still a sensitive topic for me

I give them a forced smile, hoping no one notices “Let’s… let’s leave that one for later, okay?”

They all give me confused looks, Neteyam staring intensely at me

“What did you use to do on the ship?” He asks

I smile a bit, glad for the change of topic, I start telling them how I worked for doctor Grace-

“Grace? Grace Augustine?” Kiri interrupts me

“That’s right” I smile at her

Her eyes are now big, eyebrows furrowed, “You knew her?” She asks again

“Yes, I did” I smile fondly, “We were quite close actually, she took care of me”

Everyone was now staring at Kiri with concern, Spider puts a hand on her arm

“She…” she swallows “She was my mother”

My eyes widen

What?

——————————————————

I was beyond shocked to say the least, Grace had a daughter?? A na’vi daughter??

I had a lot of questions

Kiri too of course, so after some discussion, I find out that Grace’s avatar was found pregnant after the great war, no one really knew how

They also tell me that Jake and Neytiri took Kiri in, raising her as one of their own

I tell Kiri that Grace took me under her wing too, I was young and naive when I entered the expedition, she took care of me, guided me

Me and Kiri share a moment, having someone we cared deeply for in common

Kiri asks me what she was like, her mother

I smile fondly at her, happy memories filling my head

I tell her that Grace was an incredible, strong woman, who wasn’t afraid to fight for what she believed in

When I finish, Kiri stares at me, teary eyed. She gives me a small smile and softly says

“Thank you”

I smile back at her, tears forming on the corners of my eyes as well

“Do you wish to see her?” Neteyam asks softly

All the eyes in the room snap in his direction

I look at him, his gaze is intense, we stare into each others eyes for a minute

His eyes linger on mine just a moment more, before looking around, realizing everyone’s attention on him

“What?” He asks

“You want to go to the Tree of Souls right now?” Lo’ak asks him, incredulous

“What? No!” He scoffs, “We can’t go there this late, it’s too dangerous”

Lo’ak’s face relaxes, him, Kiri and Spider share knowing looks amongst themselves, like this was a common occurrence

He’s quite the rule follower huh? I think

“But we could take her to the lab” Neteyam says

Everyone’s eyes snap to him yet again

“We could???” Spider asks

“Yeah, why not?” He smiles, “We’re already here, might as well go all the way”

“Plus” he continues, looking at me, “It’s the least I could do, you saved my life” he smiles

I’m a bit surprised, but looking at him, I manage to blurt out a quick thank you, smiling as well

——————————————————

We try to walk as silently as possible to what they call “the human lab” where humans who fought alongside the natives in the great war and survived, were allowed to reside

I was bursting with anxiety and hope, maybe someone I knew was in there, still alive

“This was a bad idea…” Neteyam says beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts

He smiles playfully at me, before frowning at Spider and Lo’ak, who were pushing each other and laughing, making our silent escapade not so silent anymore

I laugh a bit, “Well…it was your idea”

He raises an eyebrow before slowly saying, “We could go back…”

My face instantly falls, “No!! I was- I was just kidding!!”

He stares at me for a while, before breaking into a laugh, “Yeah, I know”

I scoff at him, a playful glint in my eyes

We’re walking next to each other, a little slower than the rest of the group

“I’m thankful to you too you know” I say, looking at him from the corner of my eye

“Hm? For what?” He asks

“You saved my life as well, if it wasn’t for you, your father would have ended me back in the forest” I tell him

He huffs out a laugh, “Oh yeah, that!!”

“He didn’t mean it, I mean, he did, but that was before he knew who you were”

He smiles, looking at me, “What would you do if you saw a possible enemy laying on top of your son?”

I laugh, “Well, when you put it that way…”

“Thinking about it now” I continue, squinting my eyes and putting a hand on my chin, “Kinda makes sense why you almost punched me in the face when we first met”

His face falls, “I’m so sorry about that!! I didn’t mean- you know that was becaus-“

I break into a loud laugh, “Yeah, I know” I say, quoting him

It’s his turn to scoff in fake offense, but I can see the smile he’s trying to hide forming on his face

“We’re here!!” Tuk screams

——————————————————

They lead me into what looks very much like the place I used to work in, a wave of nostalgia washes over me as soon as I step inside

Neteyam puts a hand on my arm, snapping me out of my dazed state

“I know you want to see more, but you’ll need to breath for that” he says, smiling and offering me a mask that seemed to be connected to a small tank filled with Pandora’s air, wearing one himself

Oh, that’s right, I think, I’m not human anymore, my face falls a bit, I guess oxygen won’t do

I put the mask on, looking at Neteyam to thank him

He smiles at me, but his eyes seem to hold a bit of concern in them

As we walk into the lab, I look around, feeling like…

It feels like home, like time never passed

“(Y/n)!! Come see this” Kiri says, gesturing for me to follow her

She leads me to a big tank, filled with a blue liquid

There’s an avatar floating inside of it

Grace’s avatar

My breath hitches

I slowly put my hand on the glass, my chest feels tight

She doesn’t even look a day older

Kiri puts a hand on my shoulder

I look at her, her eyes are watery

Mine too

We seem to share the same longing feeling, missing someone who isn’t coming back

“Thank you Kiri” I remove my hand from the tank, “Truly… thank you”

She turns to me, suddenly putting her arms around me

My eyes widen a bit, the hug definitely catching me by surprise

I slowly wrap my arms around her too, smiling softly

——————————————————

“What’s up Max?” I hear Spider say from afar, “Working late?”

“What’s up Norm?” I hear Lo’ak say

Hold on

I slowly stop hugging Kiri, turning to where Lo’ak’s voice was coming from

Oh my god

It can’t be

“Norm?” I ask, my voice loud and firm

Everyone is silent now, staring at me

“Yes? Hello” Norm says, confused

He’s sitting on a chair next to a computer, looking at me with a raised brow

Apart from being older, he’s still the same as I remember

“Never seen you around with the kids, what’s your name?” He asks, smiling hesitantly at me

The tears I was holding from seeing Grace’s avatar finally start spilling from my eyes

“H-hey, what’s wrong?” He asks as he looks around desperate, as if asking the rest of the group for help

“Don’t you remember me?” I ask, my voice comes out soft, almost a whisper

“Should I? I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ve met before” he answers

I huff out a small laugh, giving him a small smile, whipping my tears as I walk in his direction

I stop in front of him, raising my hand as if asking for a high five

He’s face is pure confusion right now, but he hesitantly raises his hand, hitting mine slowly

I softly hit his forehead afterwards, just like he did to me a million times before when we worked together, it was our thing

His eyes go wide, he squints his eyes at me, scanning my face

“(Y/n)?” He asks

I huff out a laugh, my eyes tearing up again

“Oh my- Oh my god, (y/n)”

He gets up from where he was sitting, hugging me tight

It’s funny, I think, I used to hug him by the waist back then, now i’m way taller than him, and of course, bluer

He pulls back, holding me by my arms, “You’re alive, you-“

“How? We looked everywhere for you after the great war, we couldn’t even find a body, and-“

He looks me up and down, “You have an avatar now? How-“

“It’s.. it’s complicated” I tell him

Until now, I only had to tell this story when extremely necessary, I trust Norm, but I don’t think I’m that comfortable with everyone else yet

I don’t even know how they’ll react

Neteyam suddenly clears his throat, “Okay everyone, time to go”

“What?? Noooo” Tuk protests, right as a big yawn leaves her mouth

“See? It’s really late, let’s leave Norm and (y/n) for now, they have some catching up to do” Neteyam continues

I look at neteyam, he’s a really observant person, I think

He did this back at the hut too, noticing I was uncomfortable and changing the subject of the conversation

I mouth him a thank you, smiling softly

He smiles back, nodding in my direction

He picks Tuk up in his arms, who immediately lays her head on his shoulder, tired

When Neteyam turns around to leave, Tuk’s eyes meet mine, she smiles, waving me goodbye tiredly

“Let’s go, chop chop” Neteyam says, starting to head out

Lo’ak rolls his eyes at Netyam’s antics, “See ya (y/n)” he nods in my direction smiling, before following Neteyam out

Spider smiles at me and waves before going after them

Kiri puts a hand on my arm, smiling softly at me, “See you later (y/n)”

——————————————————

Alone with Norm, I tell him everything I’ve told Jake, everything I went through, finishing with how I got here and how it was decided I could stay and help against the humans

Norm listens to it all, deep in thought, sadness in his eyes

“I’m… I’m really sorry (y/n), that’s…” he runs a hand through his face “I can’t even imagine what that must’ve felt like”

“Yeah…” I cross my arms “It was… intense, to say the least”

“For what is worth, I’m really happy to see you” he puts a hand on my arm, I guess he can’t reach my shoulder anymore

“Me too old man” I say, smiling at him, “Are those white hairs?”

“Hey!!” He furrows his brows at me in fake offense “It’s the lighting!!” He pleas as we laugh

“So” he starts, “I see you already met the kids, what do you think? Like them yet?”

I smile, “They’ve been nothing but nice to me so far, but I don’t know what to make of them and… all of this yet, it’s all so different”

“Guess I’m still getting used to my new life” I finish

He smiles, empathetic for my situation

“You can always come to me yeah? anything you need, I’m here” He says

“We’re family”

——————————————————

I leave the lab silently, millions of thoughts running through my head

But I feel… better, way better than before

Knowing that Norm’s here with me, and seeing as the Sully kids appear to be really nice, I think I can be optimistic about what’s to come

I smile to myself as I go down the steps of the lab

Right as I’m about to go back to my hut, I see someone, leaning on the side of a tree across from the lab, looking at the stars

“Neteyam?” I call out

He averts his eyes from the sky, focusing on me

He smiles

“(Y/n)”

——————————————————

“What are you doing here?” I ask, going down the last steps of the lab’s stairs to meet him, “Thought you headed back to your hut earlier”

He smiles “I did!! But after dropping Tuk off, I remembered there were still a few things I needed to discuss with you”

“And that couldn’t wait for tomorrow?” I can barely hide the smile forming on my face

“You know what-” he starts, a smug look on his face. Raising his hands, he starts to leave, “I’m not telling you anything”

I laugh loudly, “Wait- wait!! I’m kidding, please tell me” I hold his arm with both of my hands before he walks away

He turns back, laughing as well “Alright, since you want to know so badly” he grins

“I’ll walk you to your hut”

——————————————————

“How much fighting experience do you have? Know how to use a knife? Bow and arrows?” He asks me, while we walk side by side to my hut

“Hmmmm zero, no, and maybe? How hard can it be?”, I say, putting a hand on my chin

He laughs, “I like your enthusiasm, but you’ll need more than that in a fight”

“Father says you need to learn at least a few self defense moves if you’re going to be working with us from now on” he continues

“Us?” I ask

“The warriors”, he says, smiling, there’s a bit of pride behind his tone

That’s right, he’s a warrior I think, recalling his traditional warrior bracelet

“Ohhh yeah, I’ll definitely need some training” I say

“I can help with that” he responds

“Really?” I smile at him “Jake assigned you to train me?”

“No” he looks at me out of the corner of his eye, smiling “I volunteered”

Oh, I look down, my cheeks a bit warm

Hope he doesn’t notice

“Well”, I smile at him, “You better be good then”

He scoffs, “I’ll have you know I was the youngest omaticayan to make a clean kill on a sturmbeest hunt” he says, a playful glint on his eyes

“Really?” I eye him smiling, my eyes wide, “That’s actually pretty impressive”

His ears get just a tad bit red, his gaze avoiding mine, like he wasn’t expecting a compliment

“Yeah, thank you”

“How old were you?” I ask

Based on my knowledge on Pandora’s fauna, I know Sturmbeest are social animals, but if they feel threatened they can attack, and they’re big

He makes a thinking face “Thirteen maybe? I don’t really remember”

I raise both of my eyebrows, that young?

“You were so little!! Jake started training you that early?” I ask

He smiles, “Yeah, he says the sooner we learn how to protect our family and people, the better”

His smile drops just a little

“Yeah… I get that but, must’ve been hard” I say, frowning slightly

I remember how harshly Jake scolded him as we begin to approach my hut, he must’ve had it hard, being the olo’eyktan’s son is never easy

“A little, yes” he sighs, smiling at me as we turn to face each other, now in front of my hut

“But that’s a story for another time”he continues

“Okay” I say “You can share if you’d like, I don’t mind”

He smiles softly, “I’ll tell you when you tell me what you were hiding before”

I laugh, “Fair enough”

We stare at each other for a while, he has a nice smile, I think

“Okay” he says, clearing his throat, “I’ll be at your door at sunrise to start your training, be ready”

“Alright- sunrise????” I raise my voice, both of my eyebrows raised

He and his siblings take me out of bed late at night and expect me to be up in just a few hours??

He laughs, already starting to walk away, “Goodnight (y/n)!!”

I scoff, smiling to myself

“Goodnight Neteyam”

——————————————————

<- chapter 4 is out :)

I ENJOYED WRITING THIS CHAPTER SM OMG 😩

Stay tuned for a training session with the mighty warrior next chapter ☝️

Tag list: @holysaladapricothero @mahalkomarvel @a-blog-name-2003 @crazy4books1 @camilo-uwu @isazelhmann

#avatar #avatar fanfiction #avatar imagine #avatar james cameron #avatar: the way of water #neteyam #neteyam imagine #neteyam x reader #neteyam x you #neteyam fanfiction #neteyam sully #avatar x you #avatar x y/n #avatar x reader #neteyam x y/n #fanfiction

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smolskxawng · 1 year

Text

New life - Chapter 2

<- chapter 1, chapter 3 ->

Pairing: Aged up!Neteyam x Fem!Reader

Summary: After successfully escaping the human base, you rescue the son of the Omatikayan’s chief. Will you choose to stay by his people and help them against colonel Quaritch’s plans?

Note: Neteyam is aged up on this one☝️as well as the reader☝️

——————————————————

I rush to his side Immediately, crouching next to him, putting a hand on his back, letting out a big sigh of relief as I feel it rise and lower slowly

He’s breathing, he’s still alive

Ripping a piece of my shirt to wrap around his face and shield him from the smoke, I turn him around, checking for serious wounds

As I do so, I notice a traditional warrior bracelet on his arm

His gaze settles on me, confusion, fear and anger passing through his face as he starts pushing me away from him, coughing from the smoke, weak from getting directly hit by the explosion

I realize what this must look like now. I’m dressed just like the enemy, like one of the avatar soldiers the humans use, I didn’t have anything different to change into before escaping

“It’s not what it looks like, I swear!!” I plead in his language

He doesn’t listen, slowly sitting up, trying to hit me

The only thing that prevents me from getting punched in the face is his current state, he’s way weaker than me right now but he obviously has a lot more fighting experience than I do

I barely dodge the hit

“Wait!! Please!! I’m trying to help you!!”

Before he tries to swing at me again, I see a human soldier standing ahead of us, gun in hand, aiming in our direction

“Watch out!!” I scream, throwing myself on top of the boy, getting us to the ground right as a bullet zooms above us, hitting a box full of guns nearby

His eyes go wide in shock, but before he can say or do anything, another gunshot is heard

Someone had just killed the soldier who almost shot us

It was an older, Na’vi man

He runs up to us, his face filled with anger and concern

In one swift move, he lifts me up by my shirt, pointing his gun to my head

I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for the end

Again

“Father stop” the boy says weakly, “she’s not with them”

I wait and wait

But the bullet never comes

I open one eye, peeking at the situation, the man still has me in his hold, but is now looking down at his son, who’s still laying on the ground

The two of them share a quick eye conversation

The man let’s out a groan in protest before harshly releasing me

I stumble back a bit as my feet hit the ground

I don’t even have time to process anything as the man quickly grabs his son, throwing him over his shoulder

He looks over to me and screams

“Come, now”

I run behind him, no questions asked

——————————————————

We fly on the man’s ikran, the other natives following close behind

They give me suspicious and ugly stares, especially a woman flying really close to us

I keep my eyes tightly shut most of the time, hugging the man’s back like my life depends on it

And it really does

I went from rarely getting out of the human base to flying on ikrans with the Na’vi??? My stomach turns with fear

And a bit of excitement I guess?

I feel someone else’s eyes on me while I put a hand over my mouth, trying not to puke from all of the turns we’re making

I look back to see a younger boy, younger than me and the one I saved before. He’s staring at me with a skeptical and curious look in his eyes

After a while, we arrive at the omatikayan’s hidden camp, probably the one Quaritch was dying to find

My eyes immediately widen in shock

And wonder

This is the real thing, these are the omatikayan people

——————————————————

We land safely

Well, a few of us do. Some are injured from the previous conflict and some didn’t even get to return

All because of the humans

As we get down from the ikrans, a cute, small na’vi child comes running to hug the woman who was flying close to us

The older male na’vi immediately starts scolding his son, as well as the younger boy who was staring at me before

He talks to them like a true leader of a war party, like… a human soldier would

There’s something familiar about his voice

Now that I have the opportunity, I scan him more attentively, he has strong, familiar features

and… five fingers??

Just like me

Is that…. It can’t be

Jake Sully??? he’s alive????

he’s a full na’vi now??

And he has a kid????

A na’vi kid??

I saved Jake sully’s na’vi kid????

I try to focus back on the conversation

“…. And you disobey direct orders!!” He says harshly to the boys, focusing more on the older one

I guess old habits die hard, I think, he got himself a squad between the na’vi too, he’s probably in charge of the warriors

He goes on to ask a girl, Kiri, as he calls her, to go help her grandmother with the wounded

But the girl doesn’t move, still checking on Jake’s son

“My brother is wounded”, she says

Oh they’re related!!

They’re related??? Jake sully has two na’vi kids????

The one I saved starts taking full responsibility for what happened, but the na’vi woman interrupts him, directing herself to Jake “MaJake… your son is actually bleeding”

You were beyond shocked at everything that was unfolding in front of you right now, not only Jake Sully was alive, but he had a family, a na’vi family

And by the looks of it, a whole lot of family drama too

It saddens you a bit as you realize he’s treating his sons like recruits, like the soldiers he used to command back in the day

Jake dismisses his son like a true commander of a war party would

The boy looks my way quickly before his mother takes him to tend to his injuries

I stand awkwardly on the side, processing everything I just witnessed

I decide to wait quietly for an opportunity to speak alone with Jake about everything, trying hard not to disturb the family dynamic or bring any more trouble to myself

“You do understand that you almost got your brother killed”, Jake says harshly to the younger boy that remained

Oh so it was his fault??? Sheesh

Also, brother???

Just how many kids Jake has? Damn

I try to look anywhere but the boy’s direction as his ears flatten, as if he’s ashamed of his actions

“Yes sir”, he responds

“You’re grounded, no flying for a month” Jake states

The boy agrees again, before Jake dismisses him to see to his ikran

Before he leaves, he inquires

“What about her? Who is she?”, he points at me with his head, eyeing his father inquisitively

Jake just gives him a long and hard look, making the boy’s ears flatten again as he lets out a low groan, accepting his lack of answer. He directs himself to his ikran

“And get that crap out of your face”, Jake finishes

Me and Jake are now left alone

He directs his gaze to me

I gulp

“Follow me”, he says, serious and stern

——————————————————

I walk quickly behind Jake through the village, getting all sorts of looks from a whole lot of natives as I follow their olo’eyktan into a nearby hut

“I- “, I start

“Who are you?” he interrupts me, “What are your intentions here? and what. happened. back. on. that. train?” he says, his words getting more paused as he gets progressively closer to me, trying to intimidated me

It obviously works

I back up as soon as he starts walking towards me

“I-It’s not what it looks like, you have to hear me out!!” I beg him

“My name is (y/n)-“

“(Y/n)????” He interrupts me again

I fall silent, scared

His face scrunches as he scans mine closely, as if trying hard to remember something

“(Y/n)…. Grace’s (y/n)?”

My face instantly relaxes, relief taking over me

“Yes!!! I- you remember me?”

“Yes… barely, but I do”, he answers

“I remember seeing you around, helping Grace, you two were always together”, he continues

“You were also there the day I first got onto my avatar right?” His gaze turns a bit nostalgic

He then looks at me again, his brows furrowed

“But… you were gone, on the great war you- we couldn’t find you”

“How did you end up here? You don’t even look a day older” he says, confused “Are you or are you not in a avatar right now?” His voice gets stern again, probably concerned for his people’s safety

I let out a long sigh

Nervously fidgeting with my fingers, I start telling him everything

How I died, how they brought me back to life only to help on their so called new mission, how my memory was partially erased and how I found out the real reason for Pandora’s great war between the humans and the Na’vi

I finish with how I escaped to warn the Na’vi about what was to come

His gaze softens a bit, his face falling as he listens, frowning with empathy for my situation

His brows furrow once again in concern as he realizes everyone is probably in graver danger than he initially thought

“There’s one more thing”, I say

“They also brought Quaritch back”

That seems to make him snap, his expression darkening

Running his hands through his locks and face, he walks around the hut, deep in thought, cursing under his breath

I wait silently, my gaze distant, tears swell up on the corners of my eyes as I relive all I went through these past few weeks

He finally stops, staring at me

He raises a hand slowly, putting it on my shoulder in a attempt to comfort me

It’s a bit awkward but it does help grounding me a bit, bringing me back to the moment

“Thank you for coming to us, you didn’t have to… but you did” he says, “Grace would be proud”

He gives me a small, sad smile

He removes his hand from my shoulder

“If you wish, you can stay, help us against Quaritch”, he says “You must have a lot of useful information on him and the human base”

His eyes meet mine, pausing for a bit

“Or”, he starts, “I can offer you an ikran and some provisions, and you can leave”

I look at him, shocked

What????

“It’s the least I could do after all you went through, you should have been given a choice from the start”

“You came all this way just to warn us, you didn’t even have to”, he continues

“Also, it’s the least I could do for Grace”, he says the last part in a lower tone, as if speaking of someone dear to him

I look down, thoughts racing through my mind, I didn’t think I’d get the option to leave, to be free from all of this

But…. that’s not what I want, I realize

Even if everyone I once loved was gone, I can’t just abandon Pandora’s people when they need it the most

I love the place, it became my home too

For Pandora, and in honor of the people I’ve lost, I say

“I wish to stay”

——————————————————

Jake leaves me for a while to discuss the situation with his wife and warriors, coming back some time later to inform me that It was settled that I could stay with the omatikaya for the time being, sharing every bit of knowledge I held about the humans. Their plans, strategies and equipment

I also found out that Jake Sully was not only the current chief of the omatikaya tribe, but the Toruk Makto

Turns out that after the video I watched where Quaritch almost kills Jake, Neytiri, the woman who killed Quaritch, saved him

And so, he was turned into a full Na’vi by the omatikaya tribe in return for his loyalty to them and to Eywa

Who would’ve thought?

I’m happy for him, I think, he always seemed to prefer his Na’vi life to his human one anyway

——————————————————

After some time, he sends someone to take me to another hut, one with a place to sleep and settle in

I lay on my hammock, the exhaustion of the day getting to me

But I just can’t sleep, the events of the day replaying in my mind

I successfully escaped and warned the omatikaya. I found someone from my past who I wasn’t really close with but was a bit comforting nonetheless

Just knowing there was still someone here, alive, who knew the people I once loved, who cared for them too, It…. soothed me a bit

Also, I saved his kid’s life??? What a day

It’s late now, really late, and I still can’t seem to rest

I think about Grace

She loved the omatikaya, she’d love being here

I miss her

My eyes start to water

Suddenly, I hear some rustling coming from outside of my hut

Like someone, or some people, were getting closer to it

I quickly sit up on my hammock, trying my hardest to focus on the noise

It’s not long before I can discern voices

“…en’t you even a bit curious? I want to see who saved neteyam”, a young male voice says

“This is a really bad idea, but I’m curious too”, a young female voice says

“What if dad finds out though?”

“What dad doesn’t see, dad doesn’t feel”, another young male voice says

“Ok but why is Tuk here??”, the first voice says

“Shut up!! I gave the idea!!”, a child’s voice screams, followed by a chorus of shushes

After a moment of silence, one of the male voices speaks up again

“She’s kinda right”

“Let’s just go in already” the young female voice says

The fabric covering the entrance to my hut is suddenly pushed to the side, revealing a little girl’s mischievous smile

“Hello!!!”

——————————————————

<- chapter 3 is out :)

!!!!!! Neteyam is coming next chapter!!!!!!!

Stay tuned☝️😎

Tag list: @holysaladapricothero @mahalkomarvel @a-blog-name-2003 @crazy4books1

#neteyam x reader #neteyam imagine #neteyam #avatar: the way of water #avatar #avatar james cameron #avatar x y/n #avatar fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #neteyam x you #neteyam fanfiction #avatar imagine #neteyam sully

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smolskxawng · 1 year

Text

New life

chapter 2->, chapter 3->

Pairing: Aged up!Neteyam x Fem!Reader

Summary: you wake up in a different body, somewhere familiar, but different at the same time. As you find out more about your past, will you choose to help the natives?

Note: neteyam is aged up on this one☝️as well as the reader

——————————————————

I jolt awake

My vision is blurry

My head hurts

Where am I?

My eyes seem to be slowly adjusting to my surroundings, my name being called over and over again

But it’s distant, muffled, I can’t discern where it’s coming from

Or if I’m really awake

Panic rises within me, what’s going on???

“(y/n)… (y/n)”

My vision finally settles. I can hear a bit better now

My eyes snap in the direction of the voice calling me

I see a woman, a doctor maybe? She looks at me expectantly, while others dressed just like her walk around the room we’re in, a big room, full of machines and what looks like a lot of medical equipment

I try to move around, feeling wires connected to my head. Did I…

Did I get hurt?? What’s going on???

I raise a blue hand to touch my throbbing head

Wait a damn minute

blue hand?

My eyes snap to my other hand, then my legs, feet, and finally to a big glass window in front of me, where the reflection showed a native from Pandora, a Na’vi, laying on a hospital stretcher, staring right back at me

Everything goes dark

——————————————————

When I finally wake up, the same woman from before holds me in place, telling me to stay calm

I slowly check my hands

Still blue. Still Na’vi.

What. the. hell.

The doctor checks my vitals, slowly helping me into a sitting position, telling me not to panic

“What… what’s going on??” I ask, my voice coming out hoarse, my throat dry “Why am I…” I gesture to myself, as if stating the obvious, why am I blue????

The woman smiles, trying to be reassuring

“We’ll explain everything soon” She says while disconnecting me from the medical equipment

“Welcome back (y/n)”

——————————————————

My leg bounces up and down as I sit on a small chair, my body filled with anxiety

I look around, scanning my new surroundings

Looks like a lab full of people walking around, working. There’s a few Na’vi as well

Not real ones, I think, probably avatars, just like me

I mean, I must be in a avatar right now, right???

Everything just feels weird and out of place. I remember only a few things, like my past job on the first expedition to Pandora, in a ship just like this. But everything seems… more advanced, new, and I don’t seem to recognize anyone at all

And most importantly, I didn’t use to have an avatar, how the hell am I in one right now?

Suddenly, a man approaches me. He looks like a standard soldier from the expedition I used to work in. He’s dressed just like one, only way taller, and of course, bluer

An avatar

I can’t help but think about how militar vestment seems to look very out of place on a Na’vi body

The thought seems familiar, like I’ve had it a thousand times before

The man stops in front of me. He reaches for his pocket, taking out a small bag of M&M’s, offering it to me

“I heard these used to be your favorite” He says

I look up at him. My face must be the epitome of confusion and annoyance right now. Is this man serious? No one explains a thing to me about what is going on and he expects me to just eat M&M’s and then what, giggle?

He clears his throat, placing the candy on the table next to me

He sits down, looking at me with a mix of pity and annoyance, like he’d rather be doing anything but this right now

“Do you… remember anything at all?” He asks

I look at him for a while, letting out a long sigh before before answering

“A little. Bits and pieces. My name, a few people, the person I used to be”

He nods, “And what’s the last thing you remember?”

That catches me off guard, I haven’t thought about that until now, what’s the last thing I remember?

I remember getting on a ship just like this one, beaming with the possibility of helping humanity make the first contact with Pandora. The excitement of exploring somewhere new, getting to experience an entirely different culture

I was picked out amongst hundreds of students who applied to participate on the expedition. We were offered an opportunity to work alongside Doctor Grace, the famous xenobotanist responsible for creating the Avatar program, and for all the knowledge available about Pandora

My knowledge in linguistics and anthropologic interpersonal relationships were what got me the highest score on the sorting test, winning me the job as an intern

After a while on the job, I became an asset. Irreplaceable. Doctor Grace’s right hand, seeing as she took a liking to me

I helped her come up with different strategies to peacefully make acquaintes with the natives, also being responsible for teaching the human soldiers how to speak the Na’vi language

It was like a dream come true to be a part of it all, to be under Doctor Grace’s guidance

I remember her well. I also remember Norm, the rest of team. We all shared a tight bond

Grace ended up becoming more of a maternal figure to me than anything, we shared a deep connection

Happy memories filled my head

Where was everyone now????

I look at the man in front of me, head working fast as a million questions and thoughts passed through it

I eye him carefully, squinting my eyes, analyzing his features

“Colonel Quaritch?????” I inquire, only now recognizing him

“Took you long enough kid” He gives me a uncomfortable grin

“Welcome back” he says, “You must be really confused, scared shitless I suppose”

He leans back into his chair

“I’ll explain everything, but…be warned. This may be… a bit hard to hear”

He tells me the natives turned against us, that they became hostile, attacking our base, destroying everything and whipping practically all of the team out

“Including me and… you” he finishes, looking sternly into my eyes

Did I hear that correctly?

“I… died? Oh… oh my god, I was killed?” My breath hitches, heart beating fast, feels like I’m about to faint

Quaritch looks even more uncomfortable than before. He slowly puts a hesitant hand on my shoulder, patting it awkwardly

Everyone one is gone??? Doctor Grace??? Norm???? The team???

“Everyone is gone” he confirms before I can even ask

Tears swell up on the corners of my eyes, and as they fall on my face, the questions I’m about to ask seem obvious. Why was I the only one brought back to life? Why weren’t they saved too?

The colonel sighs, seeming a bit impatient

“Their bodies could not be found after the conflict, we could only locate yours” he sits across from me again, “That’s why I’m here, to ask you-“

He crosses his arms

“Join our new team, (y/n). Help us win a place to live in Pandora.”

“Planet Earth is dying” He continues

I look at him, still in shock, silent

“I know this is a bit much to process right now, but we need you (y/n), you’re all we have left of Grace’s team, no one has more experience and knowledge about the natives than you”

He leans forward, closer to me

“Think about what Grace would want, she’d love for you to continue her work no? To figure out what went wrong? To help the natives?”

I look down, millions of thoughts racing through my head by the second. The reality of what happened still sinking in

Quaritch gets up, “I’ll take you to your room to get some rest for now”

——————————————————

He shows me to my new room, and just before he leaves, he stops by the door, looking at me with a serious expression

“Think about what I asked you (y/n), we expect an answer by the morning”

——————————————————

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours, unable to rest

I think about Quaritch’s words

Why should I even help? Why should I do anything at all??

I literally died, I’m supposed to be dead. They brought me back for what, to use me??? How unethical can that be?

I never really even liked Quaritch, no one from the team did

I cover my face with my hands

My old my team, Doctor Grace

They’re all gone

Tears start spilling from my eyes again

This whole situation just feels off too. The natives? Turning against us out of nowhere? Using violence without context?

I think about Doctor Grace again, I miss her

I look to my bedside stand, finding the bag of M&M’s offered to me before

I used to love those, I think. Doctor Grace would always make sure at least one box of them was in between the shipments from Earth

I cry harder

What would she do in my place?

One things for sure, she wouldn’t give up on Pandora, on it’s people

On our people

I decide that for the time being, I’m agreeing with what Quaritch has offered me, but I’ll do it my way

I’ll take my own conclusions from everything I discover, and then I’ll decide what to do

——————————————————

The next day, I’m a complete mess, deep bags under my eyes from what could possibly have been the worst night of my life

My second life

Quaritch raises his eyebrows when I approach him

“Jesus kid, what ran over you?”

I eye him, trying to contain my crippling desire to shoot him in the foot, before asking to speak with him privately about his proposal

“Ah so you gave it some thought? Hopefully about agreeing to it?” He inquires as he leads me to an empty hallway

I tell him I’ll do the job under one condition. I get to have full access to all of Doctor Grace’s old data and work

“You got it kid” he answers immediately, grinning

It’s a disturbing sight

“Welcome to the team again, (y/n)”

——————————————————

The weeks that follow are a mix of anger, full on crisis, physical training of my new Na’vi body and a few bags of M&M’s

I manage to go through what was stored of doctor Grace’s work, only to get more frustrated and suspicious by the second. There seemed to be a lot of things missing, especially from after our first contact with the Na’vi

My memory only got up to about that point as well

On the few weeks I’ve been here, I took my time to pay attention to my new work space. Learning what I could about the new equipment, especially the new weaponry and means of transport

It was scary to say the least. If we could do some damage with what was used on the first expedition, I don’t think anything could escape from what was being used now

I also had to teach Quaritch and his minions the Na’vi language and how to approach the natives

But I purposefully took it slow, not teaching them much. Trying to buy myself more time

Find out more

It wasn’t until the night before a shipment full of weapons was supposed to be transported by one of our trains through the forest that I discovered everything

The horrid truth

——————————————————

For the past few weeks, I’ve been monitoring the room where they kept the old data from the first expedition

Watching the time of day the security changed, when the cameras monitoring the place rebooted and stopped working for just a few minutes

Enough to break in

After some days of planning, I decide to take action

Slipping out of my room late at night, I wait for the security to change, slipping inside the old data room between guard shifts, when the light from the camera guarding the place started flickering, rebooting

I start going through the main computer as soon as I break in, getting more and more frustrated by the second

Seems like most of the old data was deleted, just like some of Grace’s work

And just like some of my memory, probably

Everything except…

I click on a file named “Sully”

Immediately, a series of videos of a man reporting his experience with the natives starts going through the screen

Isn’t that…. Jake? I recall his face a bit, the man who filled his twin brother’s spot on the expedition

Seeing him walk on his avatar after going years without being able to even stand up with his original body was definitely one of the things I remembered clearly

As I went through the videos, my eyes kept widening, anger filling my veins. Jake talked about how everything the humans were doing was wrong, explaining all of Quaritch’s horrible plans, how he himself seemed to be getting more involved into his Na’vi life as time progressed

Of course the Na’vi’s didn’t attack us without a motive, I think. The humans were literally going to blow their home up

A final untitled video shows up on the screen, making me immediately click on it

I cover my mouth in shock as I watch none other than colonel Quaritch himself, trying to kill Jake. Suddenly, a Na’vi woman shoots an arrow straight through Quaritch’s chest, killing him

——————————————————

It was decided. As I sneaked back into my room that night, I knew what to do

I was escaping tomorrow, hidden between the gun shipment that was about to cross the Omatikayan woods to the secondary human base

I was going to try and find the Na’vi camp and warn them of what was to come

It seemed crazy and impulsive, but I knew the human’s strategies and equipment well, if I could just get to the natives, I could help them win, share everything I knew

Plus, I couldn’t bear staying on this place any longer, knowing everything that I know now

Knowing that Grace, that everyone died because of….

I had to get out, even if my life depended on it

It’s what Grace would’ve done, it’s the right thing to do

I already lost my life once fighting on the wrong side of things. If I don’t survive any of this, might as well be on the right side this time

——————————————————

The next day, I grab a small backpack with essentials. A small first aid kit, provisions and a flask of water

And as a selfish addendum, a bag of M&M’s of course

I leave unnoticed, as the last thing I said to Quaritch was to not disturb me today, since I was “studying the possibility of an approach to a Na’vi base hidden somewhere in the woods” as he asked of me

When he finally notices my absence, it’ll be too late

——————————————————

As I sat between boxes full of guns on one of the train’s wagons, I repassed everything I knew about the natives and their culture, their language still fresh in my mind as the day I learned it

I was still scared though, it was the first time I’d actually make contact with the Na’vi. I used to only help Grace on the sidelines back then, working with her on approach strategies and helping the soldiers with the language

Today was going to be the real thing, and this time, I was… kind of one of them

——————————————————

By the information I’ve collected from the human base, the train I was in was supposed to take one hour to get to the other side of the woods, which meant that if I wanted to get off before it reached the other human base and to sabotage the whole delivery, I had to start the emergency stop mechanism of the train in half an hour

I check the watch I stole from Quaritch on my wrist, it was almost time

As I get ready to stop the train, it suddenly does it by itself, harshly, catching me completely off guard and throwing me to the back of the wagon forcefully

Something hit the train, and it hit it hard

I stand up, disoriented, running to the wagon’s small window to see what might have been the last wagon of the train in pieces, the remains of it completely blown up

Natives were now raiding what was left of the guns that it contained

I looked up, noticing more natives. They were flying on their Ikrans, circling the train, aiming to shoot at what was left of it

I manage to jump out of my hiding spot just before it gets completely destroyed too

I run into the woods, hopefully going unnoticed, hiding behind some bushes while trying to decide what to do next

When I escaped, I knew there was a possibility of dying again, but I didn’t think it’d be THAT soon

As I gather the courage to approach the natives that were now raiding my old wagon, human aircraft carriers suddenly appear, shooting at the natives, exploding the remains of the train

My ears ring for a while, smoke filling the air

I jump from my hiding spot, the physical training of my new Na’vi body finally being of use

I run in the direction of the remains of the wagon, looking for possible survivors

Lifting the colar of my shirt, I try to protect my nose from the smoke

Still, I cough as I walk around the area, searching for someone, anyone

That’s when I see him, a young Na’vi man, probably around my age, laying on the ground, face down. His back covered in cuts and bruises from the explosion

——————————————————

<-chapter 2 is out :)

HELLO EVERYONE!! This is chapter one of my silly little story, what do you guys think? Should I continue? It’s the first time I do something like this please bear with me😭🙏

#avatar #avatar: the way of water #avatar imagine #avatar x you #neteyam imagine #neteyam #neteyam x reader #neteyam x you #avatar james cameron #avatar fanfiction #avatar x reader

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